Matthew 2

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 11:1-5

Last Time:

We Did an Introduction to Matthew’s Account of the Gospel

Main Theme = The Kingdom of Heaven

Matthew Wants Us to See Jesus as the:

New King David Who will Rule Over His People in Righteousness and Justice

New Law-Giver Moses Who Gives 5 Discourses on the Kingdom of Heaven

Seed of Abraham Who will Bless All Nations

Fulfillment of the Covenant Between Israel and God

He Fulfils Israel’s and God’s Side of the Covenant Perfectly

Then We Looked at Jesus’ Genealogy and Birth

Matthew 2

Matthew 2:1–2 (NASB)

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

Matthew Now Tells Us that Jesus was Born in Bethlehem

He is Telling Us this so that We will See the Connection Between Jesus and David

Herod the Great was an Idumean (Edomite - Descendants of Esau, Brother of Jacob)

He was Made King of the Jews by the Roman Senate

That will Help Explain His Actions in Just a Minute

He was Ruthless

Murdered His Wife, Several Sons, and Other Family Members

He was a Master Builder

Restored the Temple in Jerusalem and Built Many Theaters, Cities, Palaces, and Fortresses

The Maji from the East Were Likely Men from Babylon

(Map From Babylon to Jerusalem)

They Typically Practiced a Wide Range of Things

Priestly Duties

Dream Interpretations (Like Daniel Who in Fact Filled this Position in Babylon)

Study of Sacred Writings

Pursuers of Wisdom and Magic

And Astrology

Modern Definition of Astrology - “the study of the movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world.”

They Studied the Stars and Expected to Learn Things from Their Movements and Positions

They Might Have Been Directed Toward the Jewish People by a Prophecy of Balaam Centuries Earlier in Numbers 24:17

“A star shall come forth from Jacob, a scepter shall rise from Israel”

Either Way, God was Using Pagan Gentiles to Announce the Birth of this Savior of All Nations

They Came to Jerusalem Asking for the King of the Jews

And They Weren’t Talking about Herod

Matthew 2:3 (NASB)

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

The Fact that All of Jerusalem was Troubled Along with the King Seems to Indicate it Wasn’t Just 3 Wise Men Who Rolled into Town

Likely a Large Caravan

Matthew 2:4–6 (NASB)

Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.

They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; For out of you shall come forth a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

Herod is Showing Interest in this Newborn King

He Finds Out from the Jewish Leaders that the Micah 5:2 has the Answer to His Question

The Ruler will Come from Bethlehem in Judah

Vs. 7-8 - Herod has a Secret Meeting with the Magi and Asked Them When They First Saw the Star

He was Asking about How Old the Child Should be at that Point

Then He Sent Them to Bethlehem to Find the Child

He Told Them to Tell Him When They Found the Child so He Could Come and Worship Him too

When the Star Led Them to the Messiah Child, They Rejoiced with Great Joy

Matthew 2:11–12 (NASB)

After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

Jesus and His Family Were Now in a House in Bethlehem

We’ll See in a Second that the Wise Men Didn’t Come See Jesus on the Night He was Born

Jesus was Probably Over a Year Old at this Point

The Magi Fell Down and Worshiped Jesus and then Offered Costly Gifts to Him

Then They Went a Different Way Home to Avoid Herod

Vs. 13 - Then Joseph is Warned in a Dream to Take His Family and Flee to Egypt

Herod was Going to Try and Murder Their Baby

Map From Bethlehem to Egypt

So They Got Up and Left that Very Night

Matthew 2:15 (NASB)

He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

Here’s Where Matthew’s Referencing of Scripture Get’s Interesting

Matthew Says that Jesus and His Family Leaving Egypt was Fulfilling a Prophecy from Hosea 11:1

Hosea 11:1 (NASB)

When Israel was a youth I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.

Hosea was Talking about Israel, Not Jesus

In the Early Years of Israel, God Called Them His Son and He Brought Them Out of Egypt

We Know Exactly What Hosea is Referencing There

Exodus 4:22 (NASB)

“Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says YHWH, “Israel is My son, My firstborn.”

Matthew is Showing Us that Jesus’ Life is Replaying the Events of Israel’s History

Jesus Didn’t Just Fulfil a Few Random Prophecies in the Old Testament

Jesus Represents Israel had Israel Been the Faithful Son They Were Meant to be

He is Going to Fulfil Israel’s Half of the Covenant that They Never Could Stay Faithful to Themselves

Matthew 2:16–18 (NASB)

Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi.

Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

“A voice was heard in Ramah, Weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; And she refused to be comforted, Because they were no more.”

Herod Goes on His Murderous, Infanticidal Rage

Experts Say that There Might Have Been Around 2 Dozen Little Boys Murdered

Matthew Quotes from Jeremiah 31:15

Jeremiah is Referring to Rachel (Buried in Bethlehem) Mourning Her Children (Israel) Being Taken into Captivity in Babylon

This was All Pointing Toward the Horrible Slaughter of Innocent Little Boys in Bethlehem

Herod Eventually Died and Joseph was Told in a Dream to Go Back to Israel

Matthew 2:22–23 (NASB)

But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee,

and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

Map from Egypt to Nazareth

Archelaus was Hated by the Jews and was Known for the Same Kind of Cruelty as His Father

Jesus Being from Nazareth is an Interesting Prophecy Referred to by Matthew

He Claims that it was Prophesied by Multiple Prophets, Not One Specific Prophet

But We Don’t Find this Prophecy Anywhere in the OT

In Fact, Nazareth Didn’t Even Exist in Old Testament Times

What is Matthew Talking about?

He is Not Quoting a Verbatim Prophecy from Any Prophet

He is Telling Us about a Theme that Spanned Over Many Prophets

One Explanation is that the Messiah will be Despised

And in the Eyes of First Century Jewish People, Nazareth was a Despicable Little Town

But Matthew Could Alse be Making a Word Play in Hebrew and Greek

In the Prophets, We See a Theme of the Messiah Being Referred to as a “Branch”

Isaiah is the First Prophet to Use this Imagery in Isaiah 11:1

Isaiah 11:1 (NASB)

Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.

Isaiah Goes On to Describe this Branch from Jesse as the Coming Messianic King

Prophets like Jeremiah (23:5) and Zecharaiah (3:8; 6:12) Carry on this Imagery of the Messiah Being a Branch from the Stump David’s Lineage

The Name for the Town in Which Jesus Grew Up in was Nazaret (Nad-zar-et)

The Hebrew Word for “Branch” is Netser

Nazareth = Branch

Matthew is Showing Us that Jesus is the Messiah

He’s Showing Us that He is the Prophesied Branch from Branch Town

Summary of Chapter 2

Jesus is Born in the Town that King David was Born in

He was Worshiped by Gentiles Foreshadowing His Kingship Over All Nations

Joseph was Having Dreams that Lead to the Protection of the Messiah

OT Joseph was the Dreamer Whose Dreams and Interpretations of Dream Led to Israel’s Protection

The Paranoid Ruler was Afraid of Him so He Tried to Murder Him by Killing All the Little Boys While Jesus was Taken to Egypt by Joseph

OT Joseph Brought All of Israel to Egypt Where Pharaoh Became Paranoid about Them and Tried to Kill All the Little Boys

Jesus was Called Out of Egypt to Go to the Land of Israel

Israel was Called Out of Egypt to Go to the Promised Land of Israel

They Ended Up Going to Nazareth (Branch Town) Where the Messiah (Branch) Would Grow Up

Do You See How Matthew is Painting this Incredible Picture of Jesus as the Fulfilment of OT Israel as Their Messiah?

Some of You Who are Studious and Enjoy Deep Bible Study Have Really Enjoyed this Chapter

The Rest of You Might Have Been Bored Out of Your Minds

But I Don’t Care

Application

There Is Hope For Your Future

I Want You to Try to Imagine this Story Through the Eyes of Mary and Joseph

You’re Experiencing an Unwed Pregnancy that is Not Your Fault

When Your Baby is Born, the King Goes on a Murderous Spree with the Intention of Killing Your Baby

You Escape Safely but Have to Travel to Another Country in Order to Do so

And All the Other Mommies and Daddies You Knew and Were Neighbors to are Mourning the Deaths of Their Baby Boys

I Could Imagine Feeling Guilty Like I had Contributed to All of this Suffering

This is Not Some Cute Little Christmas Story

This is a Tragic Event in History

Jesus’ Life Began with an Extraordinary Amount of Suffering

We Know that it Will End with an Even More Excruciating Amount of Suffering

Let’s Look Again at Jeremiah 31:15-17

Jeremiah 31:15–17 (NASB)

Thus says YHWH,

“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.”

Thus says YHWH, “Restrain your voice from weeping And your eyes from tears; For your work will be rewarded,” declares YHWH, And they will return from the land of the enemy. There is hope for your future,” declares YHWH, And your children will return to their own territory.”

This is Not Just a Passage of Despair

It is a Passage that Gives Hope

Suffering is a Part of Life in this Present World

Some of You are Suffering Right Now and it May Seem Like it’s Going to Last Forever

Jesus Lived a Life that was Filled with Suffering from the Beginning to the End

But Just Remember…

There is Hope for Your Future

Jesus Suffered, but There is an Empty Tomb in Jerusalem Today that Proves that His Suffering Came to an End

And it Will Come to an End for All Those Who Place Their Faith in Him

Jesus Can Help Alleviate Your Sufferings of this Life

And He will Completely Wipe Away All Your Suffering in the Future