The King Fulfills
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Please take and open your Bibles with me to Matthew 2. This week’s passage of Scripture is one that will blow your mind as it continually knocked me off of my feet this week. The text of Scripture continually reveals who God is in bringing about His sovereign will to save sinners.
We always hear the phrase Jesus loves you. That is 100% true. That love is evidenced in today’s passage. Oftentimes, we can grow cold to hearing the Gospel resulting in a lack of seeing the greatness of God. This where many of our churches are today. We have forgotten the greatness of our salvation that is in Jesus Christ. From this passage, I have been reminded that from the beginning, God set out to save sinners. He set out to save a people for His possession. While some will advocate that things happen by coincidence or randomly, this passage of Scripture reveals to us a God that is sure to carryout His plans. This Gospel that we hold to is not ordinary. It is awesome. It is truth. It causes worship.
Over the course of several years, churches change and morph. Churches establish certain cultures and attitudes. In that, churches can drift theologically or grow stronger theologically. It is my prayer that each one today will be strengthened as we see how God had a plan to save you and me. He set out from the very beginning to bring about your salvation and mine. It did not merely happen. God made sure that it did happen. He sent His Son to purchase you.
Read Matthew 2:13-23 .
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. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
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. 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.”
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.
Pray.
The main idea of today’s passage is:
King Jesus fulfills the promise of God to bring about the salvation of sinners.
We will identify three truths in today’s text. Let’s begin with our first.
God protects Jesus to fulfill our salvation.
God protects Jesus to fulfill our salvation.
Look with me at verse 13
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.”
As we saw the wise men or the magi arrive to visit Jesus in last week’s passage, God sends an angel to Joseph in order to protect His Son for His proper purpose. The wise men had traveled home by a different route as God sought to protect them. In doing so, the wise men never reported back to Herod their findings. Now, Herod is filled with rage and paranoia. He is paranoid that this King will take his throne.
God knowing this as God knows all things in His omniscience. He sends and angel to Joseph and directs Joseph to flee to Egypt with Jesus and Mary. Herod is seeking to find Jesus and to destroy Him. Herod wants for the threat to his throne to be completely done away with.
We see Joseph’s response in verse 14.s
14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt
Joseph has his second encounter with an angel and responds accordingly once again. Joseph takes Mary and Jesus to Egypt. They leave their home to flee to a place that is not their home in order that the King, Jesus would be safe from harm. This was not without purpose. God had seen this coming all along in His divine sovereignty. That is why He intervened to protect Jesus. It was also to fulfill what was written in the past.
15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
God intervenes and commands Joseph through the angel to remain in Egypt until the death of Herod. In doing so, God was displaying His sovereignty by also fulfilling prophecy.
God has given us His Word. Both the Old and the New Testaments are God’s inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word. Everything that is written within the Bible is God-breathed and God inspired.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
Therefore, when we see verse 15 of Matthew 2, we must understand that God was prophesying through the prophet Hosea in regards to Jesus going to Egypt for safety. It was to fulfill what was written.
1 When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
This is the prophet Hosea. Throughout the Old Testament, God had referred to Israel as His Son. This was done many times referring to the coming Son, Jesus Christ. In that, Hosea is writing as a prophet. Many times, prophecy has an immediate fulfillment for that time and a future fulfillment. In Hosea 11:1 that Matthew is referencing, Hosea is pointing to God’s love for Israel and pointing the Israelites back to God’s protection in calling them out of Egyptian slavery. Furthermore, Matthew is using this prophecy in reference to the Son of Promise, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Son that was sent to Egypt for protection and would be called out of Egypt to be crucified and resurrected the salvation of sinners.
Jesus is fufillment of prophecy. Jesus is the fulfillment of Hosea 11:1 and is the fulfillment of the Old Testament. He is the Messiah King that came to saved dead sinners from condemnation. God sovereignly protects Him from the grips of a tyrannical king with the purpose of saving Him for His ultimate death on the cross of Calvary. This was to fulfill both prophecy and God’s predetermined will to save sinners.
Illustration: God does not work just randomly. This passage reveals to us that God is at work carrying out His plans. God knew that Herod would be paranoid resulting in fear-driven leadership. Because of this, God planned and knew every detail of how He would save sinful humanity. That is why Hosea recorded the words in Hosea 11. Hosea probably did not know what exactly God was referring to when he penned those words. However, God knew exactly what He was carrying out to save sinners.
That is just like in our lives. We oftentimes do not know why things go the way that they do. Sometimes, it seems like everything is wrong and without purpose. Other times, it seems like things are perfect. Regardless of which situation you are in, God is working and moving. I remember being an intern at a local church. I was fired up and ready to go at all times. I loved to preach. I loved to teach. I loved to serve. I had served as an intern for one year. I felt I was ready to enter into full-time ministry or go to seminary. I would have lunch and meetings with pastors searching for youth and associate pastors. After those meetings, I would get turned down. I did not understand why and would get frustrated. Then, I anticipate moving to seminary and COVID hits. Another bump. However, looking back. It was God at work in teaching me, growing me, and preparing me for where I am. Likewise, He was protecting me as well from my own immaturity and arrogance.
God protected Jesus according to His divine plan.
God’s providence accounts for man’s wickedness.
God’s providence accounts for man’s wickedness.
Look with me at verse 16
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.
As the angel of the Lord had told Joseph, Herod realized that the wise men are not coming back to report to him which makes him furious. In his rage, he sends out a decree that all of the male children two years and under in Bethlehem should be killed. Herod was seeking to make sure that he did not leave any possibility for his throne to be threatened. In sending out this decree, Joseph and Mary have already fled. However, it would still be carried out on the rest of the inhabitants of Bethlehem. This is a tragic decree for mothers and fathers within the city.
Yet, again, this was a fulfillment of prophecy. God knew that this would happen. Sinful humanity seeks to carryout sinful actions all the time. God knows that sinful actions will take place. This causes for many, especially atheists or those in opposition to Christianity, to question the goodness of God or even His existence. However, evil takes place because of man’s sinfulness. God allows man’s sinfulness to take place while still carrying out His greater good of salvation in accordance with His providence. The greater and ultimate good is salvation through Jesus Christ.
So, God knew that Herod would respond the way in which He did. That is why He was certain to protect Jesus. This evil that Herod would carry out was a fulfillment of prophecy also found within the Old Testament.
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.”
Matthew is taking to reader back to the book of Jeremiah. Specifically, Jeremiah 31:15
15 Thus says the Lord:
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
lamentation and bitter weeping.
Rachel is weeping for her children;
she refuses to be comforted for her children,
because they are no more.”
Jeremiah, the prophet, was prophesying during the time in which God’s chosen people, Israel, was being lead into captivity once again in Babylon. In that time, Jeremiah references Ramah which was a city on the border of Israel and Judah where the Israelites were gathered together for deportation to Babylon. It was a time of bitter weeping and mourning. Rachel was the wife of Jacob in the Old Testament that cried out to God for children. Likewise, Jacob was the father of the 12 tribes of Israel. So, now, Israel was being deported from their land. Rachel is weeping for her children without comfort.
Matthew reveals to his Jewish audience and us that just as Rachel was weeping for her children in Jeremiah 31, so also are the mothers of the children of Bethlehem weeping for their children as Herod decreed to kill them.
It is a tragic day in Bethlehem. Mourning, weeping, and death are found there.
You see, God knew that Herod was going to respond this way resulting in Joseph, Mary, and Jesus being led to flee to Egypt. This grave evil has taken place. Yet, God is bringing about the greatest good in the sending of His Son Jesus Christ to be the Savior of the world.
God knew what was coming and protected the true king. God accounted for the sinfulness of mankind. We sin against God often. Likewise, all of mankind perpetually sins against God and has been since the Fall in the Garden of Eden. Yet, God is gracious to us. What man intends for evil God intends for good. Herod sought to kill all of the male children in Bethlehem. God protected the Son of Promise in order to provide the ultimate good which is the salvation of sinners.
In our lives, there is hope for us as Christians. There are sinful things that we do and that happen to us. There are tough times that we each and every one walk through. In those tough times and in those moments when we do not see what is going on, God does. God has anticipated those moments for the believer.
Notice what Paul writes in Romans 8.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
For those who are Christians, God is working everything in our lives for good. That does not mean that God is working for your prosperity or to give you what you want. What it means is that God is working everything in your life for your good. It could be to draw you closer to Him. It could be to reveal sin in your life. It could be to bring you to rock bottom so you will look to Him. We do not always know, but we trust in His sovereignty knowing that He is the One at work in our lives. We do not understand why things always happen to us or why we carryout some of the sinful things we do. We do not understand why our leaders seemingly do things that are in complete opposition to the Word. We do not understand why our colleagues and closest friends turn on us. Maybe we do not understand why things happen, but as Christians purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ, we can rest knowing that He is working all things together for our good.
Why does He do this? We sinned against Him. Here is why. We oftentimes stop at verse 28 and never move to verses 29-39. There are some big words in these verses, but do not let them scare you they are Bible words that are found within Scripture and bring us comfort.
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Though this world will throw all of its sinful and wicked tactics at us, we have Jesus Christ who is for us. Who can be against us. We have Jesus Christ going to God the Father on our behalf. He has known us from all eternity. He has saved us from our sin. He has reconciled us into right relationship with Him. Because of this, we are more than conquerors because of Jesus who loves us and continues to grow us. Nothing can separate us from Him. In those moments of tough times and tragedy, God has seen them coming. In seeing them coming, He has worked them for the good of those who belong to Him. Christian, we can take hope knowing that God has providentially accounted for man’s wickedness. He brings about His purposes for the ultimate good. And, we can rest in His salvation that is offered in Christ Jesus alone. That is our hope. That is why we as Christians must always profess, all glory be to Christ.
Owen Strachan writes:
“The God of the Bible is from start to finish, and on every single page betwen, a relational God. God formed His people to know Him, to be known by Him, to be disciplined in firm Fatherly care when we grieve Him, and to enter into the eschatological love of eternity now. This truth is not a small part of our theology. This truth is in many ways what Scripture reveals at its core. The Christian faith is based on a God we know, a God who wants to know us, a God who makes a way for us to love him by his redeeming love. Our God is not like the other gods, the gods that are no gods at all. Our God is the Creator God. Our God is the loving God. Our God is the ruling God. Our God is the personal God. Take the relational God away from us, and there is simply no Christian faith at all.”
Though sin rage and sinners wage, We have a God who wants to know us and has sought to know us relationally. In that, He has and is working all things together for our good as Christians in accordance with His providence. Nothing can separate us from His love. He has accounted in His will for the wickedness of sinful humanity.
God provides salvation through One despised by the world.
God provides salvation through One despised by the world.
Back to our text in verse 19
19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
Some time has passed since Joseph, Mary, and Jesus had fled to Egypt. Now, Herod has died. An angel of the Lord appears to Joseph for a third time.
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.
Now, the angel reveals to Joseph that it is safe for them to return to Israel, and Joseph takes them back. Joseph has been obedient to God time and time again.
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.
While Joseph, Mary, and Jesus have returned to Israel, Archelaus has begun to reign. He is Herod’s son and just as tyrannical as Herod was. So, instead of living in Galilee, Joseph takes Mary and Jesus to live in Nazareth. Again, Matthew is drawing every instance from the Old Testament text in order to point his Jewish audience to the recognition of Jesus as the Messiah.
Matthew points out that Jesus living in Nazareth was to fulfill what was spoken of by the prophets. This is quite interesting that Matthew would say this. There is no cross-reference to a particular prophet or verse in the Old Testament to attest to Matthews claim of fulfillment. That is because Matthew is not drawing from a literal specific verse. Matthew is drawing from the Old Testament prophets prophecy that the Son of Promise or the Messiah would be despised and rejected.
Nazareth was a town that was despised by others. It was the city in which others looked upon with scorned and distaste. For instance, when Philip approaches Nathaniel about following Jesus, Nathaniel responds, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
Nazareth was a place of low esteem. It was a despised place. Matthew points to how Jesus was prophesied as being despised.
7 Thus says the Lord,
the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation,
the servant of rulers:
“Kings shall see and arise;
princes, and they shall prostrate themselves;
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
Likewise,
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
and by night, but I find no rest.
3 Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 In you our fathers trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried and were rescued;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;
they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
10 On you was I cast from my birth,
and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
11 Be not far from me,
for trouble is near,
and there is none to help.
12 Many bulls encompass me;
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
13 they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.
16 For dogs encompass me;
a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet—
17 I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
18 they divide my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.
19 But you, O Lord, do not be far off!
O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
20 Deliver my soul from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dog!
21 Save me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!
22 I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or abhorred
the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
but has heard, when he cried to him.
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
May your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
28 For kingship belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.
29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not keep himself alive.
30 Posterity shall serve him;
it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
that he has done it.
Jesus would come from Nazareth. He would be despised and rejected. He is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophets.
The very Son of God came and was rejected by His own people. Jesus was rejected for a purpose. Jesus came to earth not to simply come. Jesus came with the purpose of saving.
45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus came with one sole purpose to give His life as a ransom. Jesus came to give His life for you and for me. Jesus did not come to bring social reform. Jesus did not come to bring good teachings. Jesus did not come to simply be an example. Jesus came to bear our iniquities upon Himself, suffer on a cross, bear God’s wrath for our wrong doing, and die to be raised to life victoriously on the third day in order that salvation would come to the vilest of sinners. Jesus was despised and rejected for us. That is Jesus, the King.
Application: Jesus was despised and rejected. Yet, we are so quick to seek for other to accept us even to the point of turning a blind eye to our Savior. This is why many are falling away into apostasy or rejecting the faith. The proclamation of our culture is that of acceptance. Everyone must accept the policy of man and his wisdom. This is in our universities, school systems, and culture. If you hold to Christ and oppose the pagan proclamation of man be ready for the consequences. Many are unwilling to be disliked for the cause of Christ. However, Scripture is clear.
33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
Jesus was despised and rejected for us. Yet, we are too scared and unwilling to be denied by man for Jesus Christ. Our culture is going to stop drifting into sinfulness. But, we as the church of Jesus Christ must hold fast to Him. He has saved us and we have a salvation that is true. Regardless of the ideologies of man, we must hold to the theology of Jesus Christ. We must understand that our reject is okay because Jesus himself was rejected. We will be too. But our reward is great. Salvation and acceptance of Jesus Christ before God the Father.
Acceptance by the world would be something to cause you concern. The world is filled with sin and in love with sin as it is under the sway of satan. But oh Christian, the narrow path is hard and few find it. Christian, you are on the narrow path. It is not easy. It will not get easier. But, we have Savior who was despised for us. We have a Savior who walked the same road. WE have a Savior who purchased us and holds us until we see Him. Do not faint under the weight of the world. Cast you cares upon the Lord clinging to the Gospel knowing that Jesus is with you. We have a Savior and fellow believers to help us. Cling to Christ, be among the believers, and keep walking on the narrow path.
Non-believers: Gospel