Born to Die

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

13-15

God saved Jesus from death so He could save Jesus for death.

Nothing can stop the plan of God.

There is no ruler, force or evil plan that can stop what God places in motion.

God will provide for his plan.

How in the world would Mary and Joseph afford such a trip, and how would they be able to afford to stay for an indefinite amount of time until the angel calls them back home?

God has already provided - Mary and Joseph had just been given very expensive gifts - gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Quite some time previous, God had put it in the hearts of pagan astrologers to give extravagant gifts to a peasant Jewish couple and their newborn son.

His love for you is so great, he will break into this world to make sure the gospel comes true in your life.

Joseph’s response was one of immediate obedience / trust.

What if he had hesitated or questioned God’s intentions or purpose?

Perhaps this is why God chose Joseph.

Joseph up and moved to a strange country with a strange language with strange people all for a child that was not his own.

“The bond between them did not derive from the deep emotional and spiritual tie of father and genetic son. It derived from the deep bond of obedience to the true Father of this Son.”

- NIV Application Commentary

**Ponder the depth of the love of God for you.

**What is your response to that love? - Immediate obedience / trust?

Jesus lived for more than his death.

Jesus had a mission for his life beyond his death.

If the sole purpose for Jesus coming to this world was to simply take on human form in order to die as a sacrifice, then why would God have rescued him now?

Wouldn’t it have been easier for Father and Son to simply endure less than 2 years in this world rather than 33?

Answer is found at the end of v 15:

15 This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

This is a quotation from : (Turn to Hosea 11)

1 When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.

and out of Egypt I called my son.

Israel = God’s Son

2 The more they were called,

Here we run into a struggle. Matthew is reaching back to Hosea to say that 11:1 is referring to Jesus but when you look at the context you see that is speaking about God’s love for the nation of Israel - how he brought them out of slavery from Egypt.

the more they went away;

How does this apply to Jesus?

Matthew uses OT prophecy in three different ways:

Direct fulfillment - OT speaking about Jesus

Fuller fulfillment - fulfilled in OT

Typological fulfillment - Jesus is a ‘type’ of that which came before - fulfilling it in a different way.

However, instead of Israel being an obedient son:

they kept sacrificing to the Baals

2 The more they were called, the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols.

and burning offerings to idols.

2 The more they were called,

the more they went away;

they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols.

Can you relate?

and burning offerings to idols.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

When faced with hunger, Israel complained.

When God provided food, they whined about thirst.

When they were unsure of God, they made a golden calf.

They continually slapped the grace of God with repeated disobedience and rebellion.

They broke God’s Law before they had even officially received it.

Israel broke God’s Law, and according to , brought a curse.

Matthew wants us to see that where you and I and Israel have failed, Jesus prevailed. Matthew wants us to see Jesus as a ‘type’ of Israel, and in a sense, a type of you and I.

- Jesus faced with same temptations as Israel, only where Israel gave in to the temptations, Jesus resisted and remained pure.

Israel was led into the wilderness by God

‘Jesus led up by the Spirit into the wilderness’

Israel became hungry and complained

Jesus was hungry yet trusted in God to provide the strength he needed

And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

When tempted by Satan to throw himself from the temple, Jesus answered that you should not ‘test’ the Lord your God.

7 And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

In the face of temptation Israel reverted to worshipping idols

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Satan offered Jesus all the earthly kingdoms without the need to die on the cross if Jesus would worship him - Jesus remained faithful to God

Where Israel was faithless, Jesus remained faithful. Where you and I are faithless, Jesus remains faithful.

Jesus lived to set an example, to show us what faithfulness looks like - to set the stage for people to receive the gospel.

Jesus lived to set an example,

Did you ever ponder why, if you’re a Christ-follower, you were not taken to heaven the second you placed your trust in Jesus?

**If you are alive right now, then God has a purpose for your life more than simply standing in line for heaven.

The real question is, are you looking for and living for God’s purpose for your life or are you living out your own?

**What are you doing while you’re living?

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.

18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation,

weeping and loud lamentation,

Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

16-18

Herod was as cruel as he was crazy.

While brilliant, in his later years he became paranoid and would do whatever he thought necessary to secure his throne from any perceived threat - even killing three of his own sons and his favorite wife.

The emperor Augustus said, "It would be better to be Herod's sow than one of his sons.”

The emperor Augustus said, "It would be better to be Herod's sow than one of his sons." Herod was known to dress up like a commoner and go

Herod was known to dress up like a commoner and go into the city to see what people were saying about him and then send his goon squads to murder anyone who spoke against him.

Herod's sow than one of his sons." Herod was known to dress up like a commoner and go

into the city to see what people were saying about him and then send his goon squads to murder anyone who spoke against him.

Once when he was short on money he had the 45

Once when he was short on money he had the 45 wealthiest citizens executed on trumped up charges and seized their estates. That’s how he avoided his fiscal cliff. I mean, he really stuck it to the 1%.

wealthiest citizens executed on trumped up charges and seized their estates. That’s how he avoided his fiscal cliff. I mean, he really stuck it to the 1%.

when he was on his deathbed, he ordered that dozens of other noblemen be executed at the moment of his death, because he wanted the land to mourn his passing, and he knew no one was likely to do it because just he died.

Killing perhaps a few dozen male infants in Bethlehem was no big deal to Herod.

19-23

Jesus came to a world of suffering to bring an answer to your suffering.

17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

From

‘Ramah’

Site at which Israel was gathered to march to Babylon.

Weeping for Rachel’s children (Israel) who would not grow up in the land.

Reason Matthew chose this passage was likely because although there is weeping from unimaginable sorrow at the loss of innocence, Jeremiah goes on to offer hope

17 There is hope for your future, declares the Lord,

declares the Lord,

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

If there is no God

Many ask, “If there is a God, why is there so much suffering?” The real question is, “If there is NO God, then why is suffering even an issue?” It would be completely natural in a world without an objective moral standard.

The fact that suffering bothers us hints of a God and allows the atheist to even ask the question.

The problem is, there is no answer in atheism. The only answer is in Jesus.

Israel was suffering because of the broken covenant, but if you continue in you see there is the promise of a New Covenant through the Messiah - This is what Matthew wants us to see.

This Messiah will bring an answer to our suffering.

Where Israel has sinned and had been cursed into exile, God promises a Messiah that will reverse the curse with a New Covenant.

Where Herod the king brought untold suffering, this new King will have the last word.

Jesus is the only answer to senseless evil and my pain. Evolution and scientism doesn’t cut it here. The gospel says that this world is the way it is because of the curse of sin. But a King has been born who is going to bring an end to all that because he bore the curse of sin in our place and he is one day soon going to put everything right again and bring an end to all suffering.

19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

19-23

Jesus took a name in order to give you his name.

. . . withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

“Nazarene”

We’re not sure which prophets Matthew had in mind here. Perhaps Isaiah 11:1

English Standard Version Chapter 11

come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,

and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,

the Spirit of wisdom and understanding

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

‘Branch’ - nezer

The idea of a branch was used elsewhere in OT to refer to Messiah.

This correlation of Jesus as Messiah brings honor.

However, the classification of Jesus as a Nazarene was seen as derogatory.

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

Jesus came not only as a strong Righteous branch but also as the Suffering Servant.

This title held both honor and humility - even inviting ridicule and persecution.

Even still, Jesus broke through preconceived ideas of Nazarenes to deliver the gospel.

Acts 24:5

English Standard Version Chapter 24

For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.

5 For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

“Christian”

At times, the title of Christian can seem like either a calling or a curse.

“Can anything good (worthwhile) come from a Christian?” - only you can answer.

**Do others know you bear the name of Christ? If so, are they brought to Christ through knowing you?

**Can you rightly be charged with being a “little Christ?”

ILLUST - I can be rightly called a “little Sam”

Conclusion

**What is the purpose of your life right now?

**How can you respond to what God is calling you to in obedience and trust?

**What pain can you give to Jesus to answer rather than holding on to in an attempt to make sense of it on your own?

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