Our Exodus, Exile, and Esteem in Christ

Matthew 2:13-23
December 27, 2020
Abraham Hong

Sermon Script

Today’s passage is very serious and sad. After our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ took on human nature so that he could fulfill his promise of salvation and begin his new creation, after our Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary so that he could save us from our sins, after the Word became flesh and dwelled with us so that he could be with us, after all of this gospel glory, someone wanted to take his life. Someone wanted to destroy him. This is so messed up. Imagine being a parent of a newborn child and finding out that someone was coming to kill your baby.

This was the start of Jesus’ life on earth. This was what he went through for you. Him having to flee to Egypt. Him being surrounded by death and weeping and lamentation. Him living in Nazareth and being called a Nazarene. All of this was Jesus’ work and suffering and humiliation for you. For your salvation.

If you are a Christian, if you have repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, if you love him, then keep all of the stories of his life close to your heart and mind as you wait for him. And when you go through your own sufferings in your life, do not focus on yourself as if you are the center of the universe. You are not. You see, when you suffer in life, you are sharing in the sufferings of Christ. And when you suffer in life, you are supposed to fix your eyes on Jesus and remember and understand how he suffered for you.

This extremely important concept is absolutely valid because of the fascinating thing that Matthew is doing in today’s passage.

In today’s passage, Matthew connects the lives of the saints of old back then with the life of Christ. They were united with Christ. And all of their sufferings were meant to point forward to the sufferings of Christ. All that they went through was meant to highlight all that Jesus would go through in the future for their salvation. This is a big part of what Matthew meant when he said three times that the things that happened to Jesus in his life fulfilled things of the Old Testament. Everything that the saints of old went through as a nation, as a son of God, would be realized and fulfilled on a greater level by Jesus, by THE Son of God. This was profound for them back then.

And this is also profound for us now. Because in today’s passage, Matthew also connects our lives as the saints of today with the life of Christ. We are united with Christ. And so all of our sufferings are meant to point backward to the sufferings of Christ. All that we go through is meant to highlight and remind us of all that Jesus went through in the past for our salvation.

And so, at the end of the day, for the saints of old back then, and for us who are in Christ today, this is all about giving love and thanks and obedience and glory to our Lord and Savior. Him having to flee to Egypt. Him being surrounded by death and weeping and lamentation. Him living in Nazareth and being called a Nazarene. This was a big part of Jesus’ life on earth. This was what he went through for you. All of this was Jesus’ suffering and humiliation for you. For your salvation.

And so praise be to our Lord. Why? Because in Jesus we have the spiritual exodus from sin and from death.

Joseph took Mary and Jesus and fled to Egypt in order to evade Herod’s search for Jesus. They stayed there until the death of Herod. And after the death of Herod, Joseph and Mary, but most importantly, Jesus came out of Egypt. This is huge. The Old Testament story of Israel coming out of Egypt was an amazing story about how God powerfully delivered his people from slavery. Remember the ten plagues that God used to humble Egypt and Pharaoh. Remember the leadership and the servanthood of Moses. Remember the parting of the Red Sea. That exodus of God’s people was a loving rescue. That exodus of God’s people was a glorious deliverance. The prophet Hosea would later go on to give God’s perspective of the exodus. God said these words in Hosea 11:1, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.”

Here in today’s passage, Matthew is telling us something incredible. The coming out of Jesus from Egypt is a declaration of his ultimate exodus. Jesus came to powerfully deliver his people from the slavery of sin and death. Jesus came to rescue us in his love. He came to deliver us in his glory.

The Old Testament story of Israel coming out of Egypt is an amazing picture of our salvation in Christ. Moses, as flawed and sinful as he was, reflects our Lord and Savior Jesus and his leadership and his servanthood. The parting of the Red Sea reflects our baptism into Christ, how we were baptized into his death and buried with him and then raised from the dead with him - just like the nation of Israel came out of the other side of the Red Sea - because we are united with him (1 Corinthians 10:2; Romans 6:3-5). Jesus is the Son of the Father. The Father says of Jesus, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” We are sons and daugthers of God in Christ. And so it is as if the Father says of us, “Out of sin and death I call my sons and my daugthers who are united with my Son.”

This is the beauty and the majesty of the salvation that we have. We are right now going through a spiritual exodus. The eschatological exodus is happening right now. This is Jesus’ exodus. This is our exodus.

But this does not mean that our lives on this earth are nice. Why not? Because in Jesus we have the spiritual exile that is filled with suffering.

When Herod saw that he was tricked by the wise men, he became furious. And in his evil and terrible fury, Herod killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under. This is tragic. The Old Testament story of Israel going into exile was a sad story about how God’s people suffered greatly because of their sins. Remember our time in the book of Lamentations. Remember all the destruction and all the misery. That exile of God’s people was a time of suffering. That exile of God’s people was a picture of death. The prophet Jeremiah would go on to give God’s perspective of the exile. God said these words in Jeremiah 31:15, “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.”

Here in today’s passage, Matthew is telling us something sobering. The death of all the male children by the hands of Herod is a precursor of Jesus’ ultimate exile. Jesus came to be exiled on the cross for us. Jesus came to suffer for our sins and receive the justice and the judgment that we deserve. Jesus came to die in our place.

The Old Testament story of Israel going into exile is an amazing picture of our salvation in Christ. Rachel was an ancestor to many of God’s people who were exiled. Ramah was the town that acted as a staging ground for the deportation of exiles to Babylon. It was, so to speak, the place where Rachel wept and said goodbye to the exiles. Jesus’ life was a life of suffering and lamentation and exile. And we who are united with Jesus also have lives of suffering and lamentation and exile.

This is the seriousness and the soberness of the salvation that we have. We are right now going through a spiritual exile. The eschatological exile is happening right now. This is Jesus’ exile and suffering. This is our exile and suffering.

And finally, it is important to know that we do not receive glory right now on this old and fading earth. Why not? Because in Jesus we have the spiritual esteem of humility.

After Herod died, Joseph, Mary and, most importantly, Jesus lived in a city called Nazareth. And Jesus would be called a Nazarene. This is heartbreaking. Many of the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus said that Jesus would be a humble and lowly Savior. Remember Isaiah 53. It speaks of Jesus as having no form of majesty and no beauty. Jesus would be despised and rejected by men. Isaiah described Jesus with these words: “… as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

Here in today’s passage, Matthew is telling us something remarkable. The fact that Jesus’ hometown was Nazareth is a badge of Jesus’ dishonor. Jesus came to endure humiliation for us. Jesus came to be lowly and meek for us. He came to serve us.

The hometown of Nazareth is an amazing picture of our salvation in Christ. The city of Nazareth was insignificant in the eyes of people. It was a place of scorn and ridicule, a place that people looked down on. In John 1, there is a story in which Philip found Nathanael and told him that they have found the Messiah who was promised in the Old Testament. Nathanael replied with these famous words: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Jesus was often called Jesus of Nazareth by others. Jesus’ life was a life of humiliation and lowliness. He was not well esteemed by people. And we who are united with Jesus also have lives of humiliation and lowliness.

This is the reality and the pilgrim life that comes with the salvation that we have. We are right now going through a spiritual esteem of humility. This eschatological esteem of humility is happening right now. This is Jesus’ esteem and humiliation. This is our esteem and humiliation.

Dear Highland, today’s passage defines our lives right now. Because we are united with Christ, his exodus is our exodus. His exile is our exile. His esteem is our esteem.

Your life is a life of exodus. You have been set free from the kingdom of darkness by the sacrificial Lamb that was slain. You are leaving worldliness and sin behind. You are traveling toward a promised land and you are growing in righteousness. Does your life look like a life of exodus? If so, then that is a good thing. Highland, please be encouraged. You are united with Christ in his exodus.

Your life is also a life of exile. You must endure a lot of suffering and persecution. You are away from home. You have much to lament about. Does your life look like a life of exile? If so, then that is a good thing. Highland, please be encouraged. You are united with Christ in his exile.

And your esteem is the esteem of Christ. You are humble and lowly in heart. You will not be accepted or exalted at times in the eyes of this old and fading world. You experience humiliation. Does your esteem look like the esteem of Christ when he first came to you? If so, then that is a good thing. Highland, please be encouraged. You are united with Christ in his esteem.

Because you are united with Christ, his exodus is your exodus. His exile is your exile. His esteem is your esteem. Jesus’ life defines your life right now. This story here in today’s passage is also your story. This is how he saves us. When we go through our lives, we understand more and more what Jesus went through in his life for us. This is how our relationship with Jesus works. This is the connection that you have with him.

So remember his exodus, his exile, and his esteem. Keep today’s passage about Jesus’ life close to your heart and mind as you wait for him. And when you go through your own sufferings in your life, do not focus on yourself as if you are the center of the universe. You are not. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Remember what he went through for you. And give love and thanks and obedience and glory to our Lord and Savior for his exodus, his exile, and his esteem.

Soli Deo Gloria