Mapping God’s Sovereignty

There’s only one person in this
room that knows how tempting it would be to launch into a
sermon on that passage. That’s my wife. Because this
is the verse, that’s the passage rather, that we have preached
at our wedding by our own request, and what an incredible passage
it is. At the end there, it essentially
points to the fact that we need the righteousness of Christ,
that’s what those wedding clothes are speaking of, and that there
are countless people that really try to get into heaven in their
own clothing, on their own righteousness, and what a great message that
is. If you would, though, take your
Bibles and turn back to Matthew chapter 2. Matthew chapter 2,
which passage we have been considering in our course, really, of taking
the birth that counts, plural, not only Jesus’ birth, but also
John’s, as we have already studied. And we have, as I said, been
in this particular passage two consecutive Sundays, Last Lord’s
Day and this, and we found wisdom. We gleaned wisdom about worship
from the magi or the wise men as we as we considered last Lord’s
Day and for the first time in this entire. Study really going back now six
weeks. We come to a very. Stunning turn
of events. In reading through it’s it’s
even hard if we really read these words and think literally as
we should and take these words as a faithful and true account
of what really took place. We come across a very uncomfortable. Episode that of Herod and his
murderous ways. And you almost begin to wonder
that perhaps God had lost control of this whole plan. He sent his
son into an evil fallen world. There is even a place to receive
him. He’s born in a stable. And now
you have a murderous king on his trail seeking to do nothing
more than eliminate him. I think it would be an appropriate
human question to wonder if God had really, truly planned all
of this. But he has. If you would, let’s
review and touch in on the passage before us today, beginning in
verse one of chapter two. Now, after Jesus was born in
Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod, the king, behold, 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? One of the pieces of wisdom that
we gleaned from the Magi was that their worship was intentional.
Just like what we prayed about a moment ago, they, like all
men, knew that there was a God, there was a God to be worshiped,
and that was their purpose, that if they found him and that was
their goal, their whole purpose was to worship him. That really
is and should be the purpose of the entire world. Every person ever born in it
knows well, because God has revealed it to them personally, that there
is a God. And so the fact that these heathen
kings. Well, you know, in this day and
age, we would call them seekers. They were actually being drawn,
they weren’t seeking anything other than what God had revealed
to them. But their worship was intentional. That’s what they
wanted to do. Look at verse three. When the
Herod the king heard it, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with
him in gathering together all the chief priests and scribes
of the people, he began to inquire of them where the Christ was
to be born. They said to him in Bethlehem
of Judea for so it has been written by the prophet in 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. Then Herod secretly called the
Magi and ascertained from them the time the star appeared and
he sent them to Bethlehem and said go and make careful search
for the child. And when you have found him,
report to me that I too may come and worship him. And having heard
the king, they went their way. Now, not only was their worship
intentional, we saw that it was perseverant, they saw it through.
They continued on their course of worship, even in the face
of great danger. I tried to think of what it would
be like to follow in their footsteps, what modern example could we
possibly provide? And the only one I could think
of was picture yourself in the Middle East, say someplace. Hostile like Iran and imagine
them knowing why you’re there to worship the Lord Jesus Christ,
that’s the kind of hatred that Herod had. Imagine, if you will,
say Nazi Germany, and there’s one called Hitler that hears
that you’re there to worship a coming ruler. That’s that’s
the backdrop against which these wise men persevered in their
worship. It was intentional and it was
persevering, but read on, look at verse. nine again, and having
heard the king, they went their way and lo the star, which they
had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and
stood over where the child was. When they saw the star, they
rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. That’s not worship yet,
as we saw. They were glad for the star and
it affirmed what they had been directed to, that the Christ
was to be born in Bethlehem. They intend to worship their
persevering in their desire to worship, but they haven’t finished
it yet. Not yet. But when they came into the house,
verse 11 and saw the child with Mary, his mother, they fell down
and worshiped, and this is what we were created for. This is
what how God designed us. We were born to worship God and
our hearts will not be calmed until we do. And opening their treasures,
they presented to him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.
And I said that last week and I maintain it. I think that was
that’s an aside point. It’s not what we bring to God,
it’s worship that’s most important. It’s not some gift that we repay.
Certainly not in some fashion that they purchased their salvation. Nor did they pay God back. This
too is simply an act of worship, much like Our giving is. But here we come into new. And
I would even say difficult. Material. Look at what happens
in verse 12. And having been warned by God
in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their own country
by another way. Now, When they had departed,
behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream
saying, Arise, take the child and his mother and flee into
Egypt and remain there until I tell you. For Herod is going
to search for the child to destroy him. And he arose, took the child
and his mother by night and departed for Egypt and was there until
the death of Herod. that what was spoken by the Lord
through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying out of Egypt
did I call my son. 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 environs from two years old and under, according to the time
which he had ascertained from the Magi. Then, that which was
spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying, A voice
was heard in Ramah weeping in great mourning, Rachel weeping
for her children, and she refused to be comforted because they
were no more. But when Herod was dead, behold,
an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
saying, Arise and take the child and his mother and go into the
land of Israel, for those who have sought the child’s life
are dead. And he arose and took the child
and his mother and came into the land of Israel. But when
he had heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in the place
of his father, Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being
warned by God in a dream, he departed for the regions of Galilee
and came and resided in a city called Nazareth, that what was
spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled. He should be called
a Nazarene. It’s a difficult section. Not
difficult so much in a theological sense or even in an exegetical
sense. It’s really pretty straightforward,
but it’s hard to read. Hard to read about the hatred
of Herod. Hard to read about Herod pursuing the Christ child. Hard to read about what Herod
did to all those innocents. And with As with many passages,
I would even say most, especially the difficult ones, as you read
across that part of what is helpful is to is to ask the simple question,
why would God include this? We tend to read this section
12 through 23 almost as just informative, as if it’s just
information, you know, added information, unimportant, really,
or not so necessary. Information that God provided
icing on the cake, as it were. But I would suggest to you that
in God’s sovereignty there there is some profound information
here in this section. It’s not just transitional, it’s
not just that Matthew is including these things to fill up his. Gospel testimony. We have God,
the Sovereign King, proclaiming His Son and the nature of this
Son, who is not only the medium of the message, He is not only
the one proclaiming the message and will be, but He is the message. God, as we saw last week, has
spoken to us in His Son. And in the course of God’s sovereignty,
God takes all of these things, really three localities that
are mentioned. And that’s why I referred to
this or titled this section mapping God’s sovereignty, because he
mentions these three localities just almost out of. Out of duty, providing us information
that really seems mundane on the face of it, But in the course
of mentioning these three places, God reminds us that he is sovereign
and that he’s providing this information for a reason. And
the reason is to reveal to us the nature, the true nature of
the Messiah. Only believers. Only believers
really take comfort in. God’s sovereignty. But for believers
who do take comfort in God’s sovereignty, it is a deep and
rich comfort, isn’t it? To know that God is in complete
control. God hasn’t lost control of the birth of the Christ child.
God hasn’t lost control of his plan of redemption. I love the
way Spurgeon spoke of the sovereignty of God. He said there is no attribute
more comforting to his children than that of God’s sovereignty.
Under the most adverse circumstance in the most severe trials, they
believe that sovereignty has ordained their afflictions, that
sovereignty overrules them and that sovereignty will sanctify
them all. There is nothing for which the
children are more earnestly to contend than the doctrine of
their master over all creation. The kingship of God over all
the works of his own hands, the throne of God and his right to
sit upon that throne. It is God upon the throne that
we love to preach. It is God upon His throne whom
we trust. God is sovereign, and He is sovereign
in the nativity of Christ. He is sovereign over all of these
travels. And the amazing thing that in
these travels, we see God’s providence. in informing us about the nature
of Christ himself. His travels first and foremost
revealed to us that the Messiah is most precious in God’s eyes. Go back, if you will, to verse
twelve, where it records that having been warned by God in
a dream not to return to Herod, the Magi left for their own country
by another way. We don’t know what way that was.
We don’t even know the way in which they got to Bethlehem. We know that there were very
few areas or roads by which they would get from Jerusalem to Bethlehem,
but we know that their course had taken them through Jerusalem
and now they opt to essentially duck out and to go another way,
and instead of reporting back to Herod as they were commanded
and would have been a death sentence to. To ignore, they do exactly
that. They duck out to their own country
by another way, look at verse 13. When they had gone, behold,
an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph now in a dream and
said, get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt.
Now, Joseph wouldn’t have needed a long and lengthy explanation
as to why Joseph knew well Herod’s character. Joseph possibly even
got a report from the Magi as to what Herod was up to. Herod
wanted us to come and report back to him. So that he could
come and worship, even that report would be enough to tip Joseph
off. But the angel gets to Joseph and tells him very plainly what
Herod is up to. Herod is going to search for
the child to destroy him. Herod can have no good interest
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Herod has already declared his
position. And as one pastor said, the Lord
Jesus here, it just shows that he was a man of sorrows, even
from his infancy. Trouble awaits him as soon as
he enters into the world, his life is in danger from Herod’s
hatred. The waves of humiliation began
to beat over him, even while he was a nursing child. Joseph
knew Herod’s intent. The angel makes it very plain
to him and it’s Joseph’s job, earthly job now to watch over
this child and his mother and verse 14. So Joseph got up and
took the child and his mother while it was still night and
left for of all places Egypt. And that’s why I remind the saints
that God is sovereign. God has directed them. He arose
and took the child to Egypt and remained there until the death
of Herod. That what was This was rather
to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet
out of Egypt. I called my son. God had a purpose
in directing. Joseph to take the child to Egypt. And at this juncture, if you
think of it, we don’t even know how old the child is. Some say
that he was as old as two years old at this point, simply because
of what transpires next. It was taken to Egypt. We don’t
know how long he remained there. Herod, we know, died in approximately
four B.C., but this departure into Egypt took place sometime
before that. That’s all we know. Herod is
still alive. He’s still in hot pursuit of
this child, intending only to kill him. And so Joseph flees
to Egypt. And Egypt, in the course of history
figures in large in the course of Israel’s history. There were
times in the course of Israel where they fled there for famine,
they fled for political because of political oppression. And
here again, Egypt comes into focus, and the conclusion here
that Matthew makes is this was designed by God in his sovereignty
to fulfill scripture. Now, the Scripture was taken from Hosea chapter
11. It may take you a second. It’s
in the clean part of your Bibles. If you would turn to Hosea chapter
11, we’ll begin to set the context as to why of all passages, this
one would be selected to testify of the Messiah. Hosea chapter 11, it’s in what
we call the clean part of our Bibles. We don’t typically study
the minor prophets. That often, but Hosea is a good
and rich study, and it will be again for our purposes here this
morning. How did this? Testify of the
Lord Jesus Christ. We come across it almost immediately
in this section chapter 11. Verse one when Israel was a youth,
I loved him and out of Egypt I called my son. That’s the exact.
passage that is quoted, but if you read on, you begin to see
that what the prophet is doing there. The prophet Hosea is proclaiming
both judgment and is so often the case. He provides comfort
at the end in the course of this. Rebuke. When Israel was a youth,
I loved him. It’s talking about God here setting
his love upon Israel. And out of Egypt, I called my
son. And what it harkens back to is that time in the Exodus
when Egypt is oppressed, they are under Pharaoh’s thumb and
God calls them out by the great means of a leader named Moses. Watch what happens, the more
they called him, the more they went from him, it just begins
to talk about Israel’s constant chronic waywardness. They kept
sacrificing to the Baals and burning incense to idols. Yet
it is I who taught Ephraim to walk. I took them in my arms,
but they did not know that I had healed them. God did kindnesses
that Israel never even recognized, much less acknowledged. I led
them with cords of a man, with bonds of love. I became to them
as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws. I bent down and fed
them. They will not return to the land
of Egypt. His point was that he had released
them from captivity and they will not be drawn back in under
Egypt’s rule. Look at all that God has done
for them. But Assyria, he will be their
king because they refused to return to me. God is going to
bring punishment, but it’s not going to come by way of Pharaoh.
It’s going to come now by Assyria. Look at verse six, the sword
will whirl against their cities and will demolish their gate
bars and consume them because of their counsels. So my people
are bent on turning from me. That was Israel’s nature. They
could not wait to get away from God. They would claim again and
again that they would yield and obey and they would not. Though
they will call on the one who is on high, none at all exalts
him. How can I give you up, O Ephraim?
And here you have the heart of God, the merciful heart of God,
who refuses to abandon his people. How can I surrender you, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah?
How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned over within
me. All my compassions are kindled. I will not execute my fierce
anger. I will not destroy Ephraim again. Why? For I am God and not man,
the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath. God begins in the course of this
prophecy that started out with a stern rebuke of how Israel
had behaved. God, all God wants to do now
is talk about His mercy, His graciousness. They will walk
After the Lord, he will roar like a lion. Indeed, he will
roar and his sons will come trembling from the West. They will come
trembling like birds from Egypt and like doves from the land
of Assyria. And I will settle them in their
houses, declares the Lord. God is going to give goodness
and grace and kindness to this wayward nation. Now, if you will. That’s a lot, right? We get a
lot from that when all he says is all Matthew quotes is out
of Egypt. I will call my son. But if we
look at the context. If we look at the context originally,
this was a statement of how God had delivered the nation of Israel
from slavery and bondage in the hand of Pharaoh in Egypt. And what Matthew does in citing
this verse is equate the history of Israel with the Messiah’s earthly life. And it puts in context everything,
all of a sudden it brings everything into view. Whereas Hosea was referring to
the Exodus, Matthew is talking about Jesus Christ and this departure
into Egypt. And what he points to is the
fact that the divine purpose runs throughout the entirety
of Scripture. God is sovereign. And it’s drawing
to a climax and Hosea here pointing to the calling out of Egypt.
His son, Israel. Now is again calling his son
out of Israel, only it’s God’s son, the Lord Jesus Christ. There
were several scriptures that spoke of this, Exodus 422 said,
You shall say to Pharaoh, thus says the Lord, Israel is my son,
my firstborn. He is equating the Lord Jesus
Christ with that son, Israel. Jeremiah 31.9, with weeping they
will come, by supplication I will lead them. I will make them walk
by streams of waters on a straight path in which they will not stumble,
for I am a father to Israel and Ephraim is my firstborn. What he points to Is the in saying
so that he equates Christ with Israel? The Christ is. Most precious in God’s eyes.
Jesus Christ is is his son. Jesus Christ is his most special
and precious son. And here we finally have before
God his own son. God had one finally who would
be faithful to him, who, when he looked up and said, yes, I
will obey, God knew that Christ would obey. He would be true.
He would exemplify what a son is and what a son should do.
Yet Christ. Christ also would be the liberator,
he would be the one like Moses who would lead his people out
of bondage. And not like Moses, great as
a man of Moses was a temporal instrument, though used by God.
Jesus Christ was an eternal instrument to draw his people. This liberator,
Jesus Christ, would free people from an eternal bondage and free
when no one else could free them. And he frees out of his own free
grace. And when he liberates, no one
can put them back in bondage. God had a purpose. And including
this passage in the passage was to reveal to us how precious
the Lord Jesus Christ is in the father’s eyes. Fulfilled scripture. It fulfilled
the scripture. Of. Hosea, Chapter 11. Out of Egypt,
I’ve called my son, but there’s another. These travels In God’s sovereignty,
we’re not just travels and he’s not just imparting to us like
so many of these computer messages limited to a certain number of
characters that just just give one mundane detail of our lives
after another. These are not mundane detail.
This is God communicating to us for the purpose of telling
us about his son. His travels reveal to us not
only that God or that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is most precious
in God’s eyes, but secondly, that he is the restorer of hope. He’s the restorer of hope. Look
at verse 16. Then. And I’m back in Matthew. I didn’t bring you back with
me, Matthew chapter two, look at verse 16. Word records 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 determined from the Magi. I mean, just unthinkable
cruelty. Verse 16 says that when Herod
saw that he had been tricked by the Magi, you know what that
word is? It’s a fascinating word. It’s translated as tricked here.
But in Christ’s passion, when Christ is arrested and abused,
falsely imprisoned, it’s translated there in those sections so often
as mocked. These wise men made a mockery
of Herod’s authority. They literally mocked him by
not returning to him. They mocked him by disobeying
his order to report back to him. They mocked him. And, as almost
any king would, he became very enraged. If a king gave an order,
it was to be obeyed. Or, in that day and age, if you
disobeyed, you took your own life into your hands. And so,
Herod does the unthinkable. He sent them, he slew, he killed. He had killed, and too much of
a coward to do it himself, but he had his minions execute all
these children from two years under. We already know that he
had ascertained the time that the star appeared. So we knew
approximately when that birth was. And that’s what leads many
scholars to say when it says up to two years old, that now
Christ is almost two years old. And just to cover the spread,
Herod wipes out everyone from two years old and under. And
in so doing, he plays the part of none other than Pharaoh. There
wasn’t anything that had taken place so heinous as this. Since Pharaoh. In Exodus chapter one, we read
the king of Egypt, Pharaoh. Spoke to the Hebrew midwives.
And this was his command when you’re helping Hebrew women to
give birth. If it’s a son, then you shall put him to death. He
did the same exact thing. That Pharaoh had done. He had
these sons put to death because he was so fearful of his feeble
little throne. Look what happens. Look at verse
17. Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah, the prophet
was fulfilled again. God’s sovereignty is overruling
these events. God is directing. And now he’s
going to mention an obscure little place that people even now find
difficult to even point to on a map. Place called Ramah. would have been spoken through
Jeremiah, the prophet was fulfilled. A voice was heard in Reema weeping
and great mourning Rachel weeping for her children, and she refused
to be comforted because they were no more. Reema is simply
identified by most. Maps and. Bible dictionaries
is a town in Benjamin, we don’t even know exactly where it was,
even now. several suggestions, it’s not
important. Because if you look at Jeremiah
31, 15, and if you would turn to Jeremiah, a much bigger book
of prophecy, just to the right of Isaiah. Jeremiah chapter 31,
let’s consider this verse in its context and why God would
include this verse. In the course of. The Savior’s
flight to Egypt, We find it chapter 31, verse
15, and we’ll go just a couple of verses here. 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. Now, that is the exact
passage that Matthew quotes in full. But it goes on. And we know that what’s taking
place here in Jeremiah is what’s called the captivity, where the
last remainder of the nation of Israel, Judah, is being taken
into captivity. And it is the image here is of
Rachel weeping for her children, the nation of Israel. But in
verse 16, it says, Thus does the Lord restrain your voice
from weeping. And your eyes from tears for
your work will be rewarded, declares the Lord, and they will return
from the land of the enemy. There is hope for your future,
declares the Lord. Your children will return to
their own territory. I surely have heard Ephraim grieving,
and this is essentially his prayer of repentance. This is the nation’s
prayer of repentance. You have chastised me and I was
chastised like an untrained calf. Bring me back that I may be restored
for you are the Lord, my God. For after I turned back, I repented. After I was instructed, I smote
on my thigh. I was ashamed and also humiliated
because I bore the reproach of my youth. Then I believe God
here is Ephraim, my dear son. Is he a delightful child? Indeed,
as often as I have spoken against him, I certainly will remember
him. Therefore, my heart yearns for
him. I surely will have mercy on him, declares the Lord. You say, God, why would God put
this verse in the context of the Lord Jesus Christ being chased
around the countryside. You see, the picture in Jeremiah
was simple. Jeremiah was basically painting
this picture of the nation of Israel being led away in exile
and in this really deplorable condition where so often children
are, you know, in a weakened case, killed. Rachel is not alive to see this. Rachel has been long dead, but
this is the place of her burial. And in the case of that, we use
a similar imagery all the time. We frequently use that metaphor
that when something occurs, it would shock someone who has died. We say that so-and-so is rolling
over in his grave. That’s essentially what Jeremiah
says. If Rachel were here to see this,
she would be utterly heartbroken. And Matthew uses this passage
in a very similar way. If Rachel were here to see what
Herod is doing to these children, he would be utterly heartbroken.
But. Even in the course of this prophecy, there’s hope, isn’t
there? There’s repentance, there’s restoration, there’s blessing.
And that’s why I say that what Matthew does here in using this
passage. Is to reveal that the Messiah
is the restorer of hope. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
one who is. He is going to take the throne
of his father, David. That’s what that’s what Rachel
was was pining away. Was that? If the nation of Israel
was carried away, all hope is lost. All promises are empty. And yet this massacre in Bethlehem. Just like what had happened to
the nation of Israel. It threatens to destroy the nation’s
history. It threatens to undermine every
promise that God had made to them. But if the Messiah is killed,
the Messiah is caught up in this, then. All the promises of Scripture
are null and void. The very fact that God preserved
the Messiah here through miraculous means testifying to an angel
and having the angel direct Joseph to flee. He restores hope. Messiah is not going to be killed,
not here or anywhere, unless in God’s timing and for God’s
purpose. Believers hope is not only in
God, it’s in the Lord Jesus Christ. We put our faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ and in return we are given hope, hope of eternal
life. hope of a resurrection, the hope
of salvation, the hope of salvation itself, the hope of righteousness,
the hope of eternal life. Jesus Christ is caught up in
this death squad. And killed by. These ruthless
men. But just like. Just like in that
passage where in Jeremiah, God restores confidence, it restores
hope here in its final sense. God says that the Messiah is
not going to be killed. Because he is the restorer of
hope. There’s a third prophecy that is fulfilled in this section
that Jesus travels reveal not only the Messiah is most precious
in God’s eyes, the restorer of hope, but he is the victor over
obscurity. He is the victor over obscurity.
Look at verse 19. But when Herod died, behold,
an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
saying, Get up, take the child and his mother and go into the
land of Israel for those who sought the child’s life are dead.
Now, I know that just in hearing that Joseph was likely elated
at the fact that it’s over. This this ordeal is over. And
he can indeed go into the land of Israel and no particulars
are given here. It’s just get moving. And we’ll
see the Lord redirect as Joseph even enters the land, and it’s
a very large area that he’s talking about, not a particular locale.
But he says that those who sought the child’s life, Herod, and
even his henchmen, the whole order was now null and void.
And so Joseph got up, verse 21, took the child and his mother
came into the land of Israel. But when he heard when Joseph
heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in the place of his
father, Herod, he was afraid to go there and. And rightfully so. Archelaus was
the son of Herod the Great, and he only had a very short reign
of about eight years, and it was so bad that that Rome essentially
banished him. He was, as one said, the worst
of Herod’s sons. In order to show that he was
a true son of that tyrant Herod, he inaugurated his reign with
a massacre of 3000 people. That’s the kind of guy you’re
dealing with. As I said, in 86, it was so bad they just got rid
of him entirely. Then. Picking up in The middle of verse
22, 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 fulfilled, fulfilled
what was spoken through the prophets, he should be called the Nazarene.
And so you have in the course of this, you know, report tweets,
as it were, about Jesus travels. Seemingly mundane, uninteresting,
unimportant, just information background. We have these testimonies
of who Christ was and what he was like that were written hundreds
of years before through the prophets and time and again, Matthew keeps
saying. So the prophets might be fulfilled. The Scripture itself might be
fulfilled that the Scriptures have been testifying of Christ
all this time, and now we see fully what God was talking about.
That not only. Was Christ most precious in God’s
eyes, not only is Christ the restorer of hope. But this third
one presents a little bit of difficulty. He mentions the fact
that he will be called the Nazarene, that small town in Galilee. There’s only one problem. There
is no scripture. There’s no scripture, no Old
Testament passage, no mention of. Of this at all scripture. And there have been a lot of
different attempts to explain why Matthew would say that this
was done in order to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets.
He should be called the Nazarene. And yet there is no scripture
to point to. As I said, a lot of different
attempts to explain this, one said that it was a lost prophecy,
that’s been a common explanation that it was indeed a prophecy
that was made, but somehow over the course of history, it’s been
lost. One said that it was. A stretched
suggestion to tie Jesus somehow back to Nazarite law. that he’s
a true Nazarite and had taken would take such a vow. It’s just
as it’s a it’s a pointless. Indication here. Some said it was it’s a play
on the words nets there, which which means branch that Jesus
Christ would be the branch that would and there there is some
usage of that in Scripture. But I think there’s a simpler
explanation here. There are a variety of predictions
about the Messiah that suggest that he would be despised and
mistreated. And I think what Matthew’s doing
here is just pointing to the fact that Galilee, tiny little
out of the way area, kind of the Adam City of the area, out
of the way, unimportant, and then the tiniest little town
Nazarene or Nazareth. That’s where Jesus is going to
come from. He was known to be from there, and he’s referred
to as such throughout the gospel accounts, Matthew 26, Jesus of
Nazareth, Luke 1837, over and over again in the gospel accounts.
He’s referred to as Jesus as Jesus of Nazareth. They knew
where he was from. But sometimes there’s clearly
an implied contempt for that area. John 146, can anything
good come out of Nazareth? John 1919, Pilate wrote an inscription,
put it on the cross, Jesus, the Nazarene, king of the Jews. See this idea of Jesus, the Nazarene,
had this idea of contempt that it was lowly and unimportant,
out of the way, obscure, even despised. But that fits into
what Scripture said of Christ, doesn’t it? One of those messianic Psalms
that speaks so well of Christ’s suffering, Psalm 22, verse six
says, But I am a worm and not a man. A reproach of men and
despised by the people, all who see me sneer at me. They separate
with the lip. They wag the head saying, commit
yourself to the Lord. Let him deliver him. Let him
rescue him because he delights in. Psalm 69 reproaches broken
my heart, I am so sick, I look for sympathy, but there was none.
Christ knew that. These scriptures spoke of Christ,
didn’t they? And I wouldn’t have to read another
scripture at all if I just read Isaiah 53. He grew up before
him like a tender shoot, like a root out of parched ground.
He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon him,
nor appearance that we should be attracted to him. He was despised
and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,
and like one from whom men hide their face, he was despised and
we did not esteem him. See what Matthew points to here.
I think when he says. That this was fulfilled. Instead
of pointing back to some specific. Prophecy that said that Jesus
was going to be born in Nazareth. He points back in a very general
fashion to these scriptures that says that Jesus, he was just
going to be despised. He was going to be obscure, he’s
going to be a seemingly nobody. that while his beginnings were
indeed humble. He is now revealed, isn’t he,
as the singularly most important personality in human history.
He is Lord in human flesh. And no seemingly insignificant
birth can hide that born in a stable. Born in Bethlehem, tiny little
city, No impoverished earthly existence can hide that no unfamiliar
family, this small, obscure little Joseph and Mary, no plain little
town into which he would be placed. Nazareth in Galilee, no humble
lifestyle, the son of a carpenter. Jesus Christ is the victor over
obscurity. Without knowing it, my brother
already gave you the answer to this passage. You know, the grace
of God, of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet
for your sake he became poor so that you through his poverty
might become rich. One pastor said it is to Christ.
God manifested in the flesh to him who being in the form of
God thought it no robbery to be equal with God, but humbled
himself, taking him the condition of a slave It is to this infinitely
exalted and infinitely condescending Savior who came not to be served,
but to serve that the obedience of every Christian, whether servant,
child, wife, subject, is really and conscientiously rendered.
He says that that’s who we come to. We come to the Christ. who is the victor over obscurity.
He came to be born in a stable and live a small town, live this
poor, impoverished life. But he’s a victor over that.
He’s a victor because he’s God incarnate, he’s Lord over all.
He’s the Savior of the world. Let’s humble ourselves in his
presence. Our merciful God, We come before
you wondering. In times past, why you would
have included such a passage, it certainly adds interest, we
thought. It certainly adds a richness
and a depth, a backdrop, if you will, to the real story, the
birth of Christ. The Lord, we see that including
these passages and fulfilling these particular prophecies of
Christ. We see the richness of Your Word
as it testifies of the nature of our Savior. He was indeed
most precious in Your eyes. A most precious Son. A Son who would be obedient even
to the point of death. A Son who is the restorer of
hope to mankind. That there is indeed a King on
the throne. He is the Lord Jesus Christ.
that he is indeed victorious over obscurity, that no small
town, no mundane, tiny lifestyle would overshadow him. He would
rise to claim the throne at the right hand of God, having paid
for our redemption. Oh, Lord God, we humble ourselves
before you and before this, our Savior, before the one that you
have provided to pay for our sins. And Lord God, we thank
you and praise you for the salvation that you’ve given to us because
of Christ. We know that we did not deserve
it. We know that we could not earn it. But this humble child
who came to restore hope. Fulfilled his obedience to you
by paying for our sin on the cross. Lord God, we know that
we can never repay it. But rather, let us do as the
wise men did. Place our faith in You and worship
at Your feet. We rejoice in what You have provided
in our Lord Jesus. We pray all of these things in
Jesus’ name. Amen. As we close the view, take
your hymnal and turn to 200. 200 it came upon the midnight clear.
We’ll sing verses 1, 3, and 4.