Pastor Steve's Recent Weekly Letter
Pastor Steve's Weekly Letter for Thursday, December 2, 2021
The more you read the Bible, the more you see basic patterns repeat themselves. That’s why you can be reading an account and experience a sense of déjà vu—that is, the feeling that you’ve seen or heard about the particular account previously. Sometimes, the Bible even makes these patterns explicit. One example is in the story of the events surrounding Jesus’ birth.
You’re familiar with the story of the magi’s visit to Bethlehem to worship “the one who has been born king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:1-2). This upset King Herold and he insisted that the magi report back to him once they found the child. He claimed he wanted to worship the child, but he really intended to kill him. After the magi found Jesus and worshipped him, they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod. So, they returned home another way.
At this point in the account, Matthew reports: When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Notice that Matthew identifies a pattern here. He sees the flight of Jesus to Egypt as a fulfillment of Hosea 11:1 which says, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” When we go back to Hosea 11:1, we expect to find a prediction that was fulfilled by the events in Matthew 2:13-15. But there’s no prediction in Hosea 11:1. It’s simply a statement. God said: When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. Then God goes on to discuss how Israel still rebelled against him—something that makes no sense given God’s love and care. So how does Jesus’ exile in Egypt fulfill the statement in Hosea 11:1?
It helps to realize that the term “fulfill” means to bring something to its full or complete expression. It doesn’t always refer to a prediction coming true. Rather, it often signals a pattern. Just as God took his people to Egypt and then brought them out of Egypt, so he sends Jesus to Egypt and to bring him out of Egypt. Jesus is a new Moses whom God has raised up to lead people out of bondage. As previously reported in Matthew 1:21, the angel announced to Joseph that Jesus will save his people from their sins. He is also the new Israel who is delivered by God. That’s why Jesus had to escape to Egypt. His flight there sets the stage for a new exodus. And there is nothing Herod can do to stop it—just as Pharaoh was powerless to stop the exodus under Moses.
What an encouragement for us today! When the church is threatened by the power structures of the world, we can have every confidence that God will protect us—that nothing can ever separate us from his love. And we can have confidence that his Son, Jesus, will return again to rescue us. So, look for patterns as you read Scripture. What God has done, he will do again. He humbled the proud before, and he will do it again. He has made it possible for sinful people to experience more of his presence, and he will do it again. He has exalted the weak and the humble, and he will do it again. He has rescued his people from grave danger, and he will do it again. Thank you, Lord, for Jesus, your indescribable gift!
This Sunday, December 5, I plan to continue our series on The Coming of the King. Last Sunday, we considered Jesus’ second advent (coming) in Revelation 14. But this Sunday, we’ll look at his first advent in John 1:1-18. The title of the sermon is “Now in Flesh Appearing,” and our Advent theme is faith.
My grandson Miles (6) has a new job at his house. He is responsible for collecting the garbage on Monday night, putting it in the dumpster, and taking the dumpster out to the curb for the Tuesday morning garbage pick-up. Miles’ family is learning, though, that he is a perfectionist who takes pride in doing his job correctly. When he changes the liners in the trash cans in the house, the new liners have to fit perfectly. Then, when he places trash bags in the dumpster, nothing can be hanging out from under the lid of the dumpster. Finally, when he takes the dumpster to the curb, it has to line up perfectly parallel to the curb. Maybe I should have him come over to our house on Friday mornings to make sure my dumpster is perfectly parallel to the curb. Thanks for reading. Grace and peace to all of you!