Tragedy and Triumph: Unveiling Hope Amid the Darkness | Matthew 2:13-23

This morning we continue on our journey through the gospel according to Matthew....a journey that we have entitled The King and His Kingdom. Please grab your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to Matthew 2. When you are there and if you are able to, please stand for the reading of God’s Word.

Matthew 2:13–23 (CSB)

13 After they were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to kill him.” 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt. 15 He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called my Son.

16 Then Herod, when he realized that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men. 17 Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

18 A voice was heard in Ramah,

weeping, and great mourning,

Rachel weeping for her children;

and she refused to be consoled,

because they are no more.

19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, because those who intended to kill the child are dead.” 21 So he got up, took the child and his mother, and entered the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee. 23 Then he went and settled in a town called Nazareth to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.

Now, my goal this morning is to help make sense of this text ...both practically and relationally....especially regarding the fallen condition of humanity and the hope that we all long for… in fact…I have entitled this morning’s sermon, Tragedy and Triumph: Unveiling Hope Amid the Darkness.

Before we dive in…let’s pause and ask God for His help in understanding and applying this text.

Let’s pray.

Life…well…life is hard. It is difficult and frustrating for the world in which we live is broken and marred. We have all known the fog of disappointment......the haze of sorrow and despair that rolls in as a result of shattered hopes....unmet expectations....severed relationships.....and unbearable loss. There is a jadedness…and a gloom that comes with the reality and the presence of the sin and brokenness in the world .....there is a swamp of despondency that comes with the reality and the presence of sin and brokenness within our own hearts. Why is the world such a mess? Why are relationships such a struggle? Why does everything need to be so hard? The truth is …we are living in a mournful exile full of pain, sorrow, brokenness, and the inevitable reality of death. A truth that leads us to wonder......will we ever be able to experience hope in the midst of all of the hurt?

This morning we turn our attention to a story that unveils a glimmer of light in the shadows....you see...amidst the pain, brokenness, and darkness of our world, the story of Jesus's refuge and rejection in Matthew 2:13-23 reveals a powerful truth....reminding us that even in our most challenging moments, God's redemptive plan is at work. Through this story, we will discover that hope and restoration can be found in Christ, regardless of our circumstances.

Our text this morning presents tragedy and triumph and the unveiling of hope amid the darkness in three Acts....A New Exodus, a New Covenant, and a New Kingdom. Let’s begin with the first Act....

Act I. A New Exodus

Our passage begins after Jesus was born and after the wise men had visited some time later and worshipped Him. These wise men were commanded by Herod to report back to him where they found Jesus..... but they were warned by an angel in a dream not to return to Herod…so they traveled home a different way. No doubt…the visit of the wise men was encouraging to Joseph and Mary....as it confirmed for them who the angel said their son would be. Remember the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and said, Matthew 1:20-23 .

Matthew 1:20–23 (CSB)

20... “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”

And as these wise men…these wealthy royal dignitaries bowed before their son…worshipped him…and gave him extravagant gifts…they must have thought, “He truly is Immanuel..He must be God with us.” Imagine the joy that must have flooded their hearts…but .....their rejoicing was short lived…for no sooner had the wise men left that the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph ... Look at v13

Matthew 2:13 (CSB)

Just as the wise men were instructed by God to disobey Herod…Joseph was now instructed to flee the evil and murderous king. And this word “flee” is imperative…in other words God’s instruction to Joseph was that they were to immediately and urgently escape for Egypt…and to not stop until they got there.

So Joseph…look at v14

Matthew 2:14 (CSB)

14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt.

Now....Joseph’s quick response was a genuine means to preserve Jesus’ life. As a baby, Jesus was fully God....but also a fully human baby…flesh and blood…with all of our frailties including the helplessness of infancy....Jesus was as weak and dependent upon His mom and dad as any other infant would be. If Herod’s soldiers would have stabbed him…he would have died.

Brothers and Sisters..... Jesus was “a man of sorrows” even from His infancy. Trouble awaited Him as soon as He entered into the world. His life was already in danger from Herod’s hatred. …which was a simple foreshadow of what would be His experience here on Earth.

In other words...... Jesus is just the Savior that the suffering and sorrowful need. He knows what we are feeling when we cry out to Him in our troubles. He can sympathize with us, when we cry out to Him when we are persecuted. I pray that you would see that you do not need to keep anything back from Him.....pour out your hearts to Him in your grief....for you worship a savior who can sympathize with you in your weaknesses.

Now…I dont know if you’ve ever traveled with a toddler....but....it’s not the most joyful of experiences....and Jospeh…He’s instructed to leave in the middle of the night ..with his toddler…his young wife and perhaps a camel or a donkey......and he was to walk what was 75 miles to Egypt. And despite the inconvenience and the difficulty ....Joseph obeyed and his young family journeyed to Egypt.

Why Egypt? Well....history tells us that Alexander the Great had established a sanctuary for the Jews in the Egyptian city of Alexandria....a city that became a special place of safety and opportunity for the Jews during the Roman rule of Israel…as a result....Egypt became a natural asylum for Jesus and His family.

Now......Obviously God could have protected Jesus a number of different ways......He could have stayed in Bethlehem or right under Herod’s nose in Jerusalem....He could have hidden the family....He could have blinded Herod’s soldiers…He could have destroyed them by an angel......... But God chose to protect Jesus by the very ordinary means of flight to a foreign country....you see the family wasn’t instantaneously transported ..as far as we know…their journey was not marked by divine intervention or protection.....no....instead they had to make the long.....tiresome trip on their own......just as other Jewish families had done centuries earlier..

In fact.....in Genesis 42 we read of a great famine…which led God’s people to sojourn to Egypt in search of food. And these hungry families journeyed many tiresome miles where they found food and rest in Egypt....and in the same way.... Jesus…just like his ancestor centuries earlier…he sojourned to Egypt where he found refuge from Herod’s murderous threat…and to decrease the chances of being noticed, Joseph took the common precaution of leaving by night.

Matthew 2:15 (CSB)

15 He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called my Son.

Make note of this phrase in v.15, “Out of Egypt I called my Son.” Matthew is quoting the Old Testament prophet Hosea.

Hosea 11:1 (CSB)

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

In context, Hosea is referring to the nation of Israel as his son. Hosea had the first exodus in mind as he wrote his prophecy.In other words.....Hosea is talking about God’s deliverance of His people from slavery in Egypt. You see…things changed for Israel..... they had found food and safety in Egypt …but a new pharaoh came into power and enslaved them for a few hundred years.

In Exodus God used ten miraculous plagues to deliver Israel from Egyptian slavery (Exod 7–10). And....the first nine plagues—water-to-blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock, boils, hail, locusts, and darkness—they all led to the tenth and final plague, what we know as the Passover, when the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt (Exod 12:29). However.....God made a way for His people to escape this plague of death. The Israelites were to put the blood of an unblemished lamb on their doorposts (Exod 12:7), and when the Lord saw the blood of the lamb He withheld judgment from that household. The Passover was a picture of God’s gracious deliverance. This deliverance then climaxed in Exodus 14 when God fully and finally saved His people from the hands of the Egyptians at the Red Sea.

Now…700 years after the great Exodus…God uses the prophet Hosea to rebuke Israel.. you see....Israel had failed....they had been unfaithful to God …and despite their unfaithfulness…God still carried them, loved them, eased their burdens, and fed them.....He reminds them, “ I called you out of Egypt so that you would be faithful to me.” But… even with all that God had done and continued to do…they remained unfaithful…they continued to break their covenant with God as they pursued and worshipped other gods. As a result God punished and rebuked His people.

However......Despite their unfaithfulness....God called Israel to be His son.....and He was not going to go back on that calling.....so through the prophet Hosea..... He reminds His people of his great and long-lasting love for them …and He promised to bring them back to Himself. .....He promised that one day Israel would return to Him.

And now.....Matthew..he alludes to the Exodus story and he alludes to Hosea’s prophecy …remember....Matthew is writing this gospel to a Jewish audience….they would have been familiar with God’s promise in Hosea that He would end their exile and restore and reconcile His people to Himself........they would have had the Exodus story memorized…every year they celebrated the Passover and praised God for saving them and delivering them from Egypt. You see.....God mercifully delivered His people, and this deliverance became a picture of what was to come in the New Testament.

And now.......In light of this background, when Jesus and His family flee to Egypt and then later returns from Egypt, Matthew helps us see that Jesus inaugurates the new exodus. The flight to Egypt for Jesus and His family was about much more than simply running away from Herod; this was about painting a picture....and pointing us to the mercy of God who saves His people by bringing the Messianic Deliverer from Egypt.

You see…v.15 speaks of a new deliverance…a new exodus..Just as Israel was God’s son, brought up out of Egypt…so now Jesus God’s Son was brought up out of Egypt...just as God delivered His people from the Egyptians....He is now delivering His people from sin and death..... Just as He was faithful to restore Israel despite their unfaithfulness… He is faithful and mighty to save us despite our unfaithfulness.

You see.... Jesus.....God in the flesh....by being born a helpless baby who needed protection from a murderous King.....Jesus was identifying himself with those he came to save, yet he was without sin. Moses led a rebellious Israel out of their slavery in Egypt. But, Jesus is the true and better Moses whose perfect obedience enabled him to lead you and me out of slavery to sin and death.

Matthew is painting a picture and he is pointing us to a great deliverer....you see....God calls His people out of the darkest, the absolute worst, and most vilest places in which we are being held fast in bitter bondage to sin and death. God is the powerful deliverer....and ....just as He delivered His people from the Egyptians....... Jesus has inaugurated a new exodus and He is delivering His people from their sins. (Ex. 4:22; Hos 11:1)

Brothers and Sisters...... regardless of whether you find yourself today in fearful or joyful circumstances.....you always have the hope of eternal life that Jesus came to secure for you.Now..... it’s true… i may not know your specific situation, but Jesus does, and just as God delivered His people from slavery in Egypt......I know that God can lead you out of any despair you might find yourself in this morning. More importantly, if you have trusted in Jesus......this new exodus has led you out of the grip of sin and misery and has brought you into the grip of Christ your Redeemer!

Act II: A New Covenant

Matthew 2:16 (CSB)

Bethlehem is only about five miles away from Jerusalem…and it was a small city with a population of under one thousand. And....Herod probably waited no more than a day or two for the wise men to return to tell him of Christ’s precise location. And remember…Herod was a paranoid megalomaniac …and his paranoia escalated to fury when he felt mocked and deceived by the wise men....so…he sent soldiers to brutally murder all of Bethlehem’s boys ages two years and under in an attempt to wipe out the Messiah.

Now....based on the population there were about 12 boys who were tragically and senselessly slaughtered....that’s 12 moms and 12 dads who lost that which was most precious to them....why!? Why would God allow this to happen? If God is in control…if God is sovereign.... how could He allow this?

Maybe you too have experienced a tragedy that has led you to question God.. “Why God?! If you are who you say you are…why is the world such a mess? And the answer....sin… the fact that Jesus’ birth occurred in the context of Herod’s slaughter does not mean that God caused or allowed the slaughter.... Herod’s sin caused the slaughter. You and I …we experience brokenness, tragedy, and even death because we live in a world that has been infected by sin.

But…let’s be honest.... does this truth comfort these moms and dads in Bethlehem? What would you say to these grieving families who had their young and helpless baby boys ripped from their arms and senselessly and brutally murdered? What can anyone say to them?

John Piper ... He wrote a beautiful poem called the Inn Keeper in which he imagined this scene.... In the poem Jesus returns to the Bethlehem a few weeks before his death. He visits the innkeeper, Jacob, and hears the story of what happened a year after they housed his family that first Christmas night. Jacob runs the inn alone now, but that night he had a wife and two sons. His wife Rachel was still recovering from the recent birth of Ben. This is where we pick up the story.......

“We got a reputation here that night. Nothing at all to fear in that we thought. It was of God. But in one year the slaughter squad from Herod came. And where do you suppose they started? Not a clue! We didn’t have a clue what they had come to do.

No time to pray, no time to run, no time to get poor Joseph off the street and let him say good-bye to Ben or me or Rachel. Only time to see a lifted spear smash through his spine and chest.

He stumbled to the sign that welcomed strangers to the place, and looked with panic at my face, as if to ask what he had done. Young man, you ever lost a son?”

The tears streamed down the Savior’s cheek, he shook his head, but couldn’t speak. “Before I found the breath to scream I heard the words, a horrid dream: ‘Kill every child who’s two or less.

Spare not for aught, nor make excess. Let this one be the oldest here and if you count your own life dear, let none escape.’ I had no sword no weapon in my house, but Lord, I had my hands, and I would save the son of my right hand . . .

So brave, O Rachel was so brave! Her hands were like a thousand iron bands around the boy. She wouldn’t let him go and so her own back met with every thrust and blow. I lost my arm, my wife, my sons — the cost of housing the Messiah here. Why would he simply disappear and never come to help?” They sat in silence. Jacob wondered at the stranger’s tears.

“I am the boy that Herod wanted to destroy. You gave my parents room to give me life, and then God let me live, and took your wife. Ask me not why the one should live, another die.

God’s ways are high, and you will know in time. But I have come to show you what the Lord prepared the night you made a place for heaven’s light. “In two weeks they will crucify my flesh.

But mark this, Jacob, I will rise in three days from the dead, and place my foot upon the head of him who has the power of death, and I will raise with life and breath your wife and Ben and Joseph too and give them, Jacob, back to you with everything the world can store, and you will reign for evermore.” - John Piper, The Innkeeper

Brothers and Sisters…this is the hope we have in the ressurection. ....that even in the most tragic of circumstances....God has a plan and a purpose…and even in moments of anguish we have the hope in the promises of God that Jesus secured by his death and ressurection. Jesus has defeated sin. Jesus has defeated death. and while we live in exile....in this in between state....we experience the very real consequences of sin…but we know that Jesus is coming back for us....and he will restore and renew all things.

Look back at Matthew 2:17-18

Matthew 2:17–18 (CSB)

17 Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: 18 A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; and she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.

Matthew suggests that the weeping of these families in Bethlehem fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:15

Jeremiah 31:15 (CSB)

15 This is what the Lord says: A voice was heard in Ramah, a lament with bitter weeping—Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children because they are no more.

Jeremiah is talking about the time when the people of God were taken into exile. The Assyrians came and attacked Jerusalem, not only did they destroy the entire city, but they demolished people’s homes…captured God’s people and took them to a place called Ramah, a place just north of Jerusalem. At Ramah..... families were put into caravans and scattered apart from one another. This was a scene of unimaginable anguish as families were broken apart......Imagine your reaction if you were torn from your family…your wife..your husband…your kids....never to see them again…imagine the anguish…the weeping as families were torn apart....and this is the scene that Matthew refers to when he describes the weeping and the crying that took place in Bethlehem after the baby boys were murdered.

But …there is a deeper significance here..... you see.... Jeremiah 31 is a chapter of hope. Consider the next two verse...

Jeremiah 31:16–17 (CSB)

16 This is what the Lord says: Keep your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for the reward for your work will come—this is the Lord’s declaration—and your children will return from the enemy’s land. 17 There is hope for your future—this is the Lord’s declaration—and your children will return to their own territory.

God promised Israel He will be their God……He reminds them of his steadfast love and promised them that He had not forgotten them. God was going to unite His people together around a New Covenant. So Matthew’s point in quoting Jeremiah is to say, “ Yes…your present pain is real....but there is a hope for your future..and that hope has arrived in the person of Jesus Christ who has come to end the mournful exile.... in other words…because of Jesus there is hope in the midst of the pain..…because of Jesus there is life in the midst of death.

Now....the question is begging to be asked......What is the hope? Where is the life? And Matthew answers these questions by pointing us to a new King who was born.....a King who lived a life in perfect obedience to God… a King who died in our place.... A King who conquered death.… A King who heals our hurts.... A King who reconciles us to God and to each other....Friends…The King has come and King Jesus has accomplished what He came to do!

Jesus escaped Herod’s slaughter, his death on the cross defeated sin, and his resurrection conquered death....And....By grace through faith you and I are united to Christ in his life ...death and resurrection. And....now...We can be filled with the hope of a future restoration with all the saints who have gone before us…and brothers and Sisters...... It will be glorious! So glorious.... that it will make us realize just how light and momentary our present afflictions really are.

So…Jesus Inaugurates a New Exodus…Jesus binds us to a New Covenant…and Finally Jesus ushers in a New Kingdom

Act III. A New Kingdom

Matthew 2:19–23 (CSB)

Pop quiz… What Old Testament verse tells us that the Messiah would be called a Nazarene?

Well...If you have trouble tracking down this Old Testament reference, it’s because Matthew is not quoting from any particular prophet. In fact, you will not find this phrase, “He will be called a Nazarene” in any Old Testament passage. In fact, the prophets never even talk about Nazareth as a place at all. So.... why does Matthew say this?

First, notice how Matthew carefully words v. 23. He writes “prophets” (plural) which suggests that this is a general theme of the prophets rather than the direct quote of a specific prophet. …and what the original audience of this text would have immediately picked up and understood is the implication of coming from a place like Nazareth.

You see.... Nazareth was a despised place....Nazareth was not a very well respected …those who lived there were at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder.

Consider what Nathanial said when he heard hat Jesus was from Nazareth.... He said in John 1:46.

John 1:46 (CSB)

46 “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Nazarenes were scorned, ridiculed, and despised....and it’s this idea…or this theme of ridicule that is all over the prophets regarding the coming Messiah…most famously Isaiah 53 where the prophet says of Jesus Is. 53:3.

Isaiah 53:3 (CSB)

3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from; he was despised, and we didn’t value him.

You see… Matthew is telling us that King Jesus who has come to save sinners from their sins....will be rejected, scorned, and ridiculed.....by the very sinners He came to save. We see this in Herod. We see it in the chief priests and the Scribes . And friend....we see this in ourselves. We too are like King Herod…in that we desire to protect our throne… sin has led us to remove the crown from God’s head as we attempt to put it on our own....we desire to live as kings of our own life…instead of bowing in complete surrender to King Jesus we portion out our life. Some of us may give Jesus Sunday Morning but we live as though the rest belongs to us.

If we were to pause and be brutally honest with ourselves.....we would admit that we’re afraid .... we are terrified to let go of control....we are fearful of how Jesus is going to invade our kingdom, our lives, our calendar, our plans, and our desires. The reality is that in our minds and in our hearts.... we have all rejected Jesus. And friends....this is the definition of sin...this is what it means to be a sinner.....But the good news is........ this is exactly who Jesus came to save....sinners…like you and me.

You see…you and I are a part of this story..... we’re all enslaved to sin....we all need a New Exodus…we are all in need of deliverance. However, in our sin, we are enemies to the King. But Jesus came and died for His enemies. Consider Romans 5.

Romans 5:8–10 (CSB)

8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 How much more then, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath. 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.

Friends....The birth of Jesus marked the beginning of God’s promise to reverse the devastating consequences of sin.....and He completed that redemptive work in His death and ressurection. Jesus has inaugurated a New Exodus…He has made our deliverance from sin possible. He has instituted a New Covenant which unites us to God…and we are united to God …not because of our good works…but based on the good works of Christ. And He has ushered in a New Kingdom…and anyone who desires to enter this Kingdom can do so.

The King has come and He is calling you to Himself. His body was broken and His blood was poured out… He was buried and He rose from the grave…so that all who believe in Him may have eternal life with Him.