Hope for the Unconsolable

Holy Child of Bethlehem

(Matthew 2, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, December 23, 2012)

[2:1] Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, [2] saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” [3] When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; [4] and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. [5] They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
[6] “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
[7] Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. [8] And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” [9] After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. [10] When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. [11] And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. [12] And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.This familiar account of the events in the city of Jerusalem and the village of Bethlehem at around the time of the birth of the Messiah includes one group of Persian wise men and a single vicious Edomite who called himself King Herod surrounded by the entourage that comes with the sword. Both groups were seeking a newborn baby. Both claimed a desire to worship Him.

The wise men from the east were well acquainted with the pathways of the stars and the planets in the night skies. They saw something there that spoke “king” to them, something that Herrod and the inhabitants of Jerusalem had not noticed. The Magi were sure enough about this message that they set off on a long journey in the correct direction. (See bethlehemstar.net for details.)

It appears that they had more than the revelation of the night skies. They had some Word from God, either immediately (see verse 12) or passed down through the centuries from the Hebrew Law. At the end of Numbers 24 one of their predecessors had received this oracle some 1500 years before their time.

I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth. Edom shall be dispossessed; Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed. Israel is doing valiantly. And one from Jacob shall exercise dominion and destroy the survivors of cities!” (Numbers 24:17-19)

In this passage a star is connected to a Jewish ruler who will defeat the proud demonic enemies of Israel and exercise a noteworthy dominion. The wise men from the east in the days of Jesus seemed to know this, but they did not know where he was to be born.

Notice that Herrod was aware of a coming Christ, and was alarmed by the reports from the star gazers. He found out from the chief priests and scribes that Micah 5:2 had foretold that the child would be born in Bethlehem. The Magi went off to worship and to transfer wealth that would aid Mary and Joseph in their necessary journey. Herrod waited for the information he needed.

Meanwhile the Magi were again directed by the skies, and they were led to just the right home. They worshiped the child, no longer a newborn.

[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 fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”Jesus, the hope of the world, was taken by His parents out of Bethlehem according to a divine revelation. They knew what Herrod had wanted to conceal, his murderous intentions. They left immediately and went to Egypt, the land that had once been the place of bondage for the nation of Israel.

According to Hosea 11:1, written hundreds of years prior to the birth of Jesus, the Son of God would be called out of Egypt. The Lord of the earth, now under the protection of two poor descendants of King David, was the “Son” that Hosea had referred to. When all of Israel was delivered out of bondage at the time of the Passover in the days of Moses, that was only a dress-rehearsal for the redemption that would come one day from the blood of the true Lamb of God. Israel was only the son of God, because Jesus is the Son of God forever. And now all who put their trust in Jesus are sons of the Most High God. God calls us forward out of the bondage of sin and death into His holiness and life.

[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.”
Herrod was enraged. So he did what he could, murdering some Israelite boys of the right age based on the information that he had gleaned from the wise men. Mothers lost their toddlers and refused to be consoled.

The only hope we have, Jesus, had been spared that massacre. But the day of His death would come. So too would come the day of His resurrection, and there is our greatest hope. Even Jeremiah, who knew about mothers weeping for their sons who were no more, was able to speak of a coming day when those young people would live again in the land of Israel. That prophesy is much clearer to us now that Jesus has risen from the dead. Come Lord Jesus!

[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.

But His death and resurrection would have to wait another thirty years. Until that time, the hope of the earth would be tucked away in Galilee in a city called Nazareth. Matthew tells us that this fact was known to prophets but was not recorded in writing in the Hebrew Scriptures.

We still mourn today as we wait for the coming resurrection. It is right for us to hate death, and to reject any quick and easy consolation. There was nothing quick and easy about the coming of the One who would overturn all that ails us. He came through centuries of preparation by the words of men like Micah and Jeremiah. The God of all creation and providence prepared our deliverance and displayed it all in the heavens through the careful movements of the stars and the planets that were given to watchful observers seeking signs of the coming king. The events of His few years on this planet culminated in a brutal cross and an empty tomb. He is our great hope of a new resurrection world where righteousness will reign forever. A woman encircled a man, as Jeremiah had foretold. Wait for Him. Do not lose heart. He is your eternal consolation.

Old Testament Passage: Jeremiah 31:15-22