Matthew 2:13-23 Unexpected Glory through Tears

Have you or anybody you know shed tears in the last 24 days? If not, prepare for them in the next 24 hour.

Tears are not always prompted by sadness, but they rarely happen without an underlying emotion. Disappointment with a gift or missing a particular loved one are just 2 of the prompts for tears this time of year.

Sometimes tears are quiet and few, sometimes they are plentiful, and sometimes tears are part of an ugly, runny nose, all out meltdown. I made a promise not to identify the young lady in this photo, but her family knows who she is.

Tears are frequently connected to the gap between the way things are and the way we wish them to be. We wish someone was present, but they aren’t. We wish the mall Santa did not smell like meat and cheese. We wish mom would not put me on the lap of this guy I’ve never met and hope to never see again.

The gap between the way things are and the way we wish them to be is often part of faith in an already/not yet reality. There are many experiences that faith has already transformed or a certain promise is in place that they will change, but the transformation is not yet complete.

I don’t doubt that Joseph Mohr observed a silent snow fall in Germany that prompted the writing of Silent Night put to music by Franz Gruber. And although I don’t believe there was a little boy playing a drum solo, I do believe that animals and visitors contributed to an environment where little Lord Jesus just may have awakened and made some crying!

Would you be surprised to learn that the first Christmas included some “not yet” moments that were the source of many tears? This morning I want us to be honest and compassionate enough to admit that this holiday may be celebrated with tears by some, and for this time and this Scripture to guide us through the types, the timing, and the purpose of tears.

Tears of the Refugees (Matthew 2:13-15)

The action in our text

1. You may have heard it said that “Jesus was a refugee.” This is often a guilt-loaded inference about the way we interact with sojourners.

2. I run a risk of using the word refugee, since it is not in the words of Scripture in this chapter. I am going to trust that you know this word is used in many different settings to describe many different reasons for relocation.

a. When I use the word refugee regarding Jesus, I especially mean that earth became a temporary residence for one who came from and returned to the heavenly domain. I also admit that Joseph took his family temporarily to Egypt, but he returned to his hometown after the evil tyrant died who created the threat on the Christ child

b. Temporary and legitimate are words that often elude many today who are called migrants, refugees or asylum-seekers.

3. God sent a specific messenger to Joseph with a specific instruction to go to a specific place, based upon the irrational edict of a specific tyrant.

It is not lost on me that most of the maps that lay out rh route of Joseph’s journey to Egypt actually go through the region we know as Gaza. This migration route was not due to war, but it was connected to violence and the route through Gaza is likely because of the roads used for trade and the desert that occupies the south.

4. One reason I use the title refugee, is that the Scripture specifies that they traveled by night, which implies at least some degree of immediacy and secrecy.

The Prophecy Fulfilled (Hosea 11:1)

In v.15 Matthew connects prophecy fulfilled to make sense out of this event. Fulfilled is used by Matthew 3 times in today’s 11 verses and each one is connected to a major point on your handout.

Hosea 11:1 ESV:2016

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

Hosea writes about 715 BC and refers back to events that happened 700 years earlier. Now Matthew goes back 700 years to grab this prophecy and attach it to the events of toddler Jesus.

The nation Israel was special in the eyes of God, so special that Exodus refers to the people group as YHWH’s son. For example, Exodus 4:23 when Moses is telling Pharoah to let the people go the word son is used.

Hosea’s prophecy centers on the fact that God brought Israel out of Egypt even though the nation continued to rebel, God remained loving, forgiving, and faithful to him.

By contrast, Jesus (who was brought out of Egypt) is described at his baptism in Matthew’s next chapter as “my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

The sojourn by Israel into Egypt started well but soon was marked by increasing tears of slavery. The sojourn by Joseph and family begins with tears as the young family is uprooted and separated from all that is familiar, but ends with a return to home and freedom from the cause of their migration.

Transition: Tears are not only attached to young mother Mary as she is forced to trek into an unknown land, dozens of other mothers experience the…

Tears of Terror (Matthew 2:16-18)

The action in our text

Any politician hates to admit that somebody outsmarted him/her. Herod is no different. When he realizes that the Magi got the best of him, he responds in a fit of rage.

Bethlehem and all that region would have been an area similar to Chase County. At any time there may be 2-3 dozen boys under the age of 2.

No doubt this was evil and caused many tears for the mothers and fathers who had these 30 or so children ripped from their homes. But in the scope of Herod the evil madman, this isn’t even a blip on his record.

Caesar Augustus described Herod Antipas that “it was better to be Herod’s pig than his son[i]” Herod was so ruthless that he had his own son executed. Herod knew that he was unliked and He is said to have assembled all the leading people of Jerusalem in the hippodrome, that on his death they might be put to death, and there might be real grief at his funeral.

4. A ruler who is this capricious killed so many people, that this edict of 30 or so Jewish boys didn’t even make most record books.

5. This event isn’t even a footnote in the evil of Herod, but this Herod is hardly a footnote in the plan of God.

The Prophecy Fulfilled (Jeremiah 31:15)

This event is not included to give notoriety to Herod, it is included to show us that Jesus was fulfilling prophecy.

Jeremiah 31:15 ESV:2016

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.”

Rachel was the favorite wife in Gen 36 who dies in childbirth on her way to Bethlehem. As Jeremiah writes in 600 BC, he reached back to the events of 1700 BC. Few things would cause more tears than a wife dying in childbirth. For some 1100 years the village of Ramah has been associated with sorrow.

Matthew declares that just as Rachel bitterly wept over the fact that she would not be able to raise her sons, these women in the region around Bethlehem were weeping because they also would be denied the joy of raising their sons.

Transition: Mary had her son, but none of the people or places with which she was comfortable. These other mothers had people and places, but no sons. Opposite situations, but both help describe the sin-sick world into which Jesus was born.

Tears of Rebuilding& Growth (Matthew 2:19-23)

The action in our text

Herod dies and the angel tells Joseph it is safe to return home. Home where he hasn’t been for about 5 years.Text

6 years previous Joseph has a fiancé, a business, and a dream. Now he returns with a wife, a stepson, and the challenge of rebuilding a home and life.

Matthew never tells us he was originally from Nazareth (that is provided in Luke’s Gospel). But Matthew here seems to make a pretty big deal about Jesus being a Nazarene from Nazareth.

The Allusions by Prophets (Is 11:1 & Is 53:1-6)

While the first 2 fulfillments are direct quotes from the Old Testament, This one is a vague reference to something spoken about by the prophets.

To make sense of this allusion we need to understand that Matthew is making a wordplay from the word Nazareth. This village is named from the Hebrew word for “branch” (נֵצֶר, netser)[ii] Is 11:1

No prophet specifically said Jesus would come from Nazareth, but Isaiah did say he would be a Netzer.

Jesus was the stick/branch who came from “the sticks”.

Don’t miss the contrast! Herod came from great wealth and died meaningless. Jesus came from obscurity and His death changed History.

Application

To understand just how much this branch from the stump changes things, we need to consider what else the Prophet Isaiah says in chapter 53.

Isaiah 11 described a stump. Israel or Judah has not had a Jewish king for centuries. It appears that the mighty oak of Jesse has been leveled and the stump is lifeless. But from that stump something living appears. Jesus is a shoot that emerges from the still rooted stump indicating that God isn’t done with those roots or that stump.

Isaiah 53:2 describes that shoot as a young plant. V.3 describes the purpose of that young stick from the sticks. Isaiah gives that stick a 3rd person masculine pronoun and now that netzer is a he.

He bears our griefs and takes our sorrows. All the tears of the first Christmas season are put upon Jesus. All the tears of this Christmas are put upon Him. He took our tears, He was pierced, crushed, and wounded SO THAT we could be healed from what causes our tears. The Lord lays on Jesus our iniquity so that we no longer must bear it.

Conclusion:

I have no doubt that you have seen or shed tears in the last 24 days. I have no doubt that you may see or shed tears in the next 24 hours, BUT tears are temporary. The already does not limit the NOT YET!

Jesus was born into a world of sorrow SO THAT He could rescue us from the guilt and pain that causes temporary tears. Whether your tears are silent and gentle, or loud and ugly, Jesus took guilt and pain upon Himself SO THAT He could wipe away every tear of those who place their trust in Him in order to spend eternity with God.

There is a real place where tears and gnashing of teeth continue into eternity. There is ANOTHER real place where tears are dried and exchanged for beauty, love and the very presence of God.

This Christmas Eve could be the point in your life when you change direction from one defined by tears to one delivered by Grace.

Tears exist because of the evil and brokenness of this world.

Tears are temporary for those who accept Christ (and permanent for those who reject Him)

Tears from today’s pain have a purpose – to motivate you to make a change AND the beauty of Heaven will be much more appreciated when we realize that the cause of tears has been destroyed.

[i] Headlam, Arthur Cayley. 1911–1912. “HEROD.” In A Dictionary of the Bible: Dealing with Its Language, Literature, and Contents Including the Biblical Theology, edited by James Hastings, John A. Selbie, A. B. Davidson, S. R. Driver, and H. B. Swete, 2:357. New York; Edinburgh: Charles Scribner’s Sons; T. & T. Clark. [ii] Koiter, Ian W.K. 2016. “Nazareth.” In The Lexham Bible Dictionary, edited by John D. Barry, David Bomar, Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstein, Douglas Mangum, Carrie Sinclair Wolcott, Lazarus Wentz, Elliot Ritzema, and Wendy Widder. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.