Israel's Most Wanted

But I want to say that because you need to understand the earthly origins of Christ are as challenging and difficult as you can imagine.

An outdoor shelter for a birthplace. His parents have to run as fugitives immigrating to Egypt and then having to move back and then moving into Galilee and locating in Nazareth. They're going to live their lives for the next 29 years or so in challenging obscurity. Listen, Jesus Christ became one of us. Jesus Christ became one of us and like us he experienced trials.

It's easy for us to look back with a smile upon the events surrounding the Christmas story. That's because we're looking back from the perspective of the cross and the empty tomb. We know how it ends. But imagine what Mary and Joseph must have experienced during the drama.

While they experienced the delight of being new parents, they also experienced confusion, insecurity, and fear. They literally found themselves running for their lives. Today on Wisdom for the Heart, Stephen Davey has a message for you called Israel's Most Wanted. Turn to Matthew chapter 2 where as you know the Magi, the Magoi, the wise men arrive in Jerusalem. They are the spiritual descendants of their revered wise man named Daniel who centuries earlier had begun to teach the scriptures in Babylon winning many converts including a couple of kings to faith in the Messiah. He'd left enough instructions so that that legacy continued and now centuries later you have his spiritual descendants who are longing for a Messiah come from Babylon Persia to find him.

They arrive with an earth-shattering message that should have really effectively stopped everything and everybody in their tracks. Where is he, verse 2, who has been born king of the Jews for we saw his star in the east and have come to worship him. We have seen his star. There are good men, good women who believe this star was a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn creating a very brilliant light which in fact it did. Some believe in its ellipses it made the sign of a fish a symbol of what would become the Christian faith or church in hiding.

Others believe this star was a low-hanging meteor or a rather erratic comet. I believe it was none of those but it was in fact the Shekinah glory of God. Both the Hebrew word kachev and the Greek word astair for star are used often in the Bible to speak of brilliant light.

I believe this was the glory of God. This is the radiant light that they've already seen surrounding the angels cascading upon those shepherds in those Bethlemite hills. Luke 2 verse 9. This is going back into the Old Testament the pillar of fire by night Exodus 13 21. This is the consuming brilliance or fire of God on the mountaintop in Exodus 24 where Moses received the law.

This is the shining face like the son of Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew 17 verse 2. This is the brilliant light that knocks all of his horse on the way to Damascus in Acts chapter 9 verse 3. This is what the Old Testament referred to in this analogy as the star that shall come forth from Jacob numbers 24 17.

And at the end of the New Testament in the book of Revelation he's called the bright and morning what star. Revelation 22 verse 16. The Shekinah glory is hovering above Jerusalem and the wise men follow that they're guided.

They come to Jerusalem and the text implies the light turns off. So they have to ask where's the king of the Jews living. Now listen why not just lead them all the way to Bethlehem because there are prophecies to fulfill. And in this drama there will be blood toil tears and sweat as you know verse 5.

Herod calls all the professionals together. Where is he supposed to be born and they tell him Bethlehem. So off to Bethlehem the wise men go. Now by the way an astral conjunction a meteor or a comet would not be able to identify a specific house which verse 11 tells us they found. And inside that house Matthew writes was the child. Now a couple of things to point out the word for child is paid on. It can refer to a newborn baby but most often it signifies a little boy a toddler. Now you also notice that the wise men did not arrive at a stable verse 11 but at a house. This is not a manger scene with a baby.

This is a neighborhood scene with a toddler. So as you track the boyhood of Jesus carefully you find Luke including the details of his birth in Bethlehem in a cave a stable some outside enclosure were not told specifically for animals did his presentation at the temple at the age of about two months no younger than 40 days according to the law. And now Matthew fills in for us some puzzle pieces. He informs us that the Joseph and Mary have decided to stay in Bethlehem and why not.

They left a scandal back home with her pregnancy. So they decided to make a living here and they found a home perhaps to rent. Perhaps Joseph built a crude a hut on borrowed land according to the customs of their their culture. But you discover that Joseph and Mary here in this scene have moved into a house in Bethlehem and Jesus is now a toddler perhaps about a year to a year and a half old. And what happens next in that scene is the arrival of the wise men and their entourage not three wise men. There were three gifts so we assume there are three probably an entourage of wise men and certainly a number of soldiers who've been sent to protect the value of these gifts that they cause a traffic jam in Bethlehem as the Shekinah glory briefly illuminated the house where the little family lived.

Once inside Matthew tells us in verse 11 they see the child the pideon the toddler and they fall down and they worship him. They gave him gifts. Seneca the Roman philosopher and writer who lived during the days of Christ said that in Persia which is where these men came from no one ever approached a king without a gift.

Seneca wrote and gold was the proper gift for the king of men. He gave him frankincense a substance used in temple worship to serve as fragrant offerings always attached to the meal offering never the sin offering this referred to the mediatorial work of Christ the sinless one. They gave a mirror as well. This was used for embalming the dead it was a gift of faith. They were signifying that he had come to die. You see the shadow of the cross fell over that little living room as these king makers gave this god toddler gifts that declared he was king gold that he was the mediator between heaven and earth frankincense and that his mission in coming included dying. Now you remember they promised Herod that they would return and give him the street address so that he could go and worship the Messiah as well. Verse 12 informs us that the Magi went home on a different interstate than the one they came on. They were warned of this maniac in Jerusalem.

Now why the warning. Well Herod had decades earlier already been awarded by the Roman Senate the title king of the Jews. He'd done a lot of good for the Jews. He wanted their favor. He wanted their affection. He returned taxes to the people during difficult times and that's always a good idea. You're slow but you're getting there.

I don't know if anybody's listening in D.C. but I thought I'd throw it in just in case. He built theaters and racetracks for entertainment. He rebuilt port cities for commerce. He was an old man by the time of Christ's birth. Most believe historians from his era that tell us he was inflicted with venereal diseases and for the most part at this point was nearly completely insane. In fact until he died Herod had become insanely jealous of his throne. He murdered every rival he had. He was a descendant of Esau. He was an Edomite. He married a Jewess to gain favor. She was from an aristocratic family and he tried to gain popularity but after marrying her he murdered her.

He killed her 17 year old brother and then put on a lavish funeral and pretended to weep. He put to death several of his own sons in order to stamp out any threat of assassination. He was a sadistic killer who slaughtered officers and generals and senators and soldiers and citizens that he suspected of any disloyalty. In fact one historian that I read out in fact just recently came to him.

He was a veteran of many wars. He came to Herod and he said listen you need to understand that there isn't a common soldier who doesn't side with your sons and many of the officers openly curse you. He thought this would gain favor with Herod but Herod ordered the man put on the rack and stretched until he cried out name after name after name. He even confessed the names of innocent men anything to stop the torture but Herod pressed them to continue until the man died. Then Herod rounded up all the accused and had them torn to pieces by his soldiers and while they were being literally hacked to pieces the historian in that day says that Herod livid with rage jumped up and down as he screamed for them to die. Now you can imagine why the wise men who came into Jerusalem somewhat naively asked where has he been born King of the Jews. They had no idea the madman they had encountered.

They had no idea of the firestorm that they would ignite by their simple question. But don't miss the irony that the only person in this Jerusalem scene who believed the wise men was Herod. Now verse 13 sets the stage for the first of these three prophecies we'll cover together.

We'll simply call this escape into Egypt. Matthew Chapter 2 verse 13. Now when they had gone that is the Magi they've left 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.

See once Herod realized the Magi had gone back a different way he would only assume that they had warned the parents as well of this one born King of the Jews. So in the middle of the night get up Joseph which meant Joseph didn't finish his sleep. Get up get your family ready. Mary hurry get Jesus dressed. Get out the door.

The heiress tenses of these verbs indicate quick single actions in the middle of the night. Get up get dressed get out run flee. You don't have time Joseph to pack that cart with furniture you've carefully made from scratch. Mary you don't have time to gather all the clothes you're gonna have to leave the crib. You got to run. Where are we going?

Egypt another country you'll hide out until I tell you. Verse 14 so Joseph got up and took the child and his mother while it was still night and left for Egypt he remained there until the death of Herod he was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet out of Egypt I called my son. In other words the evil and the hatred of Herod and his murderous attempt to catch and kill the Christ child were given a peek behind the blood sweat toil and tears at the sovereign control of God and guess what the evil cruel insane paranoia of Herod is actually used to fulfill the predictions of God's Word and the purposes of God's will. But don't miss it this is a hard path. Fortunately they'll have money for the trip from the gold that had just been given them but little else.

Wait a second. God could have protected Joseph and Mary and Jesus in that house right under the nose of Herod but he didn't. He chose to protect them by the very ordinary and on miraculous system by means of flight not this means this means the will of God meant hardship and suffering but he would sustain them through it. So you need to understand that the father did not do something for the son and his mother and stepfather that he withholds from you.

What did we sign up for. God's angel told them a little bit. This is going to be the fulfillment of my word verse 15 out of Egypt.

I called my son. This is this is the fulfillment of one more prophecy that would authenticate the Messiah. God said he'll come out of Egypt and now Egypt becomes their hiding place until Herod dies. Let me pause long enough to tell you that Jesus is is becoming that a picture of Israel's calling from that same country. Israel was often spoken of as the sons of God or even the son of God. Hosea 11 verse 1. So the son of God will illustrate Israel's deliverance.

But there's even more to that. Jesus Christ will not only illustrate Israel in their deliverance he will illustrate the deliverer. You remember there had been another deliverer this one born in Egypt. He had also avoided a death warrant by the king who commanded that all the Jewish baby boys be what killed murdered.

Pharaoh this king had ordered the killing of all Jewish males. Moses was hidden away by his quick acting parents and eventually led the people out of bondage. But this deliverer according to Hebrews Chapter 3 is the greater Moses. They both came out of Egypt they both lead their people out of bondage but the deliverance of Moses was temporary and insufficient.

The deliverance of Jesus Christ is eternal and sufficient. If you go back to Matthew 2 verse 16 you have the second prophecy that is about to be tragically fulfilled. The text says then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the Magi he became very enraged and he sent and he 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. Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled.

A voice was heard in Ramah weeping and great mourning Rachel weeping for her children and she refused to be comforted because they were no more. Now the actions of Herod defy our imagination. He's around 70 years of age here he's diseased crippled he's infected with untreatable diseases. In fact the historians record during his lifetime that that his intestines were rotting from the inside out. His bodyguards had to rotate frequently because they could not bear the stench of even being around him. His physicians couldn't heal him. The warm baths he ordered couldn't soothe him. His body is covered with ulcers his legs too swollen.

Physicians say his ankles were nine inches around. But he will not leave his throne. Even though he knows his death is imminent he grasps his power. He is frankly the perfect picture of depraved stubborn mankind that will not bow until the day they die or even after it's too late. One of his final orders is to round up hundreds of prominent Jewish citizens.

They are arrested they're placed in the arena. Soldiers are told to feed and give them water but to keep them alive but keep them locked in. He ordered his troops that on the day he died these Jews prominent Jews were to be killed. His command to survive the centuries he said and I quote when I die the Jews may not mourn me but by the gods they will mourn. For now there's a great mourning in Bethlehem.

Historical demographers estimate that there were probably 30 or more children under the age of two in Bethlehem and surrounding areas during and in this century. Instead of the religious leaders and the rabbis all rushing to Bethlehem to crown the young Messiah as their king the soldiers of Herod have stampeded into the village of Bethlehem and the surrounding areas taking little boys from their mother's arms and putting them to death. Rachel is weeping. She is weeping for her children. This represented all Jewish mothers who wept over Israel's great tragedy in the days of the deportation.

This is a quote from from Jeremiah. They wept as their little ones were taken away. That then is the foreshadowing of the mothers in Bethlehem in this region who will weep over the massacring of their little boys.

But don't miss this. Herod's crime is even more wicked because he knew the little boy he was trying to kill was the king of the Jews the Messiah. Then Herod died.

And by the way just to close up that one loop his sister and her husband were supposed to be the ones to signal the soldiers at the arena to begin killing the prominent Jews but instead they went personally and opened the doors of the arena and allowed the Jews to go free and I couldn't help but think of that irony. When the final Antichrist is killed the Jewish nation will be fully free. We have one more prophecy to fulfill. I'm going to call this next prophecy we're going to wrap it up fairly quickly here but we've seen the escape into Egypt and that prophecy verse 15.

We have a blood bath in Bethlehem and that prophecy verse 18. And now we have what I'll call for our outline simply nobody's in nowhere because that's who they were and that's where they were living. I'm going to come back to this by the way in detail as we talk about where they were living. We're going to deal with Nazareth the upbringing of Jesus and what it meant to be raised. I've already entitled the study parenting the perfect child and I don't have any illustration I can think of on the planet there are none but I want to explore with you his upbringing in Nazareth.

Now now let's just find out how they got there. Notice verse 19. But when Herod died behold an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said get up take the child and his mother and go into the land of Israel. Now that sounds familiar doesn't it. Again in the middle of the night poor Joseph can't get a night's sleep.

Here it comes again. Well the difference in this text is the lack of urgency. It was a dream. He could finish his sleep. There's no need to flee. No need to run. No need to panic. No need to hide.

No need to fear. In fact notice the reassuring message the angel delivers at the end of verse verse 20. He tells him for those who sought the child's life are dead. Interesting we don't have time it's plural it didn't just hear it at somebody else maybe many others who wanted him dead. They're all gone.

They're dead now. Now the text tells us verse 21. So Joseph got up and took the child and his mother and came into the land of Israel. So he's headed there. Now something happens that strikes his heart with fear when he heard that our Calleas was reigning over Judea in the place of his father Herod. He was afraid to go there. Why not.

I would have been too. You need to understand that our Calleas is worse than his father. If you can imagine it. In fact he inaugurated his reign by killing three thousand Jews in the temple at Passover.

His reign was so despicable that even Augustus the Roman Emperor who was no saint himself banished our Calleas after nine years of atrocities. So Joseph has every reason. I mean there we are traveling. He has the reassurance. He's headed back and suddenly he hears news.

Maybe it's another traveler. Somebody tells me you won't believe is on the throne our Calleas. He's stricken with fear. God delivers to him a little more information. He's warned by God in another dream. Verse 22 the latter part and he left for the regions of Galilee came and lived in a city called Nazareth. In other words here's where you're gonna live.

You pick it's a large region there's a lot of real estate and you pick your little town wherever you want to be. And Joseph just so happened to choose Nazareth. And guess what. Verse 23 tells us this fulfilled what was spoken through the prophets. He shall be called a Nazarene. This is not where you would expect to find God the Son.

But I want to say that because you need to understand the earthly origins of Christ are as challenging and difficult as you can imagine. An outdoor shelter for a birthplace. His parents have to run as fugitives. Run for their lives. Immigrating to Egypt and then having to move back and then moving into Galilee and locating in Nazareth.

They're gonna live their lives for the next 29 years or so in normal challenging obscurity. Listen. Jesus Christ became one of us. In fact I want you to understand when I say this he's actually more ordinary than any of us.

I mean he chose to come in as low as low could be in his humiliation. And Joseph and Mary. I got to tell you what character right. What character what obedience what perseverance what confusion what pain what fear what danger what desperation as they clung to brief announcements without most of the details as they move from place to place to place to place. One author I read recently said as he traveled in England he saw in a graveyard the tombstone of an old cavalier soldier who'd lost his property and then his life in fighting for the king. Veteran of many wars. Faithful he was a loyalist to King Charles. His epitaph read simply this. He served King Charles with a constant dangerous and expensive loyalty.

Isn't that good? What a great testimony for the Christian who allows the shadow of the cross to fall across his or her path. What a testimony of allegiance to serve our king with a constant dangerous expensive loyalty no matter what the cost. Be it blood sweat toil and tears. Your salvation didn't result in the end of your difficulties. The Christian life is not always easy for us and life certainly wasn't easy for the author and founder of our faith Jesus Christ himself. I hope this time in God's Word has challenged you today as you consider for yourself what really following Christ might mean and cost.

Thanks for joining us today. This is Wisdom for the Heart the Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Davey. Stephen's message today is called Israel's Most Wanted and it comes from his series Beyond Bethlehem. We've turned this series into a booklet and if you'd like to have it in your library of biblical resources you'll find it on our website wisdomonline.org. We can also help you personally if you call us at 866-48-Bible that's 866-482-4253. I'm Scott Wiley and for Stephen and all of us here thanks for listening. Join us again tomorrow for more wisdom for the heart. you