25 Dec The bad news of Christmas

Matthew 2:13-23

¹³ Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” ¹⁴ And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt ¹⁵ and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” ¹⁶ Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. ¹⁷ Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: ¹⁸ “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.” ¹⁹ But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, ²⁰ saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” ²¹ And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. ²² But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. ²³ And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

Merry Christmas. If this is your first time to church in a while, let me welcome you. We are glad that you are here. And to the kids, let me say that we are excited that you are worshipping together with us. Why don’t we give a warm welcome to all the kids in our midst? I realized tonight will be a new experience for many of you. Instead of listening to your Sunday school teachers, you will be listening to Ps Yosi for the next half an hour. And if there are things I say that you don’t understand, it’s okay. Your parents will explain it to you on the way home from church. Can I have an amen, parents? Whenever we think about Christmas, we think about things like peace, joy, love, gifts, food, parties, gatherings, trees, holidays, etc. I don’t know about you but the first thing that comes to my mind when I think about Christmas is the movie, “Home Alone.” Particularly the scene where Kevin is singing in the bathroom, “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know.” If you haven’t watched it, you should. Or maybe for some of you, it’s the movie, “Frozen.” I’m not a fan of Elsa or Anna. But I am a big fan of Olaf. Do we have any Olaf fans here? I love Olaf and especially his quotes. Olaf is like a quote machine. My favourite one is when he said, “An act of true love will thaw a frozen heart.” We often associate Christmas with words that are uplifting and evoke strong positive feelings.

But here is what I know about Christmas. Yes, Christmas can be the most wonderful time of the year. But for some of us, Christmas also spotlights our brokenness. For some of you, you might be divorced, or your parents might be divorced. Or there might be an intense unresolved family issue that keeps popping up whenever you have a family gathering. You might lose a loved one recently and this is the first Christmas without that person. Some of you might have addiction problems, financial problems, or relational problems. And Christmas makes it worse since everyone seems happy while you are reminded of your brokenness. But if we read the stories of Christmas in the Bible, Christmas not only gives us good news but also bad news. In our passage for today, what we see is not joy and peace, but struggle and tears. We see the slaughter of babies. It is dark. I think our culture has commercial Christmas in such a way that makes it very easy for us to lose perspective on Christmas. The context of Christmas is extremely dark. When Jesus comes into the world, all hell breaks loose. Here is what we must get. Christmas does not mean the end of darkness; Christmas means the light has come into the darkness. Let’s look at the passage together.

I have three points for my sermon: The light; The fight: The reversal

The light

Matthew 2:13-15 – ¹³ Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” ¹⁴ And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt ¹⁵ and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Let me give you the context first. The wise men from the East are seeking Jesus. They see the signs in the sky, and it leads them to Jerusalem. They go to King Herod and say, “We are looking for the Messiah, king of the Jews. We come to worship him.” And King Herod is disturbed. He finds out that the Messiah is prophesied to be born in Bethlehem. So, he says to the wise men, “Go to Bethlehem and find him. When you find him, let me know where he is so I can come and worship him as well.” But Herod is lying. He doesn’t want to worship Jesus; he wants to kill Jesus. The wise men find Jesus but then God warns them in a dream not to return to Herod. So, they go home another way. That’s what happened in verses 1 to 12. And when the wise men have left, an angel appears to Joseph in a dream and tells him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt and hide there. Because Herod is about to search for Jesus to kill him. And that very same night, Joseph takes Jesus and Mary and makes their way to Egypt. Here is what I want you to see. When Herod wants to kill Jesus, God is not silent. God takes sovereign action to protect Jesus from Herod. Herod thinks that he can lie his way into killing Jesus. He is using the wise men to accomplish his evil plan. But it does not matter how hard Herod tries, he won’t be able to frustrate God’s plan. God knows the secret words spoken in Herod’s chamber and God will not let Herod harm Jesus. So, Joseph remains in Egypt with his family until the death of Herod. And look at the end of verse 15. It is very interesting.

Matthew 2:15b – This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” So, the reason why Joseph must stay in Egypt is not only to hide from Herod but also to fulfil an Old Testament prophecy. Matthew is quoting Hosea 11. In Hosea 11, the prophet Hosea is recalling how God delivered Israel out of the slavery of Egypt, and God called Israel “my son.” But instead of Israel, Matthew used the phrase “my son” to describe Jesus. Don’t miss the connection. Matthew is telling us that Jesus is the fulfilment of Israel. Just like God delivered the Israelites from Egypt in Exodus, the coming of Jesus is the beginning of a new exodus for the people of God. God will deliver His people through a greater exodus. He will save His people from their sins.

And by doing that, Matthew is teaching us how to read the Bible. There are two ways to read the Bible. One is to read the Bible as a moral book of what we must do and don’t do. So, we look at the story of King David and say, “Look at David. He was a brave man. He had the courage to fight Goliath. He is an example for us to follow. We must have faith to fight our Goliath. Be like David. But don’t sleep with anyone who is not your spouse. Or you will get into many troubles. Don’t be like David.” And we are confused. So, should we be like David or should we not? We read the Bible as stories we must emulate. “Be like Abraham. Be like Joseph. They obey God. But don’t be like Adam. Don’t be like Jonah. They disobey God.” Basically, the Bible is about us, what we must do, and how we are to live to earn God’s blessing. Listen. If we read the Bible like that, it will crush us. Because none of us is good enough to be like the heroes in the Bible and not repeat their mistakes. But there is another way to read the Bible. Yes, David fought Goliath and won. Yes, Jonah disobeyed God and was swallowed by a big fish. But the New Testament writers say Jesus is the fulfilment of those stories. So, when we read the story of David, it is not about David. It points to Jesus. Jesus is the true and better David. When we read the story of Jonah, it is not about Jonah. Jesus is the true and better Jonah. And in Matthew’s case, Jesus is the true and better Israel.

Do you know what it means? It means that the Bible is not just a book of moral codes on how we ought to live. The Bible is a story of salvation where Jesus is the main character. Get this. The Bible is written for us, but it is not about us; the Bible is about Jesus. Genesis is about Jesus. Esther is about Jesus. Psalm is about Jesus. The whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation is one big story of redemption. In the Old Testament, God’s plan of redemption was through Israel. God was using Israel to be the beacon of light in this dark sinful world. But Israel failed. Israel was God’s disobedient son. But Jesus is the true and better Israel. If Israel was God’s disobedient son, Jesus is God’s beloved Son. And Jesus succeeded where Israel failed. Sin has created an uncrossable gap between God and humanity, but through Christmas Jesus came to close that gap and make salvation possible. This is the one story of the Bible. It is the story of the gospel. Christmas means the light has come into the darkness. And that light is Jesus Christ. Let’s continue with the story.

The fight

Matthew 2:16 – Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.

When Herod realises that he has been tricked by the wise men, he is furious. And let me give you some background information on Herod the Great. Herod the Great is known in history as an extremely cruel man. When he came into power, he killed everyone from the previous dynasty to make sure none of them would give him any trouble. He also had his wife killed because he did not trust her. Then he had her mother executed. Then he executed three of his sons so they could not take his throne. It got so bad that there was a saying, “It’s safer to be Herod’s pig than it is to be his own child.” So, when he finds out that the wise men are not returning, he orders the soldiers to kill every male child in Bethlehem who is two years old and under. At this time, Jesus is between six and twenty months old. And Bethlehem is a city of 1000 people. So approximately, ten to twenty boys below the age of two are killed because of Herod. And then Matthew quotes another Old Testament passage.

Matthew 2:17-18 – ¹⁷ Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: ¹⁸ “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.” Matthew is quoting Jeremiah 31. And the context of Jeremiah 31 is Jeremiah prophesying that the Israelites would be sent into exile because of their sins. Many children will be separated from their mothers. It would be a time of mourning. However, despite the tears, the exile will return. God promised at the end of Jeremiah 31 that He will establish a new covenant with His people and bring them back to Israel. So now Matthew is saying, despite the tears of the Bethlehem mothers, there is hope because Jesus has escaped Herod and he will return for his people.

So, what does it mean for us? This shows us that Christmas not only brings good news; it also brings bad news. The coming of Jesus not only solves problems; it also creates problems. When Jesus comes to earth, there is a fight. There is a war. There is a fight between light and darkness, good and evil. And that’s exactly what happened between Jesus and Herod. Remember, Herod is a king. And the wise men come and ask him, “Where is the new king? We want to meet him.” If we are the king, and we find out there is a new king in our kingdom, what do we do? We get angry. We push back. We fight. And here is the reality about every individual in this place. We do not want anyone to tell us what to do with our lives. We want to decide for ourselves. Kids, don’t you just hate it when your parents tell you what to do? “Stop playing games. Do your homework.” “Five minutes.” And five minutes later, “Time’s up. Do your homework.” “Five more minutes.” It is always five more minutes. What is that? It is you trying to be the king of your lives. We do not want another king. Because we want to be the king of our lives. Then along comes Jesus and he says, “I am the King. I am the Messiah. I have the right over your life.” And when we hear that, the little king Herod in our hearts says, “No you are not. Nobody tells me what to do.” It might be a whisper, but it’s there deep inside our hearts. When Jesus comes into our lives, there is always a fight. Because Jesus not only comes as a Saviour but also a King. Christianity is not a waltz; it is a fight.

Let me give you two of the many ways we experience this fight. One for nominal Christians and the other for devoted Christians. First, for the nominal Christians. When you consider the claim of Christianity, you only have two possible reactions. Either you bow the knee, or you run away. Either you love Jesus, or you are angry at Jesus. There is no middle zone. So, if your response to Jesus is, “Yes, I believe in Jesus. That’s why I’m at church for Christmas. But I am not ready to trust him with every part of my life,” if you are in that middle zone, you are not thinking clearly. Your position lacks integrity. The demand of Jesus is he is either king of your life or he is your enemy. Listen. I would rather you hate Jesus rather than be indifferent to Jesus. Because at least you understand the claim of Jesus. No one ever responded moderately to Jesus because Jesus claimed to be king. You are either completely for him or violently against him. There is no space for, “I go to church now and then Christianity.” So, if you are still in the middle, I urge you to read the gospels and come to grips with who Jesus is.

Second, for the devoted Christians. Listen. We need to take into consideration that this internal fight we have against God will continue as long we are still living in this sinful world. Now, I know that when we received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, there is peace between us and God. God has forgiven us, and we are reconciled to him. But it does not mean that we are free from this fight. Until the day we meet Jesus face to face, we will still have a heart that has residual hostility to God. We need to take that into consideration. Why do you think it’s so hard to pray? Why do you think it’s so easy to forget God? Why do you think we still struggle with sin? Because there is still a little king Herod inside of us. Which means that none of us can glide through Christianity. We must be very intentional about Christian growth. The moment we go into auto-pilot mode is the moment we begin to drift away. There is a pull in our hearts that wants to take us further away from Jesus. There is no such thing as standing still. The moment we stop pursuing Jesus is the moment we drift toward destruction. We must be very intentional in fighting to make Jesus the King of our lives.

The reversal

Matthew 2:19-22 – ¹⁹ But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, ²⁰ saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” ²¹ And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. ²² But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee.

After Herod died, an angel appears to Joseph in a dream again. The angel tells Joseph that Herod has died, and they can go back to Israel. So, Joseph takes Mary and Jesus, and he is planning to go back to Bethlehem. But on the way back, he hears that Archelaus is now in charge of Judea. And Archelaus is as cruel as Herod the Great. And Joseph is afraid to go back to Bethlehem, which is in the region of Judea. So, God warns him through another dream to not go to Judea and Joseph decides to live in the region of Galilee. He lives in a city called Nazareth. Here is what we know about Nazareth before Jesus: nothing. Nazareth is a very small town in the middle of nowhere. Scholars believe that the town has a population of about 500 people. So, it is a small town with a small population in the middle of nowhere. But look at verse 23.

Matthew 2:23 – And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene. This verse seems problematic on the surface. Because there is not a single verse in the Old Testament where it says that the Messiah would be called a Nazarene. So, is Matthew tricking us? I don’t think so. Think about it. The city of Nazareth is known as a place for the lowly and despised. In fact, when one of Jesus’ disciples found out that Jesus was from Nazareth, he said, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Nazareth is a place at the bottom of the socioeconomic scale. Everyone in Judea looks down on people from Galilee. And people from Galilee look down on people from Nazareth. That’s why Joseph wanted to raise Jesus in Bethlehem in the first place. Bethlehem is a prestigious city in Judea. But the Old Testament tells us that when the Messiah shows up, he will be despised and rejected by many. And Nazareth happens to be the place that is the most unknown and the most backwater. To call someone a Nazarene is the equivalent of mockery. And Jesus would be called Jesus of Nazareth, a Nazarene.

What does it mean for us? This shows us how God works. Every society has a pecking order. In our world, status and reputation are everything. And in our days, status is often measured in what kind of clothes we wear, what kind of car we drive, the house we own and where we live. But in ancient times, status is often measured by where you are from and your family heritage. If you grow up in a privileged city and you are from a prestigious family, you are somebody. You are a Judean. But if you are from a place that no one ever heard of and you are from a family with no prestigious last name, you are nobody. You are a Nazarene. That’s also true of us. If I say, “I’m Yosi and I am from Sydney,” it carries a different weight than saying, “I am Yosi and I am from Wagga-Wagga.” People would be like, “Wagga-Wagga? Where is that? I’ve never heard of it. Can anything good come out of Wagga-Wagga?” If by chance there is anyone here who comes from Wagga-Wagga, no offence to you. Jesus loves Wagga-Wagga. But the privilege looks down on the under-privilege. This is the way our world operates. But God does not operate like that.

Right from the beginning of Jesus’ life, God is saying, “I don’t do things the way the world thinks they should be done. My way is always different from the world. I will not let my Son be called Jesus of Bethlehem. Instead, He will be called Jesus of Nazareth.” God’s way is always the opposite of the world. In ancient times, the oldest son always got everything. So, if you were the oldest son in your family, you inherited the birthright, the money, the power, and the land. And the younger sons got practically nothing. But how does God work? Instead of Ishmael, He chose Isaac. Instead of Esau, He chose Jacob. Instead of his older brothers, He chose David. And at a time in which women who could not have children were disgraced, God could have brought Jesus into the world through all kinds of women. Yet God always chose the woman who was unloved and ashamed. He chose Leah, not Rachel. He chose Rebecca who can’t have children. He chose Hannah who can’t have children. And He chose a virgin teenager Mary to be the mother of Jesus. Over and over again, God says, “I will choose Nazareth, not Judea.” Why? It’s not because God favours the underdogs. It is God’s way of showing that His way is always counterintuitive and upside down from the way the world would expect. Jesus comes from Nazareth because the salvation Jesus brings is completely the opposite of what the world would think.

Every other religion says that salvation is for the strong. Salvation is for those who can pull themselves together. They say, “There is a certain standard that you must meet. And if you are good enough, if you are capable enough, then you can be saved.” But Christianity says, “There is a certain standard that you must meet. And that standard is perfection. It does not matter how hard you try, you will never be able to meet that standard.” And Jesus comes and says, “You will never be able to do it. I came to do it for you. I came so that you no longer have to go up to God. I am God and I have come down to find you. You cannot save yourself. I am going to save you through what I do. I am going to save you by grace.” Christianity is the only religion that requires us to be weak to be saved. Jesus did not come for those who are strong. Jesus came for those who admit that they are weak and helpless. Salvation is by grace alone. This is why Jesus would be called Jesus of Nazareth. The Son of God humbled himself, took on flesh, became one of us, and lived a life of public shame and disgrace. Why? So that he might show us the way of salvation and bring salvation to us. Jesus conquered through weakness. Jesus became a Nazarene, he became a nobody, so that nobody like you and me can become somebody before God.

So, here is the good news of Christmas. It does not matter who you are, it does not matter where you were from, it does not matter what deep dark secrets are in your past, it does not matter what shameful things you have done, the world might say you are a failure, but it does not disqualify you from receiving salvation and being used by God. God specialises in using nobody rather than somebody. There is hope for anyone. Jesus is called a Nazarene to say that. So, if you have yet to put your faith in Jesus, tonight is the night for you to put your faith in Jesus. You might think that you are not good enough for God. But that’s the point of Christmas. No one is. That’s why Jesus was born. Christmas tells us that no one is good enough to come up to God and that’s why God decided to come down to us in the person of Jesus Christ. He lived the perfect life we could not. He died the death we deserved. So that when we put our faith in him, what we received is not condemnation but eternal life. This is the good news of Christmas. Let’s pray.