Matthew 2:13-3:17 | The Christmas Exodus
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Jesus is shown to be True Israel through being sent to Egypt, surviving the murder of babies, being called up out of Egypt, and going through the waters of baptism into the wilderness. The message of the prophets is to prepare our hearts as God makes a highway to receive and reconcile people from all nations into Jesus, the True Israel.
MAIN ARGUMENT: Trust Jesus to represent , redeem , and rule you up out of the kingdom of darkness and in the kingdom of God.
GOD’S BELOVED SON
SENT INTO EGYPT (2:13-14)
Q: Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t just prevent all evil? How are we to respond to the possibility of harm?
CALLED OUT OF EGYPT (2:15)
Quote: Hosea 11:1
Q: Can you think of other “types” of Christ that are established in the New Testament?
PRESERVED THROUGH GREAT SORROW (2:16-18)
Quote: Jeremiah 31:15
Q: How is Christian sorrow different from the world’s sorrow?
RETURNED TO THE LAND (2:19-21)
Echo: Exodus 4:19
Q: Why is it that God leads Jesus back to the land of Israel? Why doesn’t God just take Him to a new place. Why doesn’t God just take us to a new place?
SENT INTO OBSCURITY (2:22-23)
Prophetic Motif: Psalm 22:6-8, 13; 69:8, 20-21; Isaiah 11:1; 49:7; 53:2-3, 8; Daniel 9:26
NT Examples: John 1:46; 7:41,52
Q: Have you really considered the humility of God in Christ? What are proper Christian responses to Christ’s humility?
OPENLY ARRIVED WITH THE KINGDOM (3:1-12)
Allusions: Isaiah 40:3-5; Malachi 3:1-6; 4:5-6; Jeremiah 31:31-34
Q: Why is the message of the kingdom of God filled with the message of repentance? What does that mean for you today?
PERSONALLY ANNOUNCED AS THE BELOVED SON— TRUE ISRAEL (3:13-17)
NT Context: Galatians 3:16
Allusions: Genesis 22:2; Deuteronomy 4:12; Psalm 2:7; Isaiah 11; 42:1
Q: If God’s people and kingdom are identified in Jesus, what does that mean for you? Your purpose? Your plans?
IN GOD’S SON
If you are represented by Jesus, you are beloved of God.
If you are redeemed by Jesus, you belong in the kingdom of God.
If you are ruled by Jesus, you now have a good master .
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INTRODUCTION
Thanks to the church’s Christmas gift, our family went skiing for an evening two hours away at Bryce Resort the day after Christmas.
For $80 a person, you can get your lift ticket and equipment rental for the last four hours of the evening.
Our kids had never gone skiing before this, and it is something Martha and I had not done for 20 years.
It was a blast! Everyone went down the slopes. Neither Martha nor I fell! Praise God.
I even remembered how to ski down the slope backwards in order to coach along the family. It was just a green line… I stayed facing forward on the blue lines!
One of the things I have always enjoyed about skiing is getting scooped away by the lift! You just stand there, and it does all the work.
You fall into the seat, dangle your legs, and enjoy the fresh cold air and winter scenery.
And then you get pushed forward down the ramp toward your slope of choice.
It’s like you get rescued away from what we did as kids sledding in PA—walk up snowy hills over and over again!
The thought of going down the hill and then getting rescued to the top again can bring joy to your heart if you think about what it would be like to walk up it!
And that leads us to our sermon today: The Christmas Exodus. This is a rescue we could never climb for ourselves!
The exodus and redemption of Israel from Egypt was a foundational demonstration of the far greater redemption that God had been promising to bring His people—redemption from sin, Satan, and death. A rescue!
It’s an exodus from the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of His beloved Son, as the letter to the Colossians puts it.
All Scripture had been pointing to this redemption, and the prophets foretold of a new exodus and redemption of God’s people.
Just consider briefly Isaiah 11. Matthew has already grounded some of His early arguments in the passage of Isaiah 7-11. The end of our text today will once again bring us here.
Let’s just read it and then bring it back up at the end.
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2 And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and might, The spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord…
10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, Which shall stand for an ensign of the people; To it shall the Gentiles seek: And his rest shall be glorious. 11 And it shall come to pass in that day, That the Lord shall set his hand again the second time To recover the remnant of his people, Which shall be left, from Assyria, And from Egypt, and from Pathros, And from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, And from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
[places all included in Pentecost in Acts 2:9-11]
12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, And shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth…. 16 And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, Which shall be left, from Assyria; Like as it was to Israel In the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.
See it? This was an expectation of the prophets and all who believed God’s word. A new exodus.
Our text today highlights Jesus as bringing the new exodus of God’s people, and it presents why you should…
MAIN ARGUMENT: Trust Jesus to represent , redeem , and rule you up out of the kingdom of darkness and in the kingdom of God.
God’s greater redemption and eternal promises are secured only through faith in Jesus’s representative work and kingly rule.
Chapter 2:13-15 and 3:15-17 bracket this entire section with God's true Son called up out of exile in Egypt, Who having learned to choose the good over the bad in His poverty (as we saw prophesied in Isaiah 7 a couple weeks ago)… Jesus is endowed with the Spirit and recognized as God's Son Who will lead a remnant of God's people from Israel and from all over the earth through a prepared highway into Himself.
… And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son… And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
This large passage is all about Jesus being the true representative of God’s people… in heaven and earth.
If you are a Christian, Jesus is your representative and Head.
If you are not a Christian, you need Jesus as your representative and Head. If He is not, you will represent yourself before God. And that my friends, only ends in condemnation.
Would you want to represent yourself in court? How about the court of heaven before the righteous God Who knows every thought you have had and every deed you have done?
You and I need to be represented by Jesus, God’s beloved Son.
GOD’S BELOVED SON
So, we are going to move through a larger section of text in order to see the running theme of Jesus as God’s Son without losing the forest from the trees.
As we go through sections, I will ask questions I have given in the bulletin so that we can pause and reflect on implications as we go along.
I may not address some of them because of the time, but I have given them all in the bulletin for you to look at on your own.
If there is one that really gets at your heart, circle it, and spend time in prayer about it. Maybe have a conversation with someone afterwards or during the week in order to dig in deeper about it.
So after the birth of Jesus and later visit by the magi, we learn that Jospeh is directed by God to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt.
SENT INTO EGYPT (2:13-14)
Though there were some safe places and Jewish communities in Egypt during this time, the idea of fleeing Judah for safety in Egypt raises a couple thoughts in the Hebrew mind:
1.There was another time when the Hebrew people had to flee their land for refuge in Egypt.
2.By this time, Judah should be the place of safety from Egypt, not the other way around!
Matthew 2:13–14
13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
Q: Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t just prevent all evil? How are we to respond to the possibility of harm?
Why tell Joseph to “flee into Egypt?” Isn’t God “for Jospeh?”
This question guts the gospel from our world.
If God most desired to prevent us from harm, He simply would never have created us.
God has far more glorious purposes for us in our world than preventing us from harm.
That’s why God tells us not to be fearful. We will face harm. Sometimes, God sends us right into harms way. Jesus said this when He prayed for us in John 17.
Don’t be a fearful person!
Fear God. Not circumstances.
Be wise, but not fearful.
Be obedient, not crippled by risk aversion.
One of the tactics of Satan is to temporarily paralyze Christians with fear-mongering.
Watch out, he has voices planted in news sources, political platforms, podcasts, government agencies, school systems, pulpits, healthcare agencies… all over.
God’s people are called to obey in the face of harm.
CALLED OUT OF EGYPT (2:15)
Matthew goes on next to share why God planned and oversaw Jesus being sent into Egypt. It was so that He would be called out of it.
Matthew 2:15
15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
Matthew said this happened “that it might be fulfilled…”
And then he quotes “the prophet” Hosea.
Quote: Hosea 11:1
"Out of Egypt I have called my Son" can only be a typological fulfillment since Hosea 11:1 is not a prophecy.
Hosea 11:1 is a declaration of what had been done. Israel was called God’s son and was called out of Egypt.
Matthew is joining other scripture writers to directly establish the nation of Israel as a “type” of Christ. So Matthew is talking here about typological prophesy.
It is important that we understand what typology is so that is followed rightly and not abused.
Typology is when some true, historical person, event, or thing is designed by God to “foreshadow” and picture something greater to follow.
A good example would be David and Goliath. David is regularly understood as a “type” of Christ. So, his defeat of Goliath is a natural picture of Christ’s defeat of sin, Satan, and death.
The account with David and Goliath truly occurred, but they pictured a greater Person and victory to come in Jesus.
So, Matthew is saying that the true, historical nation of Israel is a “type” that points forward to a greater “Son of God” Who would also be called out of Egypt.
Israel was made up largely of offspring of Abraham.
The nation was called to represent the kingdom of God to the other nations.
They were called be a kingdom of priests.
But they pointed forward to THE offspring of Abraham… the Representative of God… the King… the Priest.
They were called out of Egypt. Jesus was called out of Egypt.
Q: Can you think of other “types” of Christ that are established in the New Testament?
So it doesn’t end there… by the Spirit, Matthew keeps running with this theme. See next how Jesus was…
PRESERVED THROUGH GREAT SORROW (2:16-18)
Now this next OT quote applied by Matthew is meant once again to color in the typological connection between Jesus and Israel.
Quote: Jeremiah 31:15
A “mother” of Israel no longer with them is said to have greatly mourned likely at the sight of Israel’s sons being carried off to Babylon from a place called Rama.
But she doesn’t sorrow as one without hope, because she holds fast to the hope held out in the rest of the chapter of the coming new covenant.
Similarly… mothers in Bethlehem mourn the loss of their own children but not without hope. The Messiah was preserved and will return.
Matthew 2:16–18
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Beth-lehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, 18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
This is a horrible account that illustrates the evil of sin.
Since Bethlehem is only about six miles from Jersualem, Herod quickly figured out that the magi were not coming back. And since he could not get Jesus directly, he determined to take more cruel measures in order to maintain his supposed dynasty against this “King of the Jews.”
The Gospel of Matthew (4. The King Tries to Thwart God’s Purpose (2:16–18))
"Estimates of the total population of Bethlehem in the first century are generally under 1,000, which would mean that the number of male children up to two years old at any one time could hardly be more than 20, even allowing for 'all its district.'"
Source: NICNT Mt
Though this may be less deaths than you expected, it was still ruthless, and it was still aimed at Immanuel… Jesus… the Christ.
And it was reason for great mourning in Bethlehem of Judah… among Israel… among Jesus’s early community.
In case you are wondering, Herod “the Great” was known for such cruelty, especially in his later years. One author described…
The Gospel of Matthew (4. The King Tries to Thwart God’s Purpose (2:16–18))
"Herod’s later years, as Josephus records them, were dominated by the obsessive defence of his throne, with the royal family of the Hasmoneans [Maccabees] as the most immediate threat. Earlier in his reign his predecessors Antigonus (Ant. 15.8–10) and Hyrcanus (Ant. 15.173–178) were eliminated together with large numbers of their supporters (Ant. 15.6) and eventually all remaining members of the Hasmonean family (Ant. 15.260–266); even those Hasmoneans directly related to Herod by marriage, his brother-in-law (Ant. 15.53–55), mother-in-law (Ant. 15.247–251) and even his favorite wife Mariamme (Ant. 15.222–236) were killed.
In his final years his three eldest sons were also killed on suspicion of plotting to seize their father’s throne, Alexander and Aristobulus as Mariamme’s sons (and therefore part Hasmonean; Ant. 16.392–394) and Antipater who had married a Hasmonean princess (Ant. 17.182–187).
Outside the Hasmonean family we hear more generally of Herod’s ruthless suppression of political suspects, relying on espionage (Ant. 15.366–369)… such conspiracies and disloyalty, real or imagined, became a more frequent feature of his later years… (Ant. 16.387–394; 17.41–44; 17.167, cf. War 1.654–655).
Less directly related to a threat to his throne, but a further testimony to Herod’s remembered character, is his alleged plan (fortunately not carried out) to have all the Jewish nobility slaughtered at the time of his own death to ensure that mourning was genuine (Ant. 17.174–178)."
NICNT Mt
But Jesus was protected from this evil man.
God's sovereign protection of Jesus here closely parallels God's protection of "Israel" through Joseph and Israel being sent into Egypt and then being called out into the Wilderness testing through the waters of the Red Sea.
But before we go further into the account, let’s pause and ask:
Q: How is Christian sorrow different from the world’s sorrow?
Remember, the connection with Jeremiah 31 is that of great sorrow grounded in sure hope.
Christians sorrow. It is right to sorrow, grieve, and even mourn.
But Christians sorrow with hope in the Lord and His promises. We are not to despair because we know that our sorrow will turn into joy and that our night will turn into morning.
It may not happen until we see Jesus face-to-face, but it will happen.
Do you have sorrow that needs to be grounded in hope in the Lord?
This account points forward to Jesus being preserved to then be called out of Egypt…
RETURNED TO THE LAND (2:19-21)
As God had promised to Abraham that his children would spend 400 years in Egypt before returning to their land… and as God had taken Moses out of Egypt for 40 years before bringing him back to lead God’s people… and as God had promised that His people in Babylonian exile would return to their land… God brought Jesus back to the land of Israel.
Matthew 2:19–21
19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life. 21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
Verse 20 “for they are dead which sought the young child’s life” clearly echos God’s words to Moses in Exodus 4:19 when the LORD told Moses to return into Egypt.
There are many parallels here between Jesus and Israel and Moses. Matthew and the Spirit want this to be abundantly clear to the reader.
Echo: Exodus 4:19
But the account also makes us consider…
Q: Why is it that God leads Jesus back to the land of Israel? Why doesn’t God just take Him to a new place. Why doesn’t God just take us to a new place?
The answer is promised redemption.
Through Jesus, God is redeeming His people and this earth—as promised.
Sure, God could have just started over after Adam and Even rebelled against Him in sin, but instead, Bod promised redemption.
That is why He sent His Son. He sent His Son to redeem His people from their sin.
God’s plan for us has never been to escape this world. No, God’s plan is to redeem His people and this world.
God had promised through the prophets to bring a greater redemption and exodus than the one from Egypt.
Matthew is showing us by the Spirit that God was working out His plan in Jesus.
The greater Moses had been sent back into “Egypt” (the land of Israel) after those who sought His life were gone. Jesus would lead His people out of the greater slavery than Egypt.
But, Jesus would be despised by many in the process… Jesus is…
SENT INTO OBSCURITY (2:22-23)
In this next text, Matthew gives another fulfillment of scripture, but this one is different.
Instead of quoting one prophet or statement, Matthew attributes a specific stigma Jesus had throughout His ministry to a general motif that some of the prophets described of the coming Messiah: He would be an unwanted, despised reproach to many of the people of Israel.
Matthew 2:22–23
22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: 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.
There have been quite a number of ideas proposed about how to interpret this “fulfillment” text, but I believe the only one worth mentioning is the one I have already described: Jesus was called a Nazarene as a direct fulfillment of being prophesied to be scorned and despised.
And no, this is not the same as being a “Nazarite” with a vow. That is entirely different, and Jesus was known for eating with His disciples, not fasting and vow-keeping.
I have provided in the bulletin a good sampling of prophetic descriptions of the coming Messiah being despised and rejected by His own people. They would be a good read and meditation during the week. You could thinking on Jesus bearing reproach for you and me.
Prophetic Motif: Psalm 22:6-8, 13; 69:8, 20-21; Isaiah 11:1; 49:7; 53:2-3, 8; Daniel 9:26
But what was so reproachful about Nazareth, you might ask. Is Nazareth known for something bad?
The problem is that it was not known much at all. It is never mentioned in Scripture, and it seems to have been a later settlement. As one author put it…
The Gospel of Matthew (5. A Galilean Messiah (2:19–23))
"23 “Town” (polis) in the NT does not necessarily indicate a large settlement, being used both for Jerusalem and for quite small local communities. Nazareth was a village probably smaller than Bethlehem and without its historical connections; it probably came into existence late in the OT period. Archeological evidence suggests that its population was “a maximum of about 480 at the beginning of the 1st century A.D.” (J. F. Strange, ABD 4.1050). It was an obscure Jewish village in the Galilean hills, rapidly being overshadowed by the growing Hellenistic city of Sepphoris only four miles away which Antipas rebuilt as the capital of Galilee."
So Jesus returned to the “land of Israel,” but he returned to grow up in a place that, like Nathaniel said…
NT Examples: John 1:46; 7:41,52
John 1:46
And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
John 7:41
Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?
John 7:52
They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.
And so consistent with how Matthew wrote Jesus’s genealogy in the beginning, the Messiah truly was expected to come as a rod/branch/sprout out of a root in a dry ground…
Isaiah 11:1
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
Isaiah 53:2–3
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, And as a root out of a dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; And when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He is despised and rejected of men; A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: And we hid as it were our faces from him; He was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Q: Have you really considered the humility of God in Christ? What are proper Christian responses to Christ’s humility?
This would be a great discussion around the lunch table today with other Christians and with your family.
But while Jesus did humble Himself, He still came strongly and authoritatively. Let’s see how Jesus…
OPENLY ARRIVED WITH THE KINGDOM (3:1-12)
We will not spend much time here. We actually went through Mark’s parallel text last December and addressed it thoroughly. You can find that in our app or website. Just search “Mark 1,” and you will find it.
But, let’s read it because this account is part of Matthew’s introduction of Jesus as “God’s Son” and representative of God’s people.
Matthew 3:1–12
1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 4 And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, 6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
In fulfillment of prophesies, like those in the allusions listed in the bulletin, John the Baptist/izer serves as the forerunner of Yahweh and the Messiah.
He does this preaching repentance and calling people to be baptized.
His message was centered around Jesus having brought the kingdom of God to earth.
Allusions: Isaiah 40:3-5; Malachi 3:1-6; 4:5-6; Jeremiah 31:31-34
Jesus brought both judgment and salvation when He brought the kingdom of God in His first coming.
The axe was laid at the root of the stewards of His kingdom, ready to uproot all who do not repent.
Jesus fulfills their stewardship with His own kingdom rule, and He commissions as stewards all who are united to Him by faith, whether Jew or Gentile.
John’s message is clear: Repent and be baptized. Or, be converted and bear fruit of conversion.
John’s warning was clear: Your ethnicity will make no difference. God can raise up children to Abraham from the rocks. If you do not repent, you will be judged by the King you reject.
Q: Why is the message of the kingdom of God filled with the message of repentance? What does that mean for you today?
By it’s very nature, the Kingdom of God demands a departure from all other kingdoms and ways. It demands repentance.
Not just repentance at conversion, but also repentance as a regular—daily—way of life.
Because the King and His kingdom has come. Jesus is…
PERSONALLY ANNOUNCED AS THE BELOVED SON— TRUE ISRAEL (3:13-17)
So this clarifies so much of the Bible. Jesus is true Israel.
Of the many debates had between the relationship between the nation of Israel and the church, the answer is simple: Jesus.
Remember what we saw a couple weeks ago in Galatians?
NT Context: Galatians 3:16
Galatians 3:16
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
God’s promises (plural) were made to Abraham and one singular future Offspring: Jesus.
That is why God could justly cut down the people of Israel to as little as one person (like when He threatened to do that with Moses) or exile most and only maintain a remnant or show Jesus as representing Israel like in our text today.
God’s promises to Abraham were to fulfilled in the Messiah.
And all who are united to the Messiah by faith are, as the New Testament puts it so often, “in Christ” or “in Israel.”
So with that in mind, let’s look at the Messiah’s baptism…
Matthew 3:13–15
13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
The baptism and included announcement was necessary in Jesus being identified with those He represents: God’s people.
So now after being called out of Egypt, Jesus is baptized in the waters of the wilderness and identified as God’s Son…
Matthew 3:16–17
16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
There are a number of meaningful OT allusions that I spent time on when I preached in this passage in Mark. You can find them in the bulletin.
Allusions: Genesis 22:2; Deuteronomy 4:12; Psalm 2:7; Isaiah 11; 42:1
Simply put, it is in this moment that God begins Jesus’s earthly ministry by identifying Him as His beloved Son.
In connection with where we began today, Matthew is saying that the Father is saying Jesus is His Son, the promised King, and true Israel.
God ordained and Matthew communicated many parallels between Jesus and Israel:
Jesus is God’s Son called out of Egypt.
Both Moses & Israel are a type of Jesus.
Both Israel & Herod are being likened to Egypt & Pharoah.
Jesus was…
- Preserved in Egypt with Children of Israel Being Killed in Bethlehem of Judah
- Returns to Israel
- Directed Specifically to Nazareth (For the Stigma of Being Despised by His Own)
- Obedient Children of Israel Go Out of Israel and Prepare a Highway for the LORD in the Wilderness Through Repentance
- God Is Able to Raise Up Israel Even If Children of Abraham Disobey
- The LORD Jesus Meets Repentant Israel in the Wilderness Waters of Baptism Before Spending 40 Days in Wilderness Temptation (chapter 4)
- The True Son & Israel Has the Spirit Resting On Him to Lead His People Out of Exile into the Kingdom of God.
- Jesus did not come to save His people from Egypt this time... He came to save them from their sin (v5-6).
True Israel is not a people who could be replaced with rocks--merely children of Abraham (3:9). True Israel is God's irreplaceable Son made flesh and come to bring God's kingdom on earth (2:13-3:17).
By the Spirit, Matthew has been presenting Jesus as the true Seed of Abraham, Son of David, Prophet greater than Moses, and Representative of God’s People.
He is God’s Son called out of Egypt, and He is God’s Son come through the waters in the wilderness.
Jesus is the true Vine, Root of the Tree, and Son.
Jesus is true Israel, and all who are united to Him by faith before and after His first coming are in True Israel.
The entire story of the Bible comes together with much more clarity when we understand Jesus to be True Israel and all “in Christ” to inherit the promised blessings of God’s people—both before and after He came.
Remember how I said we would come back to Isaiah 11? Let’s just look at the first two verses and the last verse…
Isaiah 11:1–2
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and might, The spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;
Do you see how that connects to Jesus’s baptism?
Isaiah 11:16
And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, Which shall be left, from Assyria; Like as it was to Israel In the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.
Do you see how that connects to what Jesus was accomplishing then and that John the Baptist was preaching?
John was preparing the highway through preaching.
Jesus was leading the new exodus for the remnant that were remaining after the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles.
Jesus is the representative and Head of God’s people.
Q: If God’s people and kingdom are identified in Jesus, what does that mean for you? Your purpose? Your plans?
We soon start a new year. What are you planning in 2025 that is centered around being in and representing to the world the very kingdom of God on earth?
Is Jesus your representative? Is He your Head? Your King? Your Redeemer?
I hope so. I hope you know you are…
IN GOD’S SON
Our text today urges you to…
MAIN ARGUMENT: Trust Jesus to represent, redeem, and rule you up out of the kingdom of darkness and in the kingdom of God.
So let’s conclude by breaking down those three blanks in the main argument.
If you are represented by Jesus, you are beloved of God.
Jesus is shown to be True Israel through being sent to Egypt, surviving the murder of babies, being called up out of Egypt, and going through the waters of baptism into the wilderness.
The message of the prophets is to prepare our hearts as God makes a highway to receive and reconcile people from all nations into Jesus, the True Israel.
All who enter Jesus by faith are represented by Jesus and beloved of God.
That is distinct from “God loving the world.” If it isn’t then what does it mean that the Father said, “You are my beloved Son”? The distinction is that you are loved with the very love that Father has for the Son. Amazing!
Don’t try to represent yourself before God! Unite to Jesus by faith in Him.
If you are redeemed by Jesus, you belong in the kingdom of God.
Know that the worst evildoers in history (like Herods) serve to illustrate the true enemy from which Jesus came to save you: your sin.
Until you see and believe that, you will misunderstand much of the Bible, and you will hold onto much of your known and unknown sin. Sin must be seen as your enemy, not your neutral friend.
Timothy Hughes shared a good post about this by Charles Spurgeon in our “Guys” group in the app. It’s a great read!
If Jesus represents and has redeemed you, consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God, as Romans 6 teaches.
And…
If you are ruled by Jesus, you now have a good master .
To see ourselves this way is no sacrifice… it is our good pleasure.
There are sacrifices in following Jesus, but being ruled by Christ as our Good Master instead of sin is not one of them! Being brought out of darkness and into the light is good!
See the goodness of being ruled by Jesus in the kingdom of God.
MAIN ARGUMENT: Trust Jesus to represent, redeem, and rule you up out of the kingdom of darkness and in the kingdom of God.
Why try to walk up the ski slope when you can catch a lift?
Don’t try to enter the kingdom of God yourself. You can’t.
You and I need Jesus to represent, redeem, and rule us up out of the kingdom of darkness and in the kingdom of God.
We need this Christmas Exodus that Matthew has written about.