Sermon Tone Analysis

Pray

3 times Matthew in this short passage delcares that Jesus (both who he is and the events around his birth and life) fulfill the prophets - the OT promises.

Many of us know the story well of course - perhaps so well we miss the significance of what Matthew seems keen to explain.

The magi - came form the east - following a star believed to be the sign from God that a King had been born to the Jews - the Israelites.

They stop on-route at King Herod’s palace - asking about this new baby king.

Herod is concerned for his rule and reign - but doesn’t let on and hopes to find and kill this baby king

- and so sends the magi on to Bethlehem where the promise of the OT predicts his birth.

After finding and worshipping Jesus, The magi are warned in a dream from God not to return to Herod - and so immediate distaster is averted.

But the tiny town of Bethlehem is only 5 miles from Herod’s palace so it wont be long before he realises he’s been tricked and he will come after the baby king.

Fulfilment 1.

Herod of course is furious and not knowing Jesus has left orders the murder of all boys under 2 years old - Jesus was estimated to have been about 12months old when the magi visited - so to cover his bases he murders all the under 2’s.

A horrific act - the scale of it may have been quite small as Bethlehem was a tiny town - it’s estimated that perhaps only 10-12 boys would have been killed- but imagine the horror and weeping none the less.

And so we get our second fulfilment:

And thirdly - after herod’s death - Jospeh is told again by God that it is safe to return to Israel

- but on route Jospeh is concerned by the next king in Judea being no more friendly.

So in another dream he is warned and they head to Galilee and town called Nathereth.

so our 3rd fulfilment

Now I don’t know about you - but this all raises a load of questions in my head.

Why doesn’t God sort out the problems for Joseph, Mary and Jesus - rather than send them on a wild goose chase?

And aside from that - in what way does Jesus fulfil these things?

Or better still why does he need too?

Some of them seem less like promises - and more like observations from their time that needed no fulfilling!

Some don’t seem relevant, and one doesn’t even appear to be in the OT.

That second question is really the attention of this passage

- how are we to understand the ‘fulfillments’.

But I think it’s helpful to pause briefly on the why such a complicated life for Jesus?

Question

Jesus’s early life and even memories - are of being a refugee fleeing persecution.

Travelling thousands of miles - living in foreign lands, fearing death.

banished from ‘home’.

And God is sending warnings in dreams rather than sorting out the actual problems!

I wonder if that is part of the point of God who entres our world to save us.

to know that Jesus’ life was like ours - is a great comfort!

He was not miraculously delivered from every trial.

EvRey prayer isn’t answered in the easiest way possible.

It’s hard to believe the Queen of England can relate to our finanical, or social, or relational problems given her privileges.

But Jesus - his family is more like an afgan refugee than the queen.

His circumstances weren’t changed - he and his family had to change!

And so Obedience to God’s direction is clearly demonstatred when life is hard.

And their life was hard and fearful.

Yet they obeyed.

- Jesus continues this perfectly of course through out his life.

He knows a hard life - and yet he still obeyed every-time.

He did not command his heavenly armies to smooth the path and change the circumstance.

No - he valued obdicience to God, and empathy with his created people.

Our problems are typically small and light compared to his - he’s a man we can trust when he says - follow me.

He’s from a family that has earnt our attention - we should listen at least to His message.

we should think about what he has come to ‘fulfil’

and So

How does Jesus Fulfil?

The short answer is well - he fulfils in every-way!

So let’s enjoy some of the examples in this passage.

Out of Egypt I called my son is taken from

In Hosea he’s making reference to the Israelites being freed from slavery in Egypt.

It’s poetic isn’t it.

When Israel was a child - in-other-words small and vulnerable.

Growing from just one family - Jacob and his 12 sons.

God loved him.

Not content to see his own people (his child) in slavery - he called them out of Egypt.

You might recall Moses and the plagues and the crossing of the red sea.

They were saved.

We call it the

exodus - but how does Jesus Fulfil this!?

What does that even mean?

Well to ‘fulfil’ doesn’t just mean - something is promised and then it is fulfilled - achieved.

- although it can and often does mean that in the bible - and in life.

But it can also mean to be the full version - or completeness of something,

for example - think of a man who has a great idea for a company - sets it up but isn’t alway very good at running or progressing things.

It ticks along as a company - but it’s not what it could be,

But then his son takes over and the business and he’s got a great business mind and things just take off.

Nothing was promised - but the company finds it’s full or complete fulfilment through the man’s son.

And that’s sort of what’s going on here - and often when we think of Jesus actually.

He is the anti-type of Israel - God’s people.

He is the perfect example of what God desires his people to be.

The fullness of what the Israelites - and we - should be,.

We actually think about this all the time.

He’s the one who lives a perfect life when we could not.

he saves Israel and us from our sins when we could not.

In a visual and real way -

Jesus needed to be ‘called out of Egypt’ like Israel the nation - to fulfill! - what they did not!

to be them but to fullness.

1 - Jesus Fulfils Perfection

- Israel was freed from Egypt - but quickly grumbled and sinned!

Jesus came out of Egypt but did not sin!

everything Israel got wrong Jesus would get right!

Israel was to be the vine that bore fruit for God and bless the nations - but failed -

But Later in Matthew - Jesus describes himself as the true vine - the one who truly bears good fruit and who truly offers hope to the nations!

In chapter 4 of Matthew - Jesus spends 40 days in the wilderness being tempted in every way by Satan - echoing the 40 years or wilderness for the Israelites after coming out of Egypt

- the Israelites failing and receiving punishment -

Jesus succeeding and overcoming every trial.

Jesus is the perfect man of God

And becasue Jesus is perfect - he earns the love that Isreal could not.

In hosea - Israel are called out of Egypt becasue God loves them - but they quicly reject his love.

They refuse God’s love.

Hosea speaks of judgement from God - yet God often relents and has mercy and patience -

The image is clear - they are undeserving of God’s love - and yet he desires to show it.

But complete and perfect love still requires justice.

YOu can’t force love upon someone if they reject it as the ISralelits do and as we do.

Rejecting God cannot be ignored eternally.

But now another Israel has arisen - a perfect man of God,