After Christmas . . There is Still Jesus

Introduction

Matthew 2:13–23 ESV

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.

We’ve spent the last several weeks talking about what happens BEFORE Christmas, but today I want to ask:

What happens AFTER Christmas?

Immediately after:

hunt for batteries

massive wrapping paper cleanup

assembling / disassembling / reassembling of 16 different toys

Day or two following Christmas:

Family leaves

Tree is brought down (or at least empty underneath)

lights are turned off

no one is “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree”

Kids, you go back to school

When Christmas is over you are sometimes left with only winter.

It’s a real phenomenon.

From Psychology Today:

“Many people experience sadness when the holidays are over. Sometimes it hits them hard and seems to come out of the blue. If I’m describing you, please don’t be alarmed. This reaction to the end of the holiday season is not at all unusual.”

— https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/life-without-anxiety/201401/the-holidays-are-over-why-am-i-so-blue

There are three recurring themes throughout this passage that give us three truths that we can walk away with after Christmas.

Think through this passage in real time not as “story time.”

The passage we just read happened after Christmas — not December 26th — perhaps even two years after the birth of Jesus, but it was still after Christmas.

I don’t know about you, but very little in this story would have been found in my plan for after Christmas.

(Mary) - So, Joseph, I’m thinking that after Christmas we have some strange pagan rulers stop by and have a gift exchange with our son and tell us how they have waited so long to meet him (ironically, longer than you or I even knew he would be born). I’m sure the neighbors won’t talk about all the camels parked outside and what these men wanted.

Next, I thought we might flee for our lives, because having a two year old son is suddenly illegal according to the government, and we will have the army hunting us to kill our son.

I thought we could move to a completely foreign country for who knows how long? It’s possible we may never see our families again.

Doesn’t sound like anything I would plan out. I highly doubt it was Mary’s plan or Joseph’s plan, but it was all found within God’s plan.

After Christmas, God still has a plan.

Each actor has ability to make choices - God has the final plan.

The emphasis here is that GOD has the plan — not you.

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t plan, but we plan in light of God’s agenda — his greater plan for the world, we don’t simply ask him to bless our agenda.

He knew his plan for your “after Christmas” long before your Christmas.

Notice how many times Matthew points to the fact the events in this story were known and even planned by God hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth.

Matthew 2:3–6 (ESV)

3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

6 “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

Matthew 2:14–15 (ESV)

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.”

(Hosea)

ILLUST - Sword drill? Hosea 11:1

Hosea 11:1 ESV

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

Matthew 2:17–18 (ESV)

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.”

God did not orchestrate or desire Herod’s despicable act to attempt to secure his throne, but God knew about it and had a plan for it.

ILLUST - ever have a child that is ready to do something and you know it is not going to end well? Usually preceded with, “Watch this!”

God is never only reactionary to the situations in our life.

God does not plan FOR those things to happen but he does plan WITH those things that have happened.

He has a plan. (story of Joseph)

Nothing can stop the plan of God.

There is no ruler, force or evil plan that can stop what God places in motion.

God will provide for his plan.

How in the world would Mary and Joseph afford such a trip, and how would they be able to afford to stay for an indefinite amount of time until the angel calls them back home?

God has already provided - Mary and Joseph had just been given very expensive gifts - gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Quite some time previous, God had put it in the hearts of pagan astrologers to give extravagant gifts to a peasant Jewish couple and their newborn son.

Ironically, God saved Jesus from death so he might save Jesus for death. . . on the cross.

God’s plans are always in light of his greatest plan to send the gospel throughout the world so that sinners might be saved through his plan of salvation through Jesus.

You can see how God has worked before, during, and after the events, and His plan came true.

Remember, though, that those in the middle of the story did not have the full story

God has a plan for YOU after Christmas.

No matter what has happened TO you

No matter what YOU have done.

(Don’t you think Joseph and Mary felt “plan-less?”

While the truth is that God has a plan for you after Christmas, please hear me that we are not to “trust the plan;” rather, we are to trust the Planner!

The only way we should trust the plan is if we know the whole plan

Unless YOU are God, you don’t.

It is NOT biblical to say:

God does not have a plan

Trust the plan for your life

It IS biblical to say:

Trust that God has a plan

After Christmas, God still speaks.

Imagine You are Joseph. You read on X of #herodkills you have a young bride and a newborn son. what do you do? How do you figure out what to do?

God still speaks — maybe not as often in dreams, etc. but He still speaks.

While Joseph recognized the angel speaking to him, Matthew recognized God speaking through the prophets through God’s Word — the Old Testament.

That’s how God primarily speaks to us today — through His Word.

Hearing

Are you hearing from God?

Would you say that you know what God would have you do?

Often hear people say they don’t feel close to God — they don’t know what God would want them to do — Are you spending any meaningful time in Word and Prayer?

How does God speak to you?

Watching God’s revelation to his people and his interaction with his people throughout the Bible shows us God’s character. This the same God with the same character that we interact with today.

ILLUST - i know my wife’s ‘will’ because I know her.

Understanding

The Bible is not a mystery that needs a decoder ring. Nor is it a moral guide book based on mythical fables.

It is the recollection of the historical interactions of God with his people, and the written account of the life of God’s Son made flesh, Jesus, who is the Living Word giving us a living picture of the character of God.

Responding.

When was the last time you heard from God through His Word such that it caused you to respond?

If the answer is never or “I can’t remember” what does it say about your relationship with God?

ILLUST - What would it say about my relationship with Christine if. . .

Joseph’s response was one of immediate obedience / trust.

What if he had hesitated or questioned God’s intentions or purpose?

Perhaps this is why God chose Joseph.

Joseph up and moved to a strange country with a strange language with strange people all for a child that was not his own.

“The bond between them did not derive from the deep emotional and spiritual tie of father and genetic son. It derived from the deep bond of obedience to the true Father of this Son.”

- NIV Application Commentary

God speaks to Joseph - Go! Herod is going to try to kill Jesus!

Joseph - Did I hear God correctly?

God speaks to Joseph again - Go back! you’re safe now!

This must have all seemed confusing and Joseph would have simply needed to wait to hear from God and allow himself to be led by God.

Are you looking to God to give you the plan? Or are you trying to write the plan yourself?

What if Joseph had NOT listened to God’s word?

After Christmas, Jesus is still king.

Ultimately, this story is about a clash of kingdoms, and how people respond to Jesus as king.

Matthew 2:1 (ESV)

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,

Few different claims to kingdoms

Herod

Wisemen

couple of different responses to Jesus as king

Herod would stop at nothing to hold on to his kingdom.

Herod was confronted with powerful evidence that Jesus was the rightful king, yet he fought it even to the point of murder.

“Herod ruled firmly and often ruthlessly, murdering any who might challenge his place on the throne. This included his own wife, several sons, and other relatives. It is no surprise, then, that he tried to kill the baby Jesus. Despite his cruelty, Herod was known as “the Great” because Israel and Judah experienced prosperity during his reign.” - ESV Global Study Bible

Some people respond this way today when confronted with Jesus’ claim to be king of their lives.

Jesus is the rightful King. (1:1)

“Christ” “son of David” “son of Abraham”

Jesus was rightfully Jewish through Abraham (people of God -through whom everyone will be blessed)

Jesus was rightfully king through David (man of God -through whom the final everlasting Kingdom and salvation would come)

Jesus was rightfully anointed by God (He was God)

“Christ” = Χριστός = Messiah

People didn’t choose this King - He always was.

Jesus is not running for president - he is reigning as King.

ILLUST - Difference between the president and a king:

The Kingdom of God is not a democracy - it’s a theocracy

Jesus doesn’t depend on your vote in order to have authority in your life.

Jesus doesn’t work for us.

We sometimes think things would go better if Jesus would just remember who put him in office.

Daniel 2:44 (ESV)

And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,

Daniel 7:14 (ESV)

And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

Jesus, the humble King.

When the King arrives, you can’t remain indifferent.

ILLUST - Mr. Bean episode where he is about to meet the Queen and feels he is not ready - he is preparing himself - he doesn’t remain indifferent.

Who is Jesus to you?

What will you do about the claim he has on your life?

You can’t remain indifferent.

Conclusion

Now that it is after Christmas, remember:

After Christmas, God still has a plan.

Trust the Planner

After Christmas, God still speaks.

Seek God through His Word and let Him lead

After Christmas, Jesus is still king.

What area of your life do you need to submit to him after Christmas?

plans next year?

Family?

Finances?

Job?

Fears?