The Second Sunday after Christmas – Pr. Anderson sermon
St. Matthew 2:13-23 “Out of Egypt I Called My Son”
January 5, 2025 | Christ Lutheran Church
In Nomine Iesu
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O Lord God, heavenly Father, You allowed Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, to become a stranger and a sojourner in Egypt for our sakes, and led Him safely home to His fatherland: Mercifully grant that we poor sinners, who are strangers and sojourners in this perilous world, may soon be called home to our true fatherland, the kingdom of heaven, where we shall live in eternal joy and glory; through the same, Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen. (Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary, by Veit Dietrich, p. 148)
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. (Rom. 1:7, etc.)
The sermon text for today is taken from the 2nd chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew. We read selected verses in Jesus’ name:
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.”
And he rose and took the Child and His mother by night and departed to Egypt 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.”
These are Your words, heavenly Father. Sanctify us by Your truth, Your Word is truth. Amen. (Joh. 17:17)
In Christ Jesus, who died not according to the world’s timeline, but dies the timely death of God’s plan, on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins, dear fellow redeemed:
One of the reasons we rejoice with the New Year and believe it will be happy is because we are hopefully going to leave the parts of the previous year that we didn’t enjoy behind. It is a new year! We don’t know what we might expect, but maybe, just maybe, it will be something that will make us happy. As we ring in the new year, we see the opposite can happen. The year is only five days old and tragedies have already struck. How can this year be a happy one if there is already pain, anger, and heartbreak? With a quick reminder, we see the world is unrelenting, and there are sinful aspects that will not go away until the end comes. So, where do we find joy in the new year? We find joy this second Sunday after Christmas because Christmas doesn’t fade away into the new year. This season is your gift, a gift of eternal protection from your loving God. As God called His Son out of Egypt, God calls you out of this life of sadness and sin, into the life of eternal glory forever.
While the heavenly hosts of angels rejoiced at the birth of the Prince of Peace and Gentiles came and worshiped the newborn king, forces of opposition were already on the move. 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.” And he rose and took the Child and His mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. Even though Herod is called great, he was a very wicked king. He killed his own family members to make sure no one could take away his right to rule. Like many rulers who hunger for power, they forget where their power comes from. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill” (Psalm 2:2-6). Comfort is found in the rule of God, that every form of tyranny will be swiftly destroyed.
While the world sees the evils of Herod, underneath the surface is the spiritual battle of the prince of world against God. The prince of this world thought he could take advantage, seeing the Son of God defenseless in the manger. So, he launches an attack to thwart God and destroy the Child. God’s plan is too great for evil to prevail. With the child fleeing, this was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” 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. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: “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.” God’s people experience great heartache. What looks like the lowest of points as the holy innocents are martyred, the safety found in the Christ Child prevails even when He is rejected, He has the power of redemption.
This child doesn’t flee to hide from the world. He comes to save. Of course, evil would attempt to destroy His plans. Evil has had a firm grip on the world. Moses recorded in his song, “They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known, to new gods that had come recently, whom your fathers had never dreaded. you were unmindful of the Rock that bore you, and you forgot the God who gave you birth” (Deuteronomy 32:17-18). God lays an eternal foundation, that can never be shaken, but when the fallen world lays out its problems and troubles, people feel there is no foundation to stand on. God has breathed life into this creation. Why would God simply abandon His work? The great enemies of God would have us believe this question is true. Look at the time of year we are in. It is a new year! God is in the very work of His creation as time goes on. The question should be, “How come God hasn’t abandoned us?”
God could give us over to the terrors of this world. It is our hands that spill innocent blood when we go against our neighbor in thought, word, and deed. As we see the world makes us suffer on the physical plane, our rejection of God’s will put us as allies with His and our spiritual enemies. These enemies don’t care that we are on their side. Sin, the world, and the prince of darkness look forward to our fights against God’s glory as it sinks us into their domain of eternal death. With the world’s great terrors looking to overwhelm us, the Child of Christmas comes to the Promised Land. But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 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.” And he rose and took the Child and His mother and went to the land of Israel. 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. With a cautious plan of perfection, the God of grace and mercy, is raised in the place of His name’s sake, so the sinful world would truly see its redemption.
And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: “He shall be called a Nazarene.” For the people of this Child’s day, this is a derogatory name. Even one of His future disciples would say, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). How can this be the plan? The Son of God through putting on our flesh, had to be despised by all. Isaiah prophesied, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3). As the world reveals its true colors being against the Son of Man, this Child, would willingly be despised, willingly be rejected, willingly take on the wrath of God, so those who are lost can be found.
While it may look like this family and Child were lost as they had to flee their home, God reveals He doesn’t let the forces of the world, sin, and the devil win. As they tried to wield the sting of death against the Son of God, God is the One who is even in control of His enemies. The Father sends His Son to Egypt to protect Him in His defenseless state. Just like He sent His people into Egypt to protect them from the seven years of extreme famine. As His people waited for their redemption, God then brought His people out of the land of Egypt to the Promised Land. Like His people, God calls His Son out of Egypt and brings Him home to be His people’s redemption. And in this plan of redemption, it would look like the enemies of the baby would win. Even though they couldn’t kill the baby, the Child would grow and prepare Himself for His death on the cross.
And His death on the cross is the death that liberates you from your eternal enemies. He goes there on your behalf. While the world looks like it is unrelenting, every pain and trial we have faced, Jesus faced it all and more. He would do it for you as Isaiah prophesied, “Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the cost lands wait for his law (Isaiah 42:1-4). What makes this New Year a happy New Year, is the message of the Child of Christmas being protected and called out of Egypt to endure your suffering and eternal punishment.
Where you have abandoned God at times, He did not abandon you. Where you have shed innocent blood, Jesus’ innocent blood is shed to wash away your sins. As you hear how your Savior was persecuted on your behalf, as He brings you into His arms, He will hold you during the hard times. While there will be tough times in the New Year, St. Peter writes you words of encouragement. “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes up on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1 Peter 4:12-14). Whether you face persecutions or even death like the holy innocents, you can face it in the joy of the New Year as the newborn king brings you into His kingdom through His timely death on the cross.
As Christ died for the sins of the world it was not the way the world wanted. The Father protects His Son, calls Him home, and this call is heard throughout the world as the world continues to struggle with pains and torments. In the message of the Gospel, God sends His Son for the world’s salvation, and the world’s cries are heard. While the world can’t escape the pains and trials and you are surrounded by them also, you find strength and relief in God’s promise of eternal protection. He protected His Son, and in His death and resurrection, you are protected from eternal pain and misery. Your life here is one of blessings and when it comes to your pains and trials, they are short. You have been called, you have been named, and in the end, you will be brought safely to the Promised Land. Amen.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.
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