Real Life Ministries Newport
Do Not Use!
  • Made for More
  • All Sufficient Merit
  • What Child Is This
  • Hark the herald

  • Sermon

    Key Passage

    Luke 2:1–20 NIV
    In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

    Introduction

    Once again we are dipping into the book of Luke to look at the birth of Jesus
    This is the last time we will do this, because after this, we will be on track for the book of Matthew for the rest of the book.
    I think this has been a very good journey through the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus.
    Vision: We exist to reach the world for Jesus, one person at a time
    Mission: We do this by creating Biblical disciples in relational environments.
    We don’t gather together to preach sermons.
    Our mission as a church is to present the Word of God in a way that challenges us and EQUIPS us to live a life that reflects the love and grace of Jesus in a world that is in desperate need of His love, grace and salvation.
    Over the last couple of weeks, we have looked at the angel appearing to Zechariah and Elizabeth, and then to Mary
    We reflected on the confusion and how God’s plans never have our timing, but it always brings God glory.
    Last week, we saw the angel appear to Joseph and tell him that it was OK to continue on into his plans of marrying Mary.
    We saw that Joseph had a quiet faithfulness and obeyed God without making much noise.
    Today we are going to look at the birth of Jesus

    Sermon

    As we get started today, I want to make a confession.
    The process I use to prepare a sermon follows these steps:
    Schedule the sermon/series
    Sermon Prep Team
    Sermon Prep
    We scheduled this sermon to best get the full picture of the Christmas story during this Christmas season. Step 1- Check
    Next, I met with our sermon team to discuss how we will communicate this passage.
    This is where I started to realize my problem
    I have preached this text every year, sometimes twice (Christmas and Christmas Eve) for 19 years.
    I’ve covered this from every angle and every creative idea that I can think of.
    I’m out of ideas.
    Our team was there too. Most of them had heard the Luke 2 passage every year for decades as well.
    We all know the story, we are all familiar with the story, we all hear it in A Charlie Brown Christmas and at church every year.
    Between my sermon group time and my sermon prep time, I did some self assessment.
    The story of the birth of Jesus had become a holiday and a tradition.
    In the story, I see the shepherds in awe
    Joseph was in awe
    Mary was in awe and pondered all of these things in her heart
    Even the angels were in awe.
    But me? I’m not in awe. I’ve analyzed every part of this story, preached every angle of this story, and I’ve heard others preach the angles I don’t want to preach.
    Are you with me? We all know this story is important. But it has become a routine story to read at the same time every year.
    It has become a holiday tradition, not an awe-filled remembrance of God’s love for me.
    We are going to walk through this story and hear the key points we have all heard before.
    But then, I want to address some of the issues of our hearts and lives and present the battle to reclaim the awe we ought to have, remembering God’s love and the arrival of His Son.
    Luke 2:1–3 NIV
    In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.
    Luke opens this text with some context for the reader.
    This context is important and I believe this context shows some really important things for us to understand.
    It says in those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.
    PICTURE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE AT THE TIME OF JESUS BIRTH
    The angel had already appeared to Zechariah, Mary and Joseph.
    All of them knew by messenger of God that the baby that Mary was pregnant with was going to be the Messiah.
    There was a problem, however. The Messiah was prophesied to be born in Bethlehem.
    Micah 5:2 NIV
    “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
    This is in southern Israel, and Mary lived in a small village in northern Israel.
    So when Caesar Augustus issued this decree, we have to understand what that means.
    God was working and maneuvering the most powerful person in the world to fulfill the prophecy that the Messiah would be born where God said He would be born.
    We can chalk this up to a coincidence, or we can say that God is the King who can move kings.
    There is nothing in this world that God does not and can not display His power over and reveal His plan and His glory and accomplish His purposes.
    Luke 2:4–5 NIV
    So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
    We read last week about the Jewish marriage process.
    The contract was complete and Mary had been given to Joseph, although they had not consummated the marriage to this point.
    We can read about those details in Matthew 1.
    Joseph was in the family line of David.
    Therefore, he needed to travel to Bethlehem where David’s family origins were from in order to have a full on House of David family reunion in Bethlehem.
    The only people present at the time were descendants of David. They were all family.
    Mary made this trip while pregnant, so I’m sure that was fun.
    Here is one of the prophecies about Jesus that we need to remember about why these things were important.
    Isaiah 9:7 NIV
    Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
    God has orchestrated humanity in such detail that his family tree, the city he will be born in, the circumstances of His arrival
    Also, two weeks ago we talked about the virgin birth.
    Isaiah 7:14 NIV
    Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
    I’m not talking about all of the prophecies. These things were foretold hundreds of years before this event.
    What Jesus’ family line would be— Dictated by God
    Jesus’ existence (virgin birth)— Dictated by God
    The Roman Empire census (Bethlehem)— Dictated by God
    Do you see a theme here? God is moving things and making them happen.
    This is an extraordinary work of God!
    Luke 2:6–7 NIV
    While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
    While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Jesus to be born.
    This simple verse outlines the most extraordinary event in human history.
    Mary gave birth to a miraculous son, Jesus.
    God became flesh in this moment.
    Heaven exploded in celebration!
    Thousands of years of humanity in sin, seeking God through a law they could never keep and being made right with a sacrifice that was never going to be sufficient.
    God’s promises fulfilled
    His love was made manifest
    The King of the universe had arrived in Bethlehem.
    Messengers from Heaven were sent to earth to proclaim this moment!
    Luke 2:8–10 NIV
    And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
    This is similar to what the angel said to Mary.
    The word “Good News” is the Greek word, “Evangelion”
    This word was used at this time of the world. If a King wanted to send good news throughout the kingdom, he would get his messengers (angelions) to give the good news (evangelion)
    The same is happening here.
    Messengers were sent (angels - angelions) with a message from Heaven saying, “We have good news for the Kingdom!
    It will cause great joy for all of the people (literally, the nation or citizens of the kingdom)
    We translate this word, evangelion, into the word “Gospel”
    The angels announce, “We have good news for the whole Kingdom! Here is the Good News!”
    Luke 2:11 NIV
    Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
    Here is the proclamation, the Gospel, of the angels to the shepherds:
    Today, in the town of David
    When? Today
    Where? Not Bethlehem, rather it is the town of David.
    This is the prophesied city. The royal city. The city of the the greatest King, David.
    What? A savior has been born
    The word “Savior” is loaded with meaning.
    A savior implies that there are people who need saving.
    If the people were fine the way they were, they would not have needed a savior.
    Jesus is that savior.
    He isn’t a saving option. He is the only option. There is only one savior and He was just born.
    This savior has to do with Heaven
    The angels celebrated and were sent from Heaven because there is now a hope of salvation among the humanity that God loves.
    John 3:16 NIV
    For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
    Jesus is our savior and it is a demonstration of God’s love.
    He is Messiah
    The word “messiah” means “anointed one”
    Not only is He a savior, but He is also Royalty
    We see the “City of David” stuff as just other ways of saying things.
    In reality, this, the lineage that Christian read, the prophecy all point to Jesus as a King.
    The angels proclaimed that the King will save them and their savior is a King.
    They proclaimed that the King had left His throne and come to join His creation
    Philippians 2:5–8 NIV
    In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
    The angels proclaimed that Jesus is savior, messiah, but also Lord
    He is the ultimate authority
    He doesn’t just come and save people who don’t want to be saved.
    There is an authority to His presence as well.
    The people were familiar with having a king that they didn’t really want to follow (Caesar).
    But to have a Lord meant that your very identity and life are now placed in the hands of another.
    The angels proclamation literally presented the entire Gospel
    He is savior
    We are sinners in need of a savior
    He is King
    His Kingdom will rule forever
    He is Lord
    We must surrender to His authority
    Luke 2:12–14 NIV
    This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
    Here is the sign of the Savior, King and Lord. He will be a baby, wrapped in cloths, lying in a manger
    There is literally nothing further from our expectations for what a Savior, King, and Lord would be.
    Suddenly, a bunch of angels joined with the one angel and praised God.
    Glory to God in Heaven,
    All of this resulted in God’s glory
    And to us on earth, there is peace to those on whom God’s favor rests.
    I want you to hold onto this thought for a moment. We’ll come back to this idea when we close our service in a few moments.
    Luke 2:15–20 NIV
    When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
    The shepherds heard the story about this awesome experience and went immediately to find what the angels were talking about.
    They told Mary and Joseph and then told everyone else.
    Everyone was in awe because of what the shepherds had said.
    Mary was in awe, she pondered these things in her heart.

    Preaching Point

    This is an incredible event. It wasn’t just life-changing for those people. It is life-changing for every human being that has existed since that moment.
    Mary was in awe
    Joseph was in awe
    The angels were in awe
    The shepherds were in awe
    Everyone the shepherds spoke to were in awe
    So, why am I not in awe as I read this story and preach it again for the 19th year in a row?
    I want to walk through a few things for us to consider as we step into these last 10 days before Christmas.
    How have we lost awe?
    Familiarity dulls wonder
    I remember when Lisa and I first moved to Newport. We used to live in Rathdrum. Our house was one block away from Hwy 53 and 1.5 blocks away from the railroad tracks.
    There was constant noise.
    When we moved to Newport, Lisa and I had a hard time going to sleep because it was so quiet.
    It was eerie and unsettling. We weren’t used to it. It was kind of amazing.
    We live in the same house. It is still quiet outside. But we don’t notice the silence. We have become familiar with the silence.
    We have a tendency to take for granted that which we are familiar with.
    I have had so much familiarity with this story that it doesn’t really register.
    Christmas has become a holiday. It is a line on the calendar. I know what it means and I have moved on from my life.
    Familiarity has dulled my wonder.
    How have we lost awe?
    Familiarity dulls wonder
    Entitlement
    Awe is tied to gratitude. When gratitude fades, awe fades.
    We start assuming we DESERVE a savior, we deserve a king, we deserve a Lord.
    We stop seeing them as a gift showing God’s love and start seeing them as things God owes us.
    We don’t have gratitude for the things we feel we are entitled to.
    We tend to make ourselves bigger and in doing so, we make Jesus smaller and we lose awe and gratitude.
    How have we lost awe?
    Familiarity dulls wonder
    Entitlement
    Comparison
    We live in a world of comparison
    Almost everything we see on the internet or on television is designed to do one thing: Create Awe.
    This is marketing, this is the shiny lure of the world.
    As we look at how amazing this cat is that plays piano, then we see the kid that can jump off of a building into a pool, and we hear how dramatic the current world events are, every single day, we become “AWE-NUMB”.
    There is nothing that brings us awe anymore because everything is trying to create awe.
    When our brains are wired to this we lose awe in things that are truly AWESOME.
    Setting our eyes on the things of the world strip our awe of the things that should hold our attention.
    How have we lost awe?
    Familiarity dulls wonder
    Entitlement
    Comparison
    Distraction and Busyness
    Awe requires our attention.
    We jam our lives with so much activity, work, commitments and stuff that we don’t have the attention span to be in awe any longer.
    It’s hard to remain in awe of something that you never see or experience.
    I have too much to do to be in awe of anything.
    I have lost awe because of the burden I’ve laid upon my life.
    How have we lost awe?
    5. Over-Analyzing
    I’ve contributed to this in my own life.
    If we spend so much time studying the Greek, the prophecies, the customs, culture and everything else, we overanalyze the story and lose the awe.
    It becomes a learning manual of facts, not the revelation and arrival of God becoming flesh.
    How have we lost awe?
    5. Over-Analyzing
    6. I Forget
    Judges 3:7 NIV
    The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.
    This was one generation past God opening up the Jordan River and knocking over the walls of Jericho.
    Then they forgot.
    I know this is a stupid excuse, but I have a memory problem.
    Ask my wife. I forget important things.
    It’s not because they aren’t important. It isn’t because I don’t value them
    I just forget.
    As human being we are prone to forgetting God and losing the awe of His arrival.
    How have we lost awe?
    5. Over-Analyzing
    6. I Forget
    7. Proximity
    SHOW TOO CLOSE AND TOO FAR PHOTOS
    Sometimes we can get too close or too far away from something and lose perspective.
    I’m not saying that being close to God is a bad thing.
    But sometimes when we are so consumed with the details of our Christian life, we lose sight of the big picture of what Jesus did on our behalf.
    The opposite is true. We can be so distant from God that we lose sight in the same way.
    If we are too close and living in the weeds of the details of our Christian walk, we can lose sight of the glory of God.
    The same is true if we are distant.
    How have we lost awe?
    5. Over-Analyzing
    6. I Forget
    7. Proximity
    8. Pain, disillusionment, disconnect
    We can look at this story and see that Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
    We see all of the good, the joy, the saving that Jesus is supposed to do, then we look at our lives and it feels like a myth, because none of the things that Jesus came to do seem to be present in our lives.
    It is a difficult place to be. A real place to be.
    Because of the pain, or disconnect, we lose awe in the realities of this story because we feel disconnected from the heart of the story.
    What do we do with our loss of awe?
    Does this connect with any of you?
    I feel like I should be in awe, but I’m not.
    We must uncover our awe
    Here is the thing. The story of Jesus birth is a story of awe and God’s glory.
    It is a story of awe. It is a story of the glory of God and a desperate, helpless and hopeless humanity.
    The reason it has lost its awe is us, not Him. Awe is not lost, it is covered by our humanity.
    So how do we uncover it? How do we rediscover the awe of a holy God coming in the flesh?
    Uncover our awe:
    Remember
    The first step to uncovering the awe of God in our lives is to remember.
    What do we need to remember?
    Who I am: As a human being we often forget our helplessness before God.
    Our faith becomes refined and domesticated
    It becomes palatable and reasonable.
    We forget that we are sinners. The worst of sinners are right in the room with us.
    There are no greater and undeserving people in the world than are in this room right now.
    We aren’t special, our God is special.
    We didn’t earn anything. It was a gift of mercy and grace to wretched sinners.
    The same mercy and grace that needs to be given to the world around us.
    When we remember who we are, the arrival of Jesus becomes a beacon of light in the darkness.
    We must also remember who Jesus is:
    He is the lamb who came in the flesh and died in my place for my sin.
    Uncover our awe:
    Remember
    Give Thanks
    We have hope, purpose and love in our lives. We can live with confidence that the worst things, the best things, the joys and the pains of this life fade into nothing when we will see Jesus for eternity one day.
    Uncover our awe:
    Remember
    Give Thanks
    Return to “first love”
    This is a relational story about the love of God. Not an empty theological, historical text.
    Uncover our awe:
    Remember
    Give Thanks
    Return to “first love”
    Turn our eyes upon Jesus
    Our world has so many noises, distractions and lures. They will tear us to shreds.
    2 Corinthians 4:16–18 NIV
    Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
    Conclusion
    Gospel
    Communion

      • Luke 2:1–20NIV2011

      • Luke 2:1–3NIV2011

      • Micah 5:2NIV2011

      • Luke 2:4–5NIV2011

      • Isaiah 9:7NIV2011

      • Isaiah 7:14NIV2011

      • Luke 2:6–7NIV2011

      • Luke 2:8–10NIV2011

      • Luke 2:11NIV2011

      • John 3:16NIV2011

      • Philippians 2:5–8NIV2011

      • Luke 2:12–14NIV2011

      • Luke 2:15–20NIV2011

      • Judges 3:7NIV2011

      • 2 Corinthians 4:16–18NIV2011

  • This I Believe (The Creed)

  • Sermon

    Key Passage

    Matthew 2:13–23 NIV
    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.” When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” After Herod died, 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 to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.

    Introduction

    I hope you had a great Christmas!
    Our passage today is a tremendously powerful story that is only accounted for in Matthew’s Gospel account.
    Today, we will see tragedy, obedience, God’s sovereignty and even some History.
    As I have prepared this passage, it opens my eyes to the tragedy in the world around us, our need to obey and trust in a good God.
    In order to develop the context for this set of events, I want to draw a few verses from last weeks sermon into our text today:
    Matthew 2:1–12 NIV
    After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
    This is how the story of the Magi ends in their visit to Jesus.
    Last week, we saw them engage this journey over a long distance to find the Messiah.
    When they came to Bethlehem, they aske Herod where the King of the Jews was to be born.
    When Herod asked around, he discovered that this King, this Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem.
    Herod instructed the Magi to go find the child, then return to him
    We see the nefarious intent in Herod. He did not intend to worship Jesus.
    Instead, He intended to kill him and kill the threat to his throne.
    Before we get into our text today, I want to take a journey through the Herodian dynasty.
    This is important for us to understand so we can grasp what is happening around the timeline of Jesus’ birth and life.
    The reason we are doing this is because this is the political context that the life story of Jesus is painted upon.
    As we uncover the political context, we will find that this is important here at the birth of Jesus, the death of John the Baptist, and also the death of Jesus Himself.
    It all went through this political system, so we need to understand this before we fully dive in.
    If you were here with us in March of 2023, I did a similar teaching on the Herodian Dynasty.
    I really had fun teaching that, so hopefully you do too!
    Now we ask the question, “Who was King Herod?”
    Let’s begin with the word “King”
    Herod is mentioned as “King Herod” here in Matthew 2:1.
    Slide Herod Family Tree 1
    Herod the Great
    This will be cause for some confusion as you read the Bible. This line of people that span for 9 generations of history are called the Herodian Dynasty.
    Many of the men in this family tree carried the name of Herod in some way.
    That is why when you see “Herod” it is very wise to ask, “Which Herod from the Herodian Dynasty?”
    Herod the Great became very close friends with Julius Caesar of the Roman Empire.
    This happened because Herod the Great gave assistance to the Romans as they invaded Egypt. Because of his help in that event as well as a few other smaller cases, Julius Caesar granted Herod the Great Roman citizenship and appointed him as the “King of Israel”
    There was no question that Caesar was the supreme leader of the Roman Empire, but this was a position that was granted to Herod within that empire.
    Herod the Great had 15 sons from 10 different wives
    His oldest sons began plotting and battling against each other for the rights to this kingdom.
    Eventually, those plots began to evolve into plots against Herod.
    Herod publically had his sons executed for their treachery.
    At the end of Herod’s reign, a group of astrologers came from the east saying that a king had been born in Israel.
    Herod was king, appointed by Caesar himself. He was literally appointed as “King of Israel” or “King of the Jews”
    When the Magi came asking where the “King of the Jews” was to be born, this would have raised his eyebrows as another threat to his position.
    Herod had plans for his succession through three of his sons.
    Some other prophesied king would uproot his dynasty.
    He asked around with some of the Jewish people about this prophecy and had reason enough to fear that this was legitimate
    He ordered all children under the age of two to be killed in Israel.
    This may seem harsh, but this guy had already killed some of his own children to protect his throne. There is no question that he would be willing to kill other peoples children to protect his throne.
    Do you get the idea of why we call him Herod the Great, but not because he was great?
    He was an evil, power-hungry man.
    Of course, we are talking about Jesus’ birth.
    As we see in the Scriptures, Jesus, Mary and Joseph went to Egypt to flee from Herod the Great.
    Matthew 2:13 NIV
    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.”
    When Herod was about to die, he commanded a number of prominent Jewish men to his fortress.
    His order was to have them all killed after he died, so that all of Israel would be in mourning after his death.
    This order was not carried out.
    Slide Herod Family Tree 2
    Herod’s 3 sons were all step-brothers to one another (one dad—Herod— three moms)
    Three of Herod’s sons were given four parts of the kingdom of Israel.
    Slide Map of Herod Rule
    Herod Archelaus
    Herod Archelaus was given rule over the region around Judea and Jerusalem
    Archelaus was a ruthless leader
    This is where he shows up in the Bible.
    After Mary and Joseph went to Egypt, Herod the Great died.
    When Mary and Joseph returned, they were warned in a dream to avoid Judea because the ruthless Herod Archelaus was reigning there.
    Matthew 2:22 NIV
    But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee,
    Herod Archelaus imposed a heavy tax burden on the Jewish people. The people began asking for tax relief.
    Archelaus killed 3,000 Jews because of their request.
    The Judeans sent a delegation to Rome asking for relief from Archelaus.
    At first it was denied.
    Then when it was sent again, Caesar sent Archelaus into exile and replaced him with a Roman who was loyal to him over the region of Judea, stationed in Jerusalem, named Pontius Pilate.
    You might hear that name show up again later in the book of Matthew.
    The only other significant fact about Herod Archelaus relating to our story today is that he had a daughter.
    His daughter was named Herodius.
    Slide Herod Family Tree 3
    Herod Philip
    Philip was given the region of Israel on the east side of the Jordan river
    We talked briefly about that region a couple of weeks ago when we mentioned the Decapolis.
    Slide Map of Herod Rule
    His area of control is right next to his brother Herod Antipas, who we will talk about next.
    Herod Philip, strangely, married Archelaus’ daughter.
    Keep in mind that Archelaus was a ruthless and brutal man. I believe that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree in this case.
    Herod Philip and Archelaus’ daughter Herodias have a daughter named Solome.
    Slide Herod Family Tree 4
    Herod Antipas
    This is the Herod most prominently mentioned in the story of Jesus. He is the Herod that is over Galilee (the county where Jesus grew up) as well as the region east of Jerusalem.
    Later we will see Pontius Pilate have some discussion as to who’s jurisdiction it would be to hear the trial of Jesus
    Jesus was arrested in Jerusalem— This would be Pontius Pilate’s issue
    But Jesus was from Galilee— This would be Herod Antipas’ issue
    Herod Antipas had struck up a relationship with Herodias and she left Herod Philip and now became likely one of Herod Antipas’ wives.
    Solome also went with Herodias.
    Solome was the daughter that danced before Antipas, then went to her mother Herodius and then asked for the head of JTB.
    Slide of Herod Family Tree 5
    This is a gross Jerry Springer like situation going on in the ruling class of Israel.
    But this background helps us build an understanding of what happens in this story.
    Is anyone grossed out yet?
    Herod and his family were not Jewish. But they had been given authority over the Jews in Israel.
    They had no reason to lead these people in a representative way.
    All they wanted was people to exert authority over. And they did so, ruthlessly—As we will discover today.

    Preaching Time

    Matthew 2:13 NIV
    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.”
    When the Magi had gone, leaving the home of Mary and Joseph, an angel again appeared to Joseph.
    The angel told Joseph, take your family and go to Egypt right now.
    Herod the Great is going to search for Jesus and try to kill Him.
    Joseph had already had one dream of an angel telling him to marry Mary.
    Now the angel returns and says, “You need to leave right now.”
    Matthew 2:14 NIV
    So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,
    We have already talked about the quiet faithfulness of Joseph. He doesn’t speak a single word that is recorded in the Bible. He is a silent character, but God uses him mightily.
    First, he is immediately obedient to God and takes Mary to be his wife
    Mary did not have to endure God’s “favor” alone.
    Now, God goes to Joseph and says, “Leave now.’
    It appears that Joseph woke up and packed up the family and left immediately.
    There was no delay. There was no asking God for confirmation.
    God had spoken. Joseph obeyed immediately.
    There is a point that Joseph brings to my heart.

    Delayed obedience is disobedience

    I want to step into our lives today.
    This means that we will fast-forward a couple thousand years.
    What has happened since then is that Jesus died on the cross.
    He ascended into Heaven
    The Holy Spirit has come and indwelt everyone who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, Messiah, and Lord (as the angels proclaimed the Gospel two weeks ago).
    One of the things the Holy Spirit does within us is convict us of sin and guide us into the truth.
    John 16:13 NIV
    But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.
    What does Jesus say the Holy Spirit’s name is? He is the Spirit of Truth.
    What will the Spirit of Truth do? The Spirit of Truth will lead us into all truth.
    Jesus Himself said that He is the Way the TRUTH and the life.
    One of the aspects of the Holy Spirit is the conviction of sin, through the guiding us into the truth.
    If the Holy Spirit only convicted of sin, we would be hopeless. But the Holy Spirit guides us, and lead us, and directs us into the truth. We don’t simply stop sinning. That isn’t the point.
    The point is that we step closer to Jesus, closer to the truth.
    This is discipleship
    We follow Jesus
    We are changed by Jesus
    We replace the lies in our lives with the truth of Jesus Christ
    We become fishers of men and bring other people to Jesus through discipleship.
    This will look unique in every one of our lives. The Holy Spirit will work with you How He wants to work in you for His glory.
    Because of this, we need to get back to the principle of our verse: Obedience delayed is disobedience
    If you asked your kids to clean their room. And they say, “I’ll clean it later”, then plop down on the couch and play video games, would you call that obedience?
    Neither would I
    When we take time in our services to examine our lives and God brings to our attention sin that has plagued us for years (in some cases).
    We have this view in our minds, “I need to get to that one of these days.” We are missing the point the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
    There is no instruction from God that is too small or unimportant that it does not demand immediate obedience like Joseph.
    For those of you, myself included, may Joseph be our reminder this morning to get off of the bus of complacency and take obedience to God seriously.
    God want’s to be glorified in our lives and our disobedience prevents this.
    Matthew 2:14–15 NIV
    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.”
    Joseph got up and immediately packed and went to Egypt.
    Matthew interjects an important fact for the reader.
    Matthew shows us why this event is important:
    He points to Hosea 11:1 and quotes a prophecy that the Son of God would come out of Egypt.
    We can go into a ton of depth and symbolism about this, and (as always) I encourage you to do deeper study into the Scriptures in your own time.
    But this acknowledges the sovereignty of God.
    God is not limited to our sets of circumstances and events. He doesn’t play with coincidence.
    God knows History before it happens. God is in control in a situation that seems out of control.
    Matthew 2:16
    This massive tragedy in Israel takes place.
    Herod is psychotically power-hungry and wants no threat to his throne.
    He hears that the Magi went home without returning to tell him what they found.
    The Greek text here gives us insight into what Herod felt had happened:
    The phrase “outwitted” translates into a big Greek word:
    Empaizo— ridiculed, mocked, made fun of
    Herod felt that the Magi had made fun of his kingship. This was a massive hit to his pride.
    In fury, he responds by ordering all of the children in Bethlehem to be killed.
    This ruthless leader had killed his own children and now killed the children of Bethlehem.
    God in His sovereignty knew these events as well.
    Matthew again gives the editorial comment that even this deep tragedy was known by God before it happened.
    Matthew 2:17–18 NIV
    Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
    The act of King Herod brought the death of numerous children in Israel.
    This is a horrific act by an equally horrific man.
    I want to open our eyes up to this.
    We all know we live in a broken world.
    Ever since sin entered the world in Genesis 3, we see that sin doesn’t just impact humanity, but it also impacts all of creation.
    On one hand, we may see that God protected Jesus from the sin and injustice of this world, but didn’t choose to protect the other kids.
    At a cursory level, this seems legit.
    But, ultimately did God protect Jesus from the destructive consequences of sin in this world.
    No. Jesus did die by the hands of Herod. Just a different Herod at a different time.
    He didn’t give Jesus any special treatment.
    But I did probe a question this week.
    Why couldn’t Jesus have died right here?
    He was as sinless as He was when He went to the cross later.
    Couldn’t this have counted as Jesus paying the penalty of death in our place?

    Jesus did not only come to die

    This may be an odd thing for us to hear. When we listen to the Gospel, it seems that the death of Jesus is the only reason for His arrival.
    I ask, what did the life of Jesus provide for us other than His death?
    He is our saviour and we see that in His death. We would not have life if not for His death.
    Jesus revealed the Father
    John 14:9 NIV
    Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
    Jesus was God in the flesh. His life showed us who God is.
    If we want to know God, we look at Jesus.
    Jesus revealed the Father
    Jesus showed us how to live
    John 13:13–15 NIV
    “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
    Jesus provided a living example of what it looks like to live a life of righteousness.
    He provided a model of living that we can follow
    Jesus revealed the Father
    Jesus showed us how to live
    Jesus showed us how to love
    Jesus showed us what relationship with the Father looks like.
    Not some empty religious practice.
    Rather, He showed us what a genuine love relationship with the Father looks like.
    Matthew 3:17 NIV
    And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
    Jesus experienced the love of the Father and He showed us how to live in the love of the Father.
    Five times in the Gospel accounts, Jesus identifies that He is loved by the Father.
    Jesus models His life in a way that we see a life that is committed to the Father and a life that lives out of a love for the Father
    He modeled prayer, living and truth.
    Also, Jesus showed us what love of one another looks like.
    John 13:34–35 NIV
    “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
    Jesus revealed the Father
    Jesus showed us how to live
    Jesus showed us how to love
    Jesus introduced us to the Kingdom
    Jesus introduces the Kingdom. He has been announced as the Messiah or King.
    As we progress through this book, we will find that Matthew’s view of the Kingdom is synonymous with his view of discipleship.
    Those who are surrendered to Jesus in discipleship are the ones who are identified as the Kingdom of God.
    We have to engage into discipleship in order to mature in a light of hope to the world and alignment with Jesus.
    We surrender to the King through discipleship.
    There are a bunch more reasons. In fact, we are reading the Gospel account of Matthew because we see that Jesus lived and showed us the heart of God in His lifetime.

    Our lives mean more than death

    I want to bridge this quickly for us this morning.
    Just like Jesus life meant more than just His death. Our lives mean more than just our death and going to Heaven.
    We are called to a life of knowing Jesus, growing closer to Him in intimacy.
    Philippians 1:3–6 (NIV) I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
    We are in process with God
    God is glorified in our lives as we live for Him.
    The day of completion is coming, but until then, the work He does within us is good.
    Matthew 2:19–20 NIV
    After Herod died, 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 to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”
    They stay in Egypt until Herod the Great dies.
    It is during this time that the kingdom of Israel is divided up into the four regions and the three sons of Herod take their respective roles of authority.
    Matthew 2:21–23 NIV
    So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.
    This concludes our passage.

    Conclusion – Key Takeaways

    God is sovereign, even when the world is chaotic
    Herod’s rage, political corruption, and unspeakable tragedy were not surprises to God.
    God was not absent—He was actively at work, fulfilling His purposes even through human evil.
    God often works through quiet, obedient faithfulness
    Joseph never speaks, yet he obeys immediately, repeatedly, and sacrificially.
    God entrusted the safety of His Son to a man who simply listened and obeyed.
    Delayed obedience is disobedience
    Joseph didn’t wait for clarity, comfort, or convenience—he moved when God spoke.
    The Holy Spirit still speaks today, and obedience still requires urgency.
    Jesus came for more than just the cross
    His life revealed the Father, modeled righteousness, demonstrated love, and introduced the Kingdom.
    Salvation includes transformation, discipleship, and surrender—not just a future destination.
    Our lives matter now, not just after death
    God is actively shaping us, forming Christ in us, and using us for His glory.
    We are participants in His Kingdom work today.
    God guides His people step by step
    Egypt, Israel, Galilee, Nazareth—each move was directed by God.
    Faithfulness often looks like taking the next right step, even when the whole picture isn’t clear.

    Narrative Conclusion

    Matthew closes this chapter not with triumph, but with movement.
    A family on the run. A tyrant exposed. A child spared. And a future quietly unfolding in an overlooked town called Nazareth.
    This is not how we would write the story of the Messiah.
    There is no palace. No army. No political victory. Just a carpenter, a young mother, and a child carried through danger by obedience and trust.
    And yet—every step is exactly where God intended them to be.
    Joseph obeyed when it didn’t make sense. God ruled when evil seemed to win. Jesus lived—not just to die, but to show us who God is, how to live, how to love, and how to belong to His Kingdom.
    And now, that same call reaches us.
    Not just to believe in Jesus’ death—but to follow Him in life. Not to delay obedience—but to respond when God speaks. Not to wait for heaven—but to live faithfully now.
    So the question Matthew quietly leaves us with is this:
    Will we, like Joseph, trust God enough to obey Him immediately— even when the road is uncertain, even when the cost is high, even when the world feels out of control?
    Because the same God who guided His Son through danger is still guiding His children today.
    And He is not finished with us yet.
    Gospel Presentation
    Directed Prayer
    Communion

      • Matthew 2:13–23NIV2011

      • Matthew 2:1–12NIV2011

      • Matthew 2:22ESV

      • Matthew 2:13NIV2011

      • Matthew 2:22NIV2011

      • Matthew 2:13NIV2011

      • Matthew 2:14NIV2011

      • John 16:13NIV2011

      • Matthew 2:14–15NIV2011

      • Matthew 2:17–18NIV2011

      • John 14:9NIV2011

      • John 13:13–15NIV2011

      • Matthew 3:17NIV2011

      • John 13:34–35NIV2011

      • Matthew 2:19–20NIV2011

      • Matthew 2:21–23NIV2011

Real Life Selkirk
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