Welcome to our World
December 14, 2014 Part III
Scripture Focus: Matthew 2:13-15
13
…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.” 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,15 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.”
Our Advent theme is, Welcome to Our World. Contemporary song
artist Chris Rice wrote the lyrics to that song we just sang. It is a soft
and sweet song, yet it says, “bring your peace INTO OUR VIOLENCE.”
Our candle lit today is named Child of peace reminding us of the
peace Christ does desire to bring. We know what peace feels like
because we have experienced violence. We would do well to
remember that Jesus was born into a violent world. Rome was the
ruler of the day. The first century described as, Pax Romana, a Latin
word for “Roman peace,” but the astute historian knows that peace
often comes by the sword or other means of force.
Pax Romana describes that era of time when Julius Caesar is
assassinated and succeded by Octavian who defeats Mark Anthony
and becomes a one man rule. The day of the Emperors. The Roman
empire under an emperor brings peace to a large part of the world as
nations are conquered and their own civil wars stilled. Rome ruled
much of the known world including the Jewish people.
At first, the Romans granted the Jewish people some authority over
their internal affairs; however, frequent rebellions by the Jews,
zealots (who we might call freedom fighters), led the Romans to
stamp out that autonomy. Herod the Great also known as the "King
of the Jews," is appointed the governor of Judea. His task is to keep
peace. Herod is a part of our Biblical story which we will hear more of
in a moment.
There is a great scripture in the Book of Galatians that lets us know
God never deals in coincidences or accidents. The birth of Jesus
would come at the most opportune time for God’s purposes.
Galatians 4:4 says, “But when the set time had fully come, God sent
his Son, born of a woman…” This is our Christmas story.
God’s timing is always perfect. The time had fully come. Roman rule,
Pax Romana, made the coming of Christ perfect. For one, there was
peace in the land, and though Israel was subject to Roman rule, there
still was relative freedom to travel from one place to another
through-out the world. The Romans had constructed not only
magnificent buildings that many still love to see, the Roman Coliseum
is one example, but they also constructed the first highway system. A
highway system Jesus would use quite extensively to get from one
place to another.
This is the world that Jesus would enter. His birth story is written in
the earlier parts of Matthew chapter 2. Perhaps you remember parts
of it. Jesus is born in Bethlehem, near Jerusalem. Magi or wise men
from the east come to worship the one who is born King of the Jews.
Wait! Rewind! King of the Jews? Isn’t Herod, King of the Jews? How
many kings can you have? Herod hears of the birth of Jesus. He is
troubled by it. Herod lacked peace. Ever notice when one person is
troubled it doesn’t take long for others to become disturbed by
them? This child born will be ruler and shepherd of the people. That
is Herod’s role as King. Herod is troubled and all Jerusalem WITH him.
Herod is moving to violence. Herod, a politician, a person interested
in keeping his rule, does future politicians no service. He lies. He tells
the wise men to make a careful search for the child so that he too can
go and worship him. NOT!
Enter God. Are there times when you and I wonder if God knows
what is going on in your life? You wonder if God knows the
motivations of people who are dealing in a less than truthful way with
you? This story gives us a good example that God knows all things.
Matthew 2:13-15, God sends an angel to Joseph in a dream. I am
assuming this means Joseph was in bed sleeping, it is nighttime when
the angel says, “Get up,” (he said), “take the child and his mother and
escape to Egypt.” This is no Disney film, Escape to Witch Mountain,
this is the real life of Jesus as a two year child. He is a fugitive along
with his parents, escaping to Egypt. Egypt will be their place of refuge
until it is safe to return. God told them to escape, God tells them how
long to stay, God will tell them when to return. So much faith packed
in that short scripture that most of the time escapes our attention.
Imagine being Joseph, God has a history of dealing with him in the
night with angels, speaking a difficult truth to him of what he should
do.
Welcome to their world. Welcome to our world, Jesus.
The world of Jesus wasn’t safe. Parts of our world aren’t safe either,
are they? People are fleeing one part of the world for others.
Matthew 2:13 says, “take the child and his mother and escape to
Egypt.”
The word escape is the Greek word pheugo (fyoo'-go) which means
as you might suspect, to flee, to run away (literally or figuratively).
Refugees are people fleeing FROM something. They are on the run.
The legal definition of a refugee is someone who has fled his or her
country “owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons
of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group
or political opinion.”
Think for a moment though about Jesus, about Joseph and Mary.
They want their child safe. He is only two years old and they flee what
the country they know for another country so that they can live.
Herod, the government leader, wants to kill Jesus. They have a well
founded fear for their lives.
Today activists make a day for everything. National Twinkie Day,
Secretaries Day, it goes on and on, doesn’t it? Last week I mentioned
World Aids Day in conjunction with my message on Jesus the healer.
Did you know there is a World Refugee Day? There is. It is June 20.
World Refugee Day is a day to recognize the forcibly displaced people
throughout the world. There are currently some 50 million uprooted
victims of conflict and persecution worldwide. More than 15 million
of them are refugees who have fled their countries. People are
fleeing their homes to go across the world to seek safety. A
missionary friend of mine in the Middle East sent me his newsletter
yesterday and it arrived coincidentally, yesterday, just in time for this
message. It asked me to pray for the refugees that they visibly see.
Half the world’s refugees are children, traveling alone and often
falling into the hands of sex traffickers.
Jesus at two years old, in the arms of his parents, and protected by
the invisible Hand of God, was a refugee. If you thought becoming a
Christian would mean no more troubles, well, Jesus was born into a
world of trouble.
The Christmas story, though not often told this way, reminds us of
the need for Jesus’ to seek refuge in a country not his own, Egypt.
Refugees, different from immigrants, are not trying to stay. Refugees
want to return to their homeland. They will return when the timing is
right. God is making that clear to Joseph. Matthew 2:13, “Stay there
until I tell you…”
Herod meant violence to Jesus. According to Herod, Jesus was a
criminal. Even as a child he was a threat to his rule, the peace that he
keeps as governor. If they had a post office in those days, Jesus’ face
along with the face of his mom and dad graced the walls as Rome’s
most wanted. In Herod’s eyes Jesus was a fugitive on the run. Just like
the movie Fugitive with Harrison Ford, Matthew tells us a search took
place like none other for Jesus. Herod was searching, the King James
Version tells us they were to diligently search. That adds emphasis
upon the seriousness of the search doesn’t it?
To search meant they were to enquire, ascertain, examine, ask
questions, interrogate as necessary. A different way of saying it may
be “use all means necessary to get the answer to the question, where
is Jesus?
They were searching for the child who the angels described would be
the Savior of the world, the one who will forgive us our sin, and
Herod under the false pretense of worship wants to kill Jesus. Kill our
peace. It makes you shudder to think how many people come to
places of worship with evil bent on their mind.
Jesus entered an unsafe world. Welcome to our world, Jesus. First
century or 21st century people today are still on the run. We live in a
world where peace is dangerously in deficit, and it is impossible to
find solutions to the conflicts that exist, apart from Jesus. The very
one who Herod searched for is the same one we must make a careful
search for but to act differently. Not to execute but to accept. Not to
take Him out of the world but to enter Him into our world.
Are you living in a peace deficit? Lacking peace?
Jesus was on the run. You could say he was running from trouble. I
believe in our sanctuary today, we have people who like Jesus, are on
the run, running from trouble or different things.
A teenager in Swartz Creek went missing last week. A careful search
found her. I don’t know the specifics of her case but teenagers, adults
too, often run away from home. Troubles cause us to flee. People
look for a place where they think they can live free from their
problem. People say things like, “leave me alone, I just want to be left
in peace.”
Peace is not the absence of a problem but the presence of a person.
Jesus Christ. Matthew chapter two informs us that Herod made a
careful search for the child Jesus. I would like to inform you also. If
you don’t have Jesus, make a careful search for Him, a diligent search.
Inquire, ask, examine...use whatever means necessary to find him!
Our main thought for today is this: Each day has trouble, allow Jesus
to enter your world of trouble.
As God directed Mary and Joseph allow God to guide you through
your problem. Wake up…listen and obey God’s every instruction
(Bible) and it may…well in the case of Jesus…save your life!
The search for Jesus is not that difficult today. He is right here!
Are you running from something? You may not feel like a fugitive but
you are on the run aren’t you? Is there a mountain of debt you are
running from? Is there an illegal or immoral decision you made and
you are running from it? In a marriage and you want to leave, run
from? Are you innocent of wrongdoing but in a situation brought on
you by others and you wish you could run?
Ever notice you can’t outrun problems? Ever try to run from God? Did
you know you can’t outrun problems or God?
Psalm 139 is an awesome Psalm to know. Verse 1 begins, “Lord, you
have SEARCHED me, and know me…then in verse 7 it says, “Where
can I go from your Spirit? Where can I FLEE your presence? If I go to
the heavens, yhou are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are
there; If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of
the sea, even there your hand will guide me…”
God kept his eye on Jesus’. God has his eye on you.
Does God see the trouble or hear the cries of people? Perhaps you
don’t think God see’s you and your trouble.
I would like to share the story of Hagar who refutes the idea that God
doesn’t see what is going on in our life! Her story is in the Book of
Genesis chapter 16. Hagar was in a troubled situation. Her trouble
wasn’t caused by her but another. I can’t take the time to develop the
story but I believe we can relate.
Hagar (truly innocent) is accused of being responsible for
another’s troubles. Ever been falsely accused?.
Hagar is mistreated (ever felt that way) so it says she ran away,
she felt forced to flee. Well can you relate?
Many times when we run from a situation we wonder if anyone cares
or notices. God does. He sent an angel to Hagar, found her, called her
by name, and spoke to her and her situation. The angel, speaking for
God, asked good questions that would help Hagar in her trouble. The
angel helped her reframe her thoughts from problem to solution.
Was God aware? God knew, God cared, God heard, God was
watching and directing invisibly from heaven above. Though Hagar
wasn’t seeking God, God sought her. A million problems in that world
and God gave personal attention to her and her problem. That
thought is to give someone hope and inspiration today.
Genesis 16:13 says, “She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to
her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now
seen the One who sees me.” El Roi is the Hebrew name for this.
Hagar learned God see’s everything. Who needed to hear Hagar’s
story today? Hagar admitted to God she was running away from her
problem. Here is a big encouragement and warning. God will work
out His purposes in the midst of our troubles and many times we may
not like his counsel.
Are you prepared to trust God with whatever he tells you to do? God
told Hagar what to do which we won’t get into today but suffice to
say hearing what God told her to do would have caused most of us
here today to go, “Yeah but” to God. Yeah God but you don’t
understand...
If God told you what to do in your situation and it didn’t make sense,
would you do it anyway? That is the essence of the Christmas story
with Mary and Joseph. Remember God has already come to each of
them before through the visit of an angel. God has told them before
to do things that didn’t make sense. They did it anyway. They are
learning God can be trusted in EVERY situation.
Have you learned to trust God in all your problems?
Are you running from your problems?
Are you prepared to start trusting God! He is the only way to find
peace.