IN A DREAM #3
Matthew 2:13-18 NET.
13 After they had gone, 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 stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to look for the child to kill him.” 14 Then he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and went to Egypt. 15 He stayed there until Herod died. In this way what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet was fulfilled: “I called my Son out of Egypt.” 16 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men to kill all the children in Bethlehem and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under, according to the time he had learned from the wise men. 17 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: 18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud wailing, Rachel weeping for her children, and she did not want to be comforted, because they were gone.”
Preaching a sermon based on a traditional Christmas text is difficult. The paths are well trodden. That was why I was somewhat nervous about planning a whole series of messages based on the Christmas stories in Matthew’s Gospel. But God’s word is always powerful and effective. It is like one of those special knives in the kitchen drawer that stays sharp no matter how often it is used. Here’s what I see in today’s story:
Joseph’s faith was challenged by suffering.
After the wise men leave, Joseph finds it hard to come down from the thrill he feels. Visitors from other nations have graced his home, worshipping Jesus and blessing his family with precious gifts. They spoke of their interview with Herod and his request that they tell him of Jesus’ location. At first, Joseph thinks that is wonderful. If these Gentiles are so excited about Jesus, imagine how thrilled Herod would be! But then Joseph remembers what kind of person Herod the Great is. He is a sick man, mentally and physically. He has already murdered so many people to protect his throne. What would he do to a child who people claim is the new king of Israel?
With those thoughts floating around in his mind, Joseph finds sleeping hard. When he finally does sleep, he gets another dream.
Like his previous dream, an angel appears to him. But in the first dream, the angel tells him not to fear. In this dream, the angel tells him the exact opposite. He says that Herod is going to look for baby Jesus to kill him. The angel instructs Joseph to pack up and get out of Bethlehem quickly. His family had not lived in Bethlehem long, so that would not have been too difficult.
The tricky part of the instruction was when the angel told Joseph to escape. He said that they must go to Egypt. This would not be like his departure from Nazareth for the census. This was a move to another country. Joseph and his family would be refugees.
All around the world today, some people have had to leave their homes and move to another country. They are called refugees or displaced people. Many of them are forced into unbearable situations. They are between a rock and a hard place. They cannot stay, and they are not welcomed wherever they go.
The United States was built by this kind of person. Waves of immigrants came to this country in search of a better situation or to escape certain death from war, famine, or some other tragedy. Most faced prejudice and opposition here and where they came from, but they were determined to endure it in the hope that their descendants would overcome it. Some even came to our shores on slave ships – against their will.
Joseph did not want to be the father of a family of refugees. He wanted stability and peace for his family, and he was sure that a move to Egypt would disrupt those plans. But Joseph obeyed the angelic revelation, so he took his family and escaped.
Imagine how Joseph felt when he got word of what happened in Bethlehem after they left. Many innocent families suffered. Their little boys were not guilty of any crime. Their only problem was that they were born at the wrong time in the wrong place. They were born in or near Bethlehem at about the same time as Jesus. They suffered because of an evil king inspired by an evil spirit named Satan.
When you read through the Bible and encounter a story, you must ask yourself why this story is included and why it is included in this particular spot. What does the story of the slaughter of the innocent children tell us that we need to know? Why is this part of the Christmas stories in Matthew’s Gospel?
I think that Matthew is showing how important Jesus is. The wise men’s visit showed that Jesus was so important that a delegation of prominent visitors from a foreign country would travel for months to see him and show their appreciation for him.
The escape to Egypt was God’s way of protecting Jesus from the soldiers that Herod sent to kill him. The slaughter of the innocent children showed that Herod was determined to eliminate this child because he saw him as a threat to his rule. Satan wanted to eliminate Jesus for the same reason. God is doing something significant here, and the suffering is collateral damage.
This passage is also a personal message from the Holy Spirit to you and me. God is going to be doing something significant in our lives as well. But we will also experience suffering. That suffering is a test for us. It tests our faith in God. Satan brings that suffering to make us question whether God is at work in our lives at all. He accuses us of being unimportant to God. He submits our suffering as evidence for his case. He says that God would not allow such stressful events to occur if God loved us.
The exact opposite is the case. The Holy Spirit is confident that his power in us is enough for us to overcome any obstacle we might face. We will experience storms in this life, but our Master himself is with us, sleeping peacefully in the boat. Joseph and Mary experience trouble, heartache, and uncertainty. But the same Jesus was with them, asleep in the manger. He is Emmanuel, and his presence is all we need.
Joseph’s faith was strengthened by revelation.
Matthew highlights two points in today’s story to show how the Holy Spirit ministered to Joseph and empowered him to keep obeying despite the suffering he faced. The first is the ministry of an angel. An angel who spoke to him in a dream told Joseph what he must do.
All through the Gospels and Acts, angels appear in the historical record. They are there to reveal God’s word and to encourage God’s people. Jesus suffers deprivation and temptation in the wilderness. Angels come to minister to his needs (Matthew 4:1). Jesus agonizes in the Garden of Gethsemane, and then an angel comes and strengthens him (Luke 22:43). Angels revealed the fact of the resurrection (Matthew 28:2, 5; John 20:12). Angels revealed the fact that Jesus is going to come again (Acts 1:10-11).
Whenever you see an angel, God says, “Don’t fear – I am in this.” Joseph was blessed to have four dreams in which angels appeared to him. There were four different dreams, but each one was a revelation of God’s presence and gave him confidence to keep obeying and believing.
The ministry of prophets also bolstered Joseph’s faith during this time. Satan would come to Joseph and say, “How is Jesus going to make a difference for his people now? He’s stuck here in Egypt. Joseph could counter: “The prophet Hosea said that God called his son out of Egypt. Egypt is the present, but God has a future for my son.”
Satan would come to Joseph and say. “Jesus couldn’t even stop these mothers from losing their sons in Bethlehem.” Joseph would counter: “The prophet Jeremiah spoke of Rachel mourning when her descendants went into exile. God was still in it. This tragedy signifies evil, but my son will change that.”
Today’s text is a challenge for all of us to keep believing and obeying no matter what comes our way. Suffering is not designed to stop us. It is intended to show the world that our faith is in God and his word, not our circumstances. Joseph led his family well, crisis after crisis. Now, we need to lead our families with the same confidence.
For further study:
Anderson Edward E. The Gospel According to St. Matthew; with Introduction and Notes. T. & T. Clark 1909. pp. 9-10.
Barclay, William. The Gospel of Matthew., 1958. pp. 24-29.
Baumgaertner John H. The Bitter Road: a Lenten Journey with the Suffering Christ from Bethlehem to Calvary and the Garden. Concordia Pub. House 1968. pp. 21-31.
Crowder Bill. Windows on Christmas. Discovery House Publishers; Distributed to the Trade by Barbour Publishing 2007. pp. 26-32.
Erdman, Charles R. The Gospel of Matthew: An Exposition. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1920. pp. 30-32.
Lange, Johann Peter, and Philip Schaff. The Gospel According to Matthew. New York: C. Scribner, 1865. pp. 62-63.
Wilson Stephen Douglas. In the Fullness of Time. Broadman Press 1991. pp. 76-86.
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