Going Home

The Gospel of Matthew: The King and His Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

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Introduction: Debbie and I recently watched on Netflix a three-part documentary about the April 25, 2015, 7.8 Nepal Earthquake (also called the Gorkha earthquake). The film covered three areas of Nepal:

First, they showed the utter destruction of Kathmandu. 8,964 people died, 21,952 were injured, and hundreds of thousands of people were made homeless. (Show pictures of the destruction of Kathmandu).

Second, they followed a group of Israelis trekking into the Langtang Valley. After the earthquake, an entire mountain came down and completely covered the village of Langtang (243 people died in this village – 175 villagers, 27 local tourism guides and porters, and 41 foreign trekkers). It was estimated that Langtang village was covered by 40 million tons of rock and ice. It also covered all trails, so no one had a clue how to get out of the valley. (Show before and after pictures).

Third, the base camp at Mount Everest was also hit hard. Avalanches triggered rock and ice flows that killed 22 people and wiped out a large portion of the base camp. 150 people were stuck at Camp One (10,000-foot level) because there was no way down. The entire Khumbu ice falls were destroyed, as well as all ropes leading from base camp to Camp One. (Watch Video).

People in Kathmandu, in the Langtham Valley, and even those up on Mount Everest were wanting to go home. Many in Kathmandu had no homes to go to, those in the Langtham Valley were isolated, and those on Everest had no way of going home.

As we come to Matthew 2:19-23, I want to have a word with you about Going Home.

Is it safe to go home? In 2015 People in Nepal were asking that question. Have you ever heard that question before? It is usually a question we hear about after a natural disaster or some major tragedy. Well, this same question is on the minds of Joseph and Mary. When will it be okay for us to go home?

Where were Joseph, Mary, and Jesus? They were…

1. In Egypt – vs. 19-20

19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.”

Bible teachers have different views about the length of time that Mary, Jesus, and Joseph remained in Egypt. As I have mentioned before, some say 4 weeks, but others think it may have been up to three years since they lived in Egypt.

If you recall from Matthew 2:13, Joseph was told the following,

Now when they had departed, behold the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word, for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

Joseph was to stay in Egypt with Mary and the Child until God had sent him a word. There is nothing like knowing you are hearing God and in His will. In Matthew 2:19-20 we read,

Joseph heard from God!

Herod is dead. People no doubt celebrated. He was a wicked man. Did you know that when Herod knew he was going to die that he ordered a certain group of people to be executed because he wanted to make sure that people cried on the day of his death? Well, his death day came, and his orders were rescinded, and people didn’t cry that Herod died, no, they rejoiced!

History records that Herod died somewhere around March 29 – April 11, 4 B.C. Death removes even kings. This goes to show us that even Kings cannot control the day of their death.

Scripture tells all of us,

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, (Hebrews 9:27)

Yes, King Herod will stand before the judge of the universe and answer for his crimes against humanity. This is both a warning to the wicked and an encouragement for the upright. In the end, God’s righteous judgment will be carried out.

If we take the timeframe of Herod’s death, we know that Jesus Christ must have been born sometime between 6-5 B.C. This would make Jesus around 2 to three years old at the time He and His family dwelt in Egypt.

In our text, we read that the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. Joseph probably was getting used to having God speak to him in dreams now. This is his third dream with a message from the angel of the Lord.

Many believe that it is possible that the holy family was living in Alexandria, Egypt (a city of wealth and education). At the time over a million Jews were living there, so Jesus’ family settled right in. Coptic Christianity holds that the family visited several areas of Egypt and there are shrines to mark these holy places. In Cairo, there is a sycamore tree and a chapel. The tree was supposed to have been planted over one of the spots in which Mary rested.

Alexandria is located some 318 miles from Nazareth, Israel. Traveling on foot, it would take 204 hours to walk. Today, you could drive that distance in a little over 12 hours.

Joseph was told that it was safe to return to Israel and that he was to take the young child and Mary back home. For the ones who sought the Child’s life are dead. Namely, Herod the madman.

Joseph, Mary, and Jesus are Going Home. They are going to return to Israel, their true home. Listen, everyone likes to take a trip, but there is nothing like Going Home.

So, in these verses, we have God’s word coming to Joseph for him to leave Egypt. Next, we see his obedience once again. Obedience appears to be a hallmark character trait in this man’s life. And I would say to all of us that obedience must become a hallmark trait in our lives as well.

How obedient are you as a Christian?

2. In Israel – vs. 21-22

21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.

Joseph arose and without question, he took the Child and His mother, and they came into the land of Israel. Once within the boundaries of Israel, he heard word that Herod’s son, Archelaus was reigning over Judea, and he was afraid to go there. I have read, that Archelaus said that he was going to be a good ruler, but he ended up being just like his father. Herod willed the kingdom to his son. He is the son of Herod’s Samaritan wife, Malthrace. I think if I was Joseph that I too would be scared! I would want to go home incognito. I probably wouldn’t draw attention to myself or my family. Quick and quiet would be my motif.

I find it interesting that the word Greek word for “warned” used here in verse 22, means, “to transact business, to advise or to consult with someone about important affairs.” So, we see that God is carrying out business with Joseph.

God warns Joseph in a dream, and so he turned aside and went into the region of Galilee. If you looked at a map you would see that Galilee is North of Judea.

Joseph, Mary, and Jesus arrive in their new home. They arrive…

3. In Nazareth - v. 23

23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

Jesus’ family settled in the city of Nazareth. What do we know about Nazareth? It was an obscure town in the region of Galilee. It was a city where Gentiles mixed with Jews. It was a despised town by many Jews. Nazareth is never mentioned in the Old Testament. Some suggest that it was for this reason that God had Jesus grow up in Nazareth. Jesus grew up with people that were looked down on by many.

What do we know? We know that…

· Jesus was a young child in Nazareth.

· Jesus was a young boy in Nazareth.

· Jesus was a youth in Nazareth.

· Jesus was a man in Nazareth.

Scripture tells us that Jesus was the son of a carpenter, and many believe that Jesus probably worked in Joseph’s carpenter shop. As I thought about Jesus being a carpenter my mind thought about what it would be like to own a piece of furniture that Jesus made. Wouldn’t that be cool?

Are you aware that people argued at one time whether Nazareth ever existed? It wasn’t until the archeologist spade uncovered the city of Nazareth. And it was in 2009 that the spade of the archeologist found what they call a Jesus Era House in Nazareth. Let me read the article for you.

Jesus Era House Discovered in Nazareth

(AP) -- Just in time for Christmas, archaeologists on Monday unveiled what may have been the home of one of Jesus' childhood neighbors. The humble dwelling is the first dating to the era of Jesus to be discovered in Nazareth, then a hamlet of around 50 impoverished Jewish families where Jesus spent his boyhood.

Archaeologists and present-day residents of Nazareth imagined Jesus as a youngster, playing with other children in the isolated village, not far from the spot where the Archangel Gabriel revealed to Mary that she would give birth to the boy.

Today the ornate Basilica of the Annunciation marks that spot, and Nazareth is the largest Arab city in northern Israel, with about 65,000 residents. Muslims now outnumber Christians two to one in the noisy, crowded city.

The archaeological find shows how different it was 2000 years ago: There were no Christians or Muslims, the Jewish Temple stood in Jerusalem and tiny Nazareth stood near a battleground between Roman rulers and Jewish guerrillas.

The Jews of Nazareth dug camouflaged grottos to hide from Roman invaders, said archaeologist Yardena Alexandre, excavations director at the Israel Antiquities Authority. But the hamlet was so far off the beaten path that the caves were apparently not needed, she said.

Based on clay and chalk shards found at the site, the dwelling appeared to house a "simple Jewish family," Alexandre added, as workers carefully chipped away at the mud with small pickaxes to reveal stone walls.

"This may well have been a place that Jesus and his contemporaries were familiar with," Alexandre said. A young Jesus may have played around the house with his cousins and friends. "It's a logical suggestion."

The discovery so close to Christmas pleased local Christians.

"They say if the people do not speak, the stones will speak," said the Rev. Jack Karam of the nearby basilica.

Archaeologist Stephen Pfann, president of the University of The Holy Land, noted: "It's the only witness that we have from that area that shows us what the walls and floors were like inside Nazareth in the first century." Pfann was not involved in the dig.

Alexandre said workers uncovered the first signs of the dwelling last summer, but it became clear only this month that it was a structure from the days of Jesus.

Alexandre's team found remains of a wall, a hideout, a courtyard, and a water system that appeared to collect water from the roof and supply it to the home. The discovery was made when builders dug up the courtyard of a former convent to make room for a new Christian center, just yards from the Basilica.

Next, we read, “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

It has been suggested that many prophets spoke about the future messiah coming out of Nazareth. However, many critics of the Bible have discounted this Scripture based on these few words alone. They say that these exact words are not found anywhere in the writings of the Prophets.

Question: Do we discount all of Scripture just because we can’t find this exact phrase in Bible prophecy? The answer is a resounding, No!

The Bible Knowledge Commentary offers us the following solution: Isaiah said the Messiah would be “from [Jesse’s] roots” like “a Branch” (Isaiah 11:1). “Branch” is the Hebrew word neṣer, which has consonants like those in the word “Nazarene” and which carry the idea of having an insignificant beginning.

Since Matthew used the plural prophets, perhaps his idea was not based on a specific prophecy but on the idea that appeared in several prophecies concerning Messiah’s despised character. Nazareth was the town that housed the Roman garrison for the northern regions of Galilee. Therefore, most Jews would not have any associations with that city. Those who lived in Nazareth were thought of as compromisers who consorted with the enemy, the Romans. Therefore, to call one “a Nazarene” was to use a term of contempt. So, because Joseph and his family settled in Nazareth, the Messiah was later despised and considered contemptible in the eyes of many in Israel. This was Nathanael’s reaction when he heard Jesus was from Nazareth (John 1:46): “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”[1]

Well, people may call Him despised, but we call Him King. Amen!

Additional Scripture about Nazareth: Matthew 21:11; Mark 1:9, 24; 10:47; 14:67; 16:6; Luke 4:34; 18:37; 24:19; John 1:45; 8:5,7; Acts 2:22; 3:6; 4:10; 6:14; 22:8; 26:9.

Conclusion: Joseph, you can now Go Home. No doubt that those were some comforting words for Joseph and Mary. They probably were looking forward to returning home and seeing their family and friends. Things would be uncertain for sure, but uncertainty had become the new normal for them.

What are some practical truths that we learn from this biblical story today? We learn the following…

1. We must wait to hear from God. Joseph sets forth a good example for us. Don’t be impatient. God’s timing is always right.

2. When God provides revelation (Joseph’s dream), we must obey. What has God revealed to you recently? Have you acted in obedience to His revelation?

3. It’s not the place where you reside that determines the person, it is your inner character. You might have been born on the wrong side of the tracks, but that doesn’t make the person. Character matters!

4. People may call you names, but they cannot deny your testimony. Live for Jesus and the world Jesus in you.

5. A day is coming when it will be safe for us to Go Home. Until then we need to occupy. Stay busy until Jesus calls us home.

[1]Barbieri, L. A., Jr. (1985). Matthew. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 23). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

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