Out of Egypt I Called My Son

Intro

It is always important for a good story to have a plot twist; something you didn’t see coming

Talk about being bored if you can always predict what happens next; give the plot twist example of Darth Vader being Luke’s father, or main character in Sixth Sense actually being dead

After the magi leave, things get… interesting for Joseph, Mary and Jesus (plot twist!)

Read Matthew 2:13-15.

Once again, an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream

Just like in Matthew 1 (when he was told about Jesus) and the wisemen in Matthew 2 (when they were warned about returning to Herod)

Seems to be standard operating procedure during this time

The angel tells Joseph to take his family to Egypt because Herod wants to destroy the child (Jesus)

Herod the great was power hungry and paranoid

Remember, he killed his wife and 2 sons to cling to power as king

If Jesus was indeed a king from the line of David and prophesied Messiah, He was a threat

Herod tried getting the wise men to give him the location of Jesus

Now he will try something more drastic (more on this next week)

So Joseph quickly obeys, and takes his family to Egypt

They leave in the dark of night (would make a great movie)

Notice that at every turn, Joseph has been obedient to God

He did not divorce Mary and raised Jesus as his own

He protected his family by taking them to Egypt

This story of fulfillment required the obedience of Joseph, and he gave it freely

Israel -> Jesus -> Us

This chapter of the story was “to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’” (Matthew 2:15).

Here Matthew quotes from Hosea 11:1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.”

The immediate context for Hosea is NOT a prophecy, but a reminder of what God had done during the Exodus

When the children of Israel were in slavery, God freed them and called them out of Egypt

Matthew connects the story of Jesus to the story of the Exodus

There are 3 layers that are connected:

What God did for Israel -> What God did for Jesus -> What Jesus does for us

This is shown in what it means to be a child of God, what it looks like for God to protect His children, and what freedom from slavery means

Children of God

Hosea refers to the Israelites as God’s “son”

This was an incredibly personal way of showing the unique relationship between God and His chosen people

Talk about experiencing this as a father; seeing Eli play percussion (e.g.)

Sonship language is also at the very heart of the Exodus story (referred to by Hosea)

Cf. Exodus 4:22-23.

Not only “son,” but “firstborn son”

Firstborn = Through which the family line continues

Which is why the threat of Egypt losing the firstborn was extremely harsh

In a new (and very real) way, Jesus IS the one and only Son of God

Cf. Luke 1:35.

This is no longer a title to express the personal connection between God and His chosen people; Jesus is LITERALLY the Son of God

Fully God (HS overshadowed); fully man (born of the virgin Mary)

It is an eternal status that Jesus alone truly holds

He has always been, is right now, and will always be the Son of God

Since Jesus is the true Son of God, He is also the true Israel

A theme that carries into the gospel of Matthew, far beyond the Christmas story

What Israel experienced in part, Jesus experinced in full

What promises were given to Israel in part, were given to Jesus in full

What promises Israel could only keep in part, Jesus kept in full

This lays the groundwork for how we can understand the connection between the Exodus, Jesus, and us today

Because of what Jesus has done, we are also able to be called sons and daughters of God

Cf. Galatians 4:4-7.

So much goodness in this passage!

“God sent forth his Son, born of a woman” = the Christmas story

“No longer a slave, but a son” = freed from slavery (like the Exodus)

“receive adoption as sons” = status before God

This is intensly personal (Abba, Father = Daddy!)

This is an eternal promise (an heir through God)

Everything that Jesus is due, he shares with us as co-heirs (including eternal life)\

When you place your trust in Jesus, you are a child of God

Egypt = Protection

For Israel, fleeing to Egypt was intially a place of protection and God’s provision

Paraphrase the story of Joseph; leading to Israel (Jacob) and his sons coming to Egypt during a time of harsh famine in Canaan

We often focus on the call out of Egypt, but going TO Egypt was always an integral part of God’s plan for His chosen people

It was there He kept them safe and secure, and allowed them to thrive

In Jesus we see Egypt again play the role of a place of safety that parallels Israel’s story

Herod the Great wanted to kill Jesus as a young child, so they needed to flee under the cover of night

Hard for us to understand this type of situation; allude to refugee families and how they will share some of their experiences

Clearly, God’s plan of redemption through His Son required that He be kept safe as a child

The goal is not merely protection; it is protection for a purpose

As proven by Jesus willingly going through crucifixion and death for the forgiveness of sins

There are times in which God moves in our life to protect us from harm and continue to work His will in our lives

Are we kept safe from all harm? Not necessarily; but God does promise to protect us in His sovereignty

Cf. Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Reveal the upcoming sermon series (Psalm 23) when we can go over more details

Rod and staff give comfort because they are symbols of protection

God is your shepherd; He is watching over you; He will be with you always

Talk about the anxious nature of letting kids start to drive; comfort in God’s protection

Exodus = Freedom from Slavery

What was once a place of safety (Egypt), became a place of slavery for the Israelites

Paraphrase how the Israelites thrived, viewed as a threat by a Pharaoh that “did not know Joseph” and led to slavery

This led the people to cry out to God for help

They needed a deliverer; a saviour… they could not save themselves

The Exodus is the story of how God delivered His people from slavery, proving Himself in the process

He showed signs and wonders; 10 plagues; held back the waters of the Red Sea; led His people in a pillar of cloud and fire… this was THE MOMENT the people knew that God was real and was with them

Which is why this story is re-told over and over again in Scripture (prophets, gospels and Acts)

Jesus was also delivered out of Egypt

This is the point in quoting Hosea 11:1, that Jesus would go to Egypt to return back home

But the real focus of this connection is not on how Jesus was freed, but how He is our deliverer today

As the children of Israel found deliverance from slavery in Egypt, we find true and complete deliverance in Jesus Christ (He is our Exodus story)

Our slavery is not a loss of personal freedom or backbreaking labour; we are enslaved to sin

Cf. Romans 6:17-18.

In the same fate as Israel, we find ourselves in a bind: We cannot save ourselves

The answer is NOT try harder, aim to please God, do more good than bad, etc.

This will not help you; sin has mastery over your own personal power

Therefore, we need a deliverer who is GREATER than what we are enslaved to

God openly proved His sovereignty over pharaoh and Egypt

Jesus conquered sin and death through His crucifixion and resurrection

In Christ alone, we have been set free from slavery, to live in freedom

“Slaves of righteousness” = now have the ability to choose to live rightly (where we could not before)

Is your life one of freedom in Christ?

What part of your life still points to a lack of freedom from sin?

Could be anger, jealousy, sexual addiction, substance abuse, greed, etc.

The first (and necessary) step is to ask for Jesus to free you from bondage

As a free person, how can you pursue righteousness?

Generosity, discipline, spiritual growth, servant heart, etc.

Conclusion

In all our points, we see a connection between Israel -> Jesus -> us today

Because of what Jesus has done, we can be called sons and daughters of God

Because of what Jesus has done, we can rely on God’s protection

Because of what Jesus has done, we are delivered from slavery to sin

The Christmas story is the beginning of this promise that is eternal

It leads us to what we celebrate at Easter (death and resurrection of Christ)

It looks forward to the second advent (return) of Jesus, and our eternal life with Him

Pray