The Second Exodus

Big Idea: Jesus is the greater Moses. Jesus is the perfect Israel. Jesus is the God of the Exodus here to deliver us from sin. This is the picture that Matthew is trying to convey through his Gospel account. We will look at all the ways Jesus as Emmanuel comes to deliver be with His people and to deliver them from a greater oppressor than Egypt…their own sinful heart. Matthew is retelling the Exodus story with Jesus at the center. God comes to be the leader they needed, the people they were meant to be, and the God who would rescue them from their sin. This image of Emmanuel is meant to show us how Jesus came to be with man and deal with the root of the problem. Israel was in captivity by Rome and yet this was just a picture of the state of their own hearts captivity by sin. Many people missed the Messiah because they were looking for a greater Moses to come lead them out of captivity to Rome but that’s not what a greater Moses would do. A greater Moses would lead them out of captivity to sin. This is what Emmanuel (or God with us) changed.

If you have your Bibles, open up to Matthew chapter one and we are going to start by reading the text that our Christmas series is based off of. - I was gone so we need to rehash it.-

Matthew 1:23 NASB95

23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”

I said we need to look at Immanuel because…(two verses prior 21)…explain

Emmanuel isn’t a name. His name is Jesus which means “God is salvation.”

We also said that:

Emmanuel isn’t a title either.

Do title bit: Messiah, Christ, Savior, Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor.

No, actually,

Emmanuel is a marker of remembrance of change.

We said that’s what all of our holidays are...

Explain how Matthew expects us to just get the significance of this bomb...We grew up Saturday morning cartoons, and Matthews audience grew up on the story of the Old Testament.

Here is an example: Three weeks ago we talked about how:

When God comes to ‘BE WITH US’ it means change is coming.

Gen 1 Garden - Kicked out of God’s kingdom. Gen 11 Babel - Scattered across the earth. Gen 12 Abram - God is promising a way back into his kingdom and sends his presence to mark that change.

So this week, we are going to continue on with this theme tracking the significance of Emmanuel or God with us and what that means for you and me.

But, in order to do that, I need you to do something for me. I need you to wipe everything you think you know about the Christmas story out of your mind. Here is what I mean:

READ THIS:

When you think about the biblical Christmas story, what are the first things that come to mind? Maybe the angel Gabriel announcing the birth of Jesus to Mary. Or it could even be the birth of John and how Mary goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Maybe its the census and that fateful journey to Bethlehem just to discover there was no room at the inn. Maybe its a manger scene filled with animals. Or perhaps it is images of shepherds tending their sheep and the choirs of angels announcing the birth of the Savior?

Those are all great parts of the story and all of them are being used by the other Gospel authors to convey some incredibly important messages…there is just one problem, however. We are looking at Matthews account and exactly NONE of those things are in Matthews Christmas story account. Go back and read Matthew one and two and you’ll notice that none of those things I mentioned are in there.

So this morning, I want you to pretend like you’ve never heard it before because we are going to let Matthew’s recounting of the Christmas story shape the way we see it this morning. You see, Matthew has a very specific purpose in telling the Christmas story the way that he did and if we’ve got all of these other images in our mind, we are likely to miss the powerful thing that he is communicating.

So what is Matthew trying to communicate through his telling of the Christmas story and what does it have to do with our lives? I’m so glad you asked that question and I will answer it here in just a second. But first, we have to talk about Batman.

Funny bit about just using a Batman example a few weeks ago…I promise I’m not hung up on Batman.

Bit about the surprise reveal of the villain…Batman and Bane true villain bit. Miranda Tate the daughter or Ras Al Ghul is the real villain. Red Herring bit.

Matthew is going to pull the Red Herring curtain back and show us that the villain is not who we think it is because if we miss who the real villain is, we will also miss the hope connected to the birth of Emmanuel.

Look at Matthew’s thesis statement for his Gospel account. For those of you who’ve been out of school for a few years, a thesis statement is your purpose statement. It is the point that you are going to prove through supporting evidence over the rest of your text.

Matthew 1:21–23 NASB95

21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for 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 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”

Check this out…Jesus means savior. Look at verse 21. What is Jesus saving his people from? Their sins! How is he going to do it? Well Matthew is going to work out the how over the rest of the book but he does tell us at least this much…that Jesus is going to do it by being “God with us.” That if rescue from sin is the purpose and God coming to dwell with mankind always means a change then Jesus’ birth is the linchpin in that equation.

Let’s start with an easy question.

Did people in Jesus’ day get this? NO!

What did people in Jesus’ day see as being the main villain?

For them, the major villain was Rome. Rome had been around for about 60 years prior to the birth of Jesus ruling brutally with an iron fist. Before them it was the Greek empire. That wasn’t a cake walk either…google the story of Antiochus Epiphanes if you don’t already know it. Before the Greeks it was the Medo-Persians. Before them it was the Babylonians…and so on and so forth all the way back to the origin of the Israelites story in Egypt.

There was always a bad guy. There was always a big brute that looked like Bane…real villainous, like he’s definitely the big bad guy...looming over them.

And so, they expected their Messiah to come and free them from Rome and set up the eternal kingdom of Israel.

Jewish political leaders were looking for a political Messiah. While the religious leaders and many of the people were looking for a military leader.

Its easy to give those guys a hard time. Like how could you possibly miss the fact that Jesus was obviously the messiah? He was giving sight to the blind, healing obvious physical deformities before their very eyes, and even raising the dead back to life.

And so we think…how blind were they not to see that. But check this out lest we get high and mighty and think we would’ve been any better:

Check this out from Acts chapter 1:

Acts 1:6–7 NASB95

6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;

You guys have missed it. Make it funny…these are guys who had literally witnessed the resurrected Jesus and had been hearing him preach the gospel for 3.5 years.

And guess what…you and I miss the real root of the problem as well.

We fall for the Red Herring all the time.

Its the people on the other side of the political isle. Its the public school system. Its my work or my boss or if my coworkers weren’t so terrible things would just be better there. Its my financial situation. Based off the last fight you had perhaps you think its your spouse or your kids. The real problem is social media. The biggest issue is some of the radical anti-God social agendas. Perhaps you are particularly sensitive to injustices and so you would say social, racial, gender, income inequality, or judicial injustices are the true evil. Maybe its poverty or hunger or access to healthcare.

Here is the deal…Did Jesus say that He wasn’t going to address all of those things? No! He just tells his followers that its not for them to know the time when he is going to address those things.

I think if Jesus could have responded to that question in length, he would have said:

I came to deal with the real villain that resides in your hearts and is the cause for all of those things. I came to deal with your sin and if you want any hope for those other areas, it is found as the problem of sin is dealt with. In fact, if you want to experience the eternal kingdom of God, you have to allow me to deal with your sin.

And so, for the next few minutes, I want to allow Matthew and the other Gospel writers to explain why Emmanuel “God with us” is such great news because of how it deals with the real villain. I’m going to put this next statement up on the screen.

My desire is for us to experience the hope given to us by the birth of Emmanuel with a new intensity that can change our lives. If God with us changes everything then we shouldn’t walk away from this truth the same people we once were.

Being in school and realizing the Bible is absolutely brilliant bit...

I tell you that to say: Because of how wildly brilliant Matthew’s writing is and my own lack of words to describe how he does what he is about to do, I can’t really explain what we are about to do as we read this next part. It is just a journey that we all have to go on together. Sound interesting? Let’s just jump into the text and I’ll show you what I mean.

All that to say…pay attention really closely or you’ll get lost.

Matthew 2:11–16 NASB95

11 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. 12 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way. 13 Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.” 14 So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. 15 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.” 16 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.

Circle that phrase “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” It’ll be super important today.

Remember how I told you guys on week one of this study that if we are going to understand what it means for God to be with us, we have to look at the times God has come to be with His people in the past? Well that’s what Matthew is doing here. His original audience understood it and its brilliant.

Matthew is telling the Christmas story, and yet he is also telling another story alongside it at the same time.

Can you think of a time that God came to be with His people to save them?

If you were an Israelite who just read what we read, your mind goes to one specific event. The exodus story.

Now…why is your mind transported there?

Let’s play a little game:

I am a child of promise sent to free my people from slavery. Who am I?

God intervenes in my story to preserve my life from a vengeful king. Who Am I?

My parents act in secret to rescue me from certain death. Who am I?

I find refuge in the unlikely place of Egypt. Who am I?

A power-drunk king enacts infant genocide against me and my contemporaries to preserve his own power. Who am I?

If you find it hard to tell the difference…Matthew intended it to be that way....he’s the only one who included this story…nobody else talks about the massacre of the children or the fact that Jesus spent time in Egypt fleeing for his life...

Matthew is being very careful with the information he is including in his Christmas story because he’s trying to communicate a very important truth.

What did we say it was? - THE VILLAIN IS NOT WHO YOU THINK IT IS.

Who killed the babies in Egypt…because that’s what Pharaoh and Egypt, and Canaan and Philistia and Sodom and Gomorrah and Babylon and Persia and Greece and Rome do. NOT GOD’S PEOPLE…They had learned their lesson.

Matthew opens up his Gospel with a list of kings in Jesus’ lineage…most of which were terrible. Morally corrupt doesn’t begin to do most of those guys justice. And then, the first king (who is always a representation of the hearts of the people in the Bible) is killing babies. The enemy isn’t Rome, or Babylon, or Egypt.

Seeing someone else as the villain is the reals enemies greatest tactic of deception.

The real enemy is the sin that exists in every human heart as they have rejected the rule and reign of God in favor of their own.

Matthew and the other Gospel writers are using just using the Exodus story as the medium to show us that truth and consequently why God coming to be with us is our only hope. I believe they use the Exodus story because God intervenes over and over again in their story to change their lives and rescue them from slavery to sin.

But, if we are paying attention, we notice that Matthew is telling the story backwards and upside down. He tells the Exodus story but in reverse and none of the characters act the way they do in the original story. This is the part you have to experience to understand.

What is the very next story in the book of Matthew?

John the Baptist is baptizing people from all over the nation of Israel in the Jordan river.

How does the Exodus story end? Explain it ends with the people of Israel coming into the land. And yet this is how Matthew starts his story.

John the Baptist is leading a national faith renewal movement where people give their allegiance back to God through repentance so that they are ready to follow Messiah into the eternal promised land.

We will circle back to this at the end but for now, lets move on.

If we are watching the Exodus story in reverse and the people of Israel were the last to cross the Jordan river into the promised land…who were the first? The ark of the covenant housing Gods presence on earth and Joshua their leader.

Look in your Bible to the very next story in Matthew…its the baptism of Jesus!

Matthew 3:16–17 NASB95

16 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

Israel’s leader Moses couldn’t enter into the promised land. He failed a God’s testing of his humility and obedience. Joshua (which by the way is Jesus’ name in Hebrew) come on ya’ll!!! Sorry, I geek out sometimes. Its Joshua who leads them into the promised land.

Luckily for us, we have the full picture of what Jesus’ baptism symbolized. It was foretelling the way in which he would lead his people into God’s promised kingdom through his death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus passed the test of humility and obedience. I know we like to picture Jesus with clothes on as he is hanging on the cross but the Roman’s specialized in making death by crucifixion as mentally humiliating as it was physically.

READ:

Jesus, the son of God and creator of the universe: Phil 2:6-8

Philippians 2:6–8 NASB95

6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Moses couldn’t even whisper sweet nothing’s to a rock and was disqualified from leading God’s people into the promised land. Not Jesus.

Jesus is the greater Moses and the presence of God leading His people into God’s Kingdom.

Who or what are we looking to in order to provide peace for our souls that will inevitably fail us?

Is it politicians or public policy or better schools or justice or more money or…the list could go on.

Backing up even further in the Exodus story…what came before their crossing the Jordan river into the promised land?

That’s right…40 years wandering the wilderness.

What a coincidence…look at the very next story in Matthew:

Matthew 4:1–2 NASB95

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.

The Israelites ended up in the wilderness because they rejected God’s leading and yet Jesus goes there in obedience.

If we rewind the Exodus journey a little further to the next major event, we come to some stuff that Adam talked about last week with the giving of the law and the filling of the tabernacle with God’s presence. I won’t rehash that.

As we go back further, though, I’ll give you the next event on the timeline.

The next event happens in Exodus 16. Check it out:

Exodus 16:2–4 NASB95

2 The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 The sons of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction.

Lo and behold, look what Matthew gives us as his very next words in the story:

Matthew 4:3–4 NASB95

3 And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ ”

Bread is about provision and is symbolic of the source of our satisfaction.

Jesus doesn’t grumble like the Israelites did. No! He passes the test that they regularly failed. Did you notice that they were willing to go back to Egypt to find satisfaction instead of looking to God? Not Jesus though! Look back at his response.

That comes straight from Deut 8:2-3

Deuteronomy 8:2–3 NASB95

2 “You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 “He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.

Jesus lives a life fully committed to seeking his satisfaction, provision, acceptance, validation, and definition of good and evil from his heavenly Father.

If you’ll indulge me nerding out for just a second...

READ

Because he is Emmanuel we get this amazing story in the book of John where Jesus recreated the miraculous feast of bread by feeding over 5K people just like he did for the Israelites who were wandering the desert. And then, Jesus goes on to say this about himself right after feeding them:

John 6:35 NASB95

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.

You see,

The second we point to political, social, justice, relational, or financial issues as the real villain is the second we state that our true satisfaction can be obtained by solving those issues.

Those things are fickle and will leave you starving in the end. Only Emmanuel can fill that place because only Emmanuel rejected that temptation and lived the life we couldn’t. Only Emmanuel could die the death we deserved and only Emmanuel can provide true satisfaction for our souls…forgiveness and freedom from sin.

What are you looking to for provision and satisfaction? If you are still hungry and seeking out more of the same, chances are, you are not looking to Jesus to satisfy that hunger.

Rewinding even further: Right before the events of the manna. The Israelites got thirsty.

This is in Exodus 15:23-25

Exodus 15:23–25 NASB95

23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah. 24 So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 Then he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet. There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them.

Get this…show all that God had done for them and ask them if it would be logical for them to think God just took them out there to die of thirst?

The Israelites didn’t trust God’s plan and by extension, their identity as His beloved people. Like, if God is going to let us die of thirst out here, who are we to Him. God doesn’t care about us.

Look what God had in store for them right over the next hill…literally nine miles away…not even half a day’s journey.

Exodus 15:27 NASB95

27 Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters.

God had a plan for them. God loved His people. What he had in store for them was far greater.

You know what comes next…Let’s look at what Matthew says:

Matthew 4:5–7 NASB95

5 Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’ ” 7 Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”

Satan is questioning the plan of God and goodness of God. And in response Jesus points back to the water incident and another one just like it to say not to test him. God had a plan for Jesus and unlike how God preserved the Israelites life, it would be through Jesus’ own brutal sacrificial death that would preserve life. Remember Mathew is telling the story upside down and backwards. Again, true satisfaction and life can only be found as we seek it in Jesus.

This is a sentiment that John 4 captures in Jesus’ exchange with the woman at the well when he tells her that he is the well of water that bubbles up into eternal life.

From all of these examples in the wilderness we see that Jesus is not only the greater Moses, but he lived the example of the greater Israel as well.

Not only is Jesus our leader but he lived the life we never could.

Two final instances we are going to look at. Before the water incident, the Israelites pass through the Red sea and prior to that God comes to be with His people in a unique way.

Exodus 13:21–22 NASB95

21 The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

It is this pillar of fire and cloud that God not only leads Israel with but He also protects Israel from certain enslavement and death from the Egyptians.

Check this out: Matthew’s narrative takes a bit of a divergence here to chase down some other thoughts but I thought this was a great example to include to show how all of the Gospel writers thought we should think of Jesus.

There is this amazing story in the Gospel of John chapter eight. To set the scene, it is during the festival of booths…explain the party environment…explain the purpose…explain the pillars of fire meant to symbolize the pillar of Gods presence. The whole event was meant to remind you of your need for God’s presence, guidance, and protection by replaying the Exodus story.

Lead up to the sunrise moment by telling the woman caught in adultery story and how Jesus stands between her and her accusers. (He came to the temple early in the morning) Look at what Jesus says:

John 8:7 NASB95

7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Jesus is dealing with their sin! It isn’t Egypt this time, it is the same sin though that is present in the lives of this woman’s accusers. Again, this is Israel…not Egypt.

Look what Jesus says to the woman:

John 8:11 NASB95

11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

And I can just imagine as Jesus is standing there on the temple mount underneath these giant 60 foot tall torches that are now dying down and all of a sudden the sun breaks over the horizon behind Jesus spilling its light onto the temple mount, Jesus says this:

John 8:12 NASB95

12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

Jesus is claiming to be that same presence of God that guided and protected. We just have to follow after that light.

Ya’ll, we live in a complicated, difficult, and dark time. I have seen some of the things said and done by “Christians” over the last few years and it blows me away. I hate to beat up on politics but you guys we’ve made it low hanging fruit. Some of the ways Christians have treated other people made in the image of God. Some of the things we have given ourselves over to break my heart. Some of the things we have come to believe. And here is the deal…I understand. I understand how easy it is to get to that place. Listen to me really closely...

LOOK AT THE LIGHT

John 1:1–4 NASB95

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.

John 1:9–12 NASB95

9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,

Yes that means to believe in Him for salvation. But it also means that he continues to guide and protect us as we believe His Word, His Example, the way He gave himself up for others sacrificially, and the way He loved other people and called us to do the same.

Here is the last thing and then we are closing:

How did the Exodus story begin?

It began with the tenth plague. It began when God (AND DON’T MISS THIS) came to be with mankind by killing the firstborn of every house that did not have the blood of the passover lamb.

Look at what Paul says in 1 Cor 5:7

1 Corinthians 5:7 NASB95

7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.

Jesus or Emmanuel came not only as the Passover Lamb to extend freedom from sin but he was also the firstborn son who died to absorb the wrath of God that was aimed at you and me.

Let’s bring it home this morning by responding to this truth in the form of a couple of question.

Will you respond like the Magi and worship him as Lord, Savior, and King?

Or,

Will you respond like Herod and reject him because there is only room for one King on the throne?

And here is why Matthew is so brilliant. I told you guys we would circle back to this at the end. How do we follow Emmanuel?

Matthew 3:1–2 NASB95

1 Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

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Repent. Realize the real enemy is the sin that has enslaved every single one of us. Turn to Jesus and partake of the bread of life as you look to him for your sole satisfaction, provision, acceptance, and the one who defines good and evil. Turn to Jesus as the water of life as you trust in him and the life he lived on your behalf, the death he died in your place, and the forgiveness that quenches the eternal thirst of your soul. Look to Jesus as your guide in all matters of life. And constantly live in worship of the lamb of God who died to save you from your sins.

If you feel this is something you need to do today…give invitation...

If you have done this long ago, just know that this Gospel isn’t just what saves you…it is what transforms you into the image of Jesus over time as you go back to it again and again and let its truth and power wash over you with renewed intensity.

Will you pray with me?