Dealing with the Post-Christmas Blahs
Matthew 2:13-23
Rev. Brian Bill
12/30/07
Dave Veerman has written a poem called, “Many Happy Returns.” See if it resonates with you:
‘Twas the day after Christmas
And all through the room
Strewn wrappings were crying
For use of a broom
The children were scattered
The friends’ gifts exploring
Since now most of theirs
Were broken or boring.
All tummies were stuffed
From the fabulous feast;
Leftovers would serve
For one month at least.
And mama and papa
Were countryside ranging,
Those unwanted gifts
Returned or exchanging.
Yes Christmas is past
With its bustle and noise
Sales and carols
Santas and toys.
Decorations are packed
The Yule tree’s discarded
The holiday’s over
Just as we got started.
Are you experiencing a bit of a post-Christmas crash? When I was up in the suburbs the day after Christmas I heard a customer make this comment to a cashier at a gas station in a growling voice: “I am SO GLAD that Christmas is over! How was your Christmas?”
In a bizarre story, Greek Orthodox and Armenian priests came to blows in a dispute over how to clean the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem following the Christmas celebrations. Priests were actually seen swinging brooms and throwing stones at each other! Seven people were injured in this 15-minute unholy melee on the site where many believe Jesus was born. Christmas can lead to conflict and chaos.
Did you hear about the six family members who were murdered on Christmas Eve in Seattle? Apparently this atrocious act was committed by another family member. Things often go crazy at Christmas time.
Now that Christmas has crescendoed, some of us are back to our complicated and chaotic lives. Others of us have moved from “ho, ho, ho” to humdrum. Has your “fa-la-la-la-la” turned to blah-blah-blah?
We don’t spend much time on this but I think Joseph and Mary had a letdown as well. They were joyfully greeted by the shepherds and then some time later a bunch of wise guys from out east came and worshipped the Christ child, bringing expensive gifts with them but then things head south, literally. While Luke’s account has no songs of sadness, Matthew’s narrative is drenched in tears and fears, pain and problems, blood and lament. The picture is not pretty and is usually kept off the cover of our Christmas cards and out of our Christmas carols.
I’d like us to focus on three post-Christmas scenes from Matthew 2:13-23 that don’t normally get much attention. Let’s first familiarize ourselves with what happened and then see if there are some lessons we can find that will help us beat the blahs.
Scene Summary
1. Escape to Egypt (13-15). After the wise men head back home, an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph while he’s dreaming and says, “Get up, 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.” Even in this account we see how Joseph is not the “real father” of Jesus. Do you see it? The angel says, “Take the child and his mother…” He doesn’t say, “Take your son” but instead, “take the child.” Note also that “the child” is listed before “his mother,” which shows us who is most important. In verses 14-15 we read: “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.’”
Every year we read of people who steal figurines from nativity sets. The Daily Leader ran a story on Christmas Eve out of Florida with the headline “GPS Jesus.” Because the baby Jesus statue had been stolen even after having bolted down, they decided to equip the new one with a GPS system. Dina Cellini, who oversees the display, made these comments: “I don’t anticipate this will ever happen again, but we may need to rely on technology to save our savior.” I don’t think Jesus needs the help of technology but as we look at our passage today we will see that He did need to be saved from Herod’s anger. I don’t have access to a GPS but this map shows their probable route [show map].
If you know your Old Testament, you’ll recognize the significance of Egypt. On the one hand it represents bondage and worldliness. On the other, it signifies safety and security. Joseph’s namesake had a tough time there before God blessed him and Jacob, his forefather, made a very similar journey in Genesis 46:3-4: “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again.”
My friend Craig Wininger points out some parallels with Israel’s history: “The presence of an angry ruler, a helpless infant, the slaughter of…children, and the land of Egypt – all of these things call to mind the events of the beginnings of the people of God – the accounts of Jacob and Joseph, of Moses, Pharaoh and the Exodus.” This trip from Bethlehem to the border of Egypt was about 80 miles long and then they likely traveled another 250 miles to Alexandria, a city known to be home for 1 million Jews at this time. The family would have been safe there. The total trip could have taken two weeks or longer.
2. Massacre in Bethlehem (16-18). Herod is now hot because the wise men had outwitted him. Follow along as I read verses 16-18: “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.’”
Born into a politically well-connected family, Herod was destined for a life of hardball and power brokering. At 25 years old, he was named the governor of Galilee. In 40 B.C. the Roman Senate named him “King of the Jews.” It was a title the Jews hated because he was anything but religious and that explains why he went berserk when he heard that a baby had been born “king of Jews.”
Soon after becoming King, he wiped out several bands of guerrillas who were terrorizing the countryside. He held tightly to the reins of power and brutally removed anyone who got in his way. Over the years he killed many people: His brother-in-law, his mother-in-law, two of his sons, and even his wife. The great historian Josephus called him “barbaric” and another writer has dubbed him “the malevolent maniac.” Caesar Augustus reportedly said: “It’s better to be Herod’s pig than his son because pigs were protected by law.”
Herod was haughty and built 7 palaces and 7 theaters – one of which seated 9,500 people. He constructed stadiums for sporting events – the largest could seat 300,000 fans! He even put up a new temple for the Jews.
Ever since an enemy poisoned Herod’s father, who was a king himself, Herod was beset with paranoia. He went to great lengths to make sure a secret ingredient never ended up in his burrito supreme. When he became king, he commissioned tens of thousands of slaves to build over 10 emergency fortresses, all heavily armed and well provisioned. In addition, he established an elaborate network of spies. Anyone with a plot to dethrone Herod was sniffed out and snuffed out before he could eat breakfast. Those who opposed him would be invited to a midnight swim in the Jordan River with a cement bathrobe on.
Realizing that he has been tricked by the wise guys, Herod wigs out. Remember that he is a bloodthirsty killer by nature. All the worst instincts of a lifetime of cruelty now come to the surface. After realizing what happened, he was furious and did something worthy of Hitler or Stalin or Saddam Hussein. He ordered the cold-blooded murder of all males less than two years of age. Herod the Great had become the Butcher of Bethlehem. He was perhaps the ultimate oxymoron in history. Rich in what most of us consider valuable, he was totally bankrupt as a human being. He was addicted to power, obsessed with possessions, focused on prestige, and filled with paranoia.
Incidentally, while extremely tragic, this probably involved far fewer babies than is often stated. Bethlehem and its surroundings only had a population of around 1,000 people. There were definitely not thousands of babies killed. Perhaps more like 20 to 30 but it was still horrific. The Greek Church commemorates this awful catastrophe on December 29th. Ramah is located about five miles north of Jerusalem and historically was the holding place for Jewish captives as they were prepared for deportation to Babylon, much like Terezin was for prisoners before they were sent to Auschwitz.
Would you notice how this fulfills prophecy? Rachel is buried in Bethlehem and her tears are figuratively spilling into the soil again as mothers were weeping and crying inconsolably.
3. Return to Nazareth (19-23). Some time later, perhaps a year or so, Herod dies and then an angel appears in another dream to Joseph and says: “‘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.’ This echoes Exodus 4:19 where God said to Moses: “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.” We read that after Joseph heard this, “…he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.”
After making it back to the Bethlehem area, Joseph finds out that Herod’s son Archaeleus is now on the throne and he becomes afraid. This son was even more sinister than Herod. I wonder if Joseph was bothered and bummed out. He and his young family have been gone from Nazareth for a long time. They were refugees and immigrants and he probably longed to just settle down somewhere. Once again, he has a dream and then “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: ‘He will be called a Nazarene.’”
Do you see that these last six words have quotes around them? You’ll be hard pressed to find this verse in the Old Testament but the explanation comes in the word right before the quote. Do you see it? It’s the word “prophets.” Matthew is putting a couple verses together here, using a wordplay to show that Jesus was the branch (nezer) from Isaiah 11:1 and was despised (nezer) from Isaiah 53:3.
Jesus was often called “The Nazarene” as a title of derision. Nathaniel summed up what people thought of this town in John 1: 46: “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” No one lived in Nazareth except those who could not afford to live anywhere else. Even in His death, the sign on the top of the cross was used to mock Him. The letters I.N.R.I. were the Latin abbreviation for: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.”
By the way, do you ever feel like you’re from an insignificant town? Do you live in Pontiac, Fairbury, Saunemin, Strawn, Cullom, Forrest, Cabery, Chatsworth, Chenoa, Meadows, Campus, Lexington, Gridley, Graymont, Flanagan, Minonk, Cornell, Ancona, Blackstone, Emington, Long Point, Manville, Streator, Odell, Dwight or Mazon? There’s something very special about relatively insignificant towns. God does some of His best work in small towns.
Let’s look now at three ways to beat the blahs.
Beating the Blahs
1. Exhibit instant obedience. While we have no record of Joseph ever saying anything, his actions sure spoke loudly. In every case, when Joseph is told what to do, he instantly obeys. We can go back to the time when the angel of the Lord told him to take Mary as his wife in Matthew 1:24: “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.” In scene one, once he hears the angel tell him to go to Egypt he didn’t wait until morning but got up while it was still dark and departed. In scene two, when he’s told to go back to Israel, he does so immediately. Then, when he’s warned in a dream to not stay in Judea in scene three, he leads Mary and her son back on the road where they head north to Nazareth.
Let’s take a look at the meaning behind some of the words in Matthew 2:13. The phrase “get up” means “to be roused from inactivity.” Just like us, Joseph had to be prodded from inaction to action. The phrase “and take” means “to take your responsibility seriously.” The word “escape” means “to move with haste because of danger.”
Did you notice that Joseph does not ask for more information nor request more time? Once the Lord says it; that settles it. He doesn’t ask questions or make a deal or tell the Lord that he’ll obey later on. He doesn’t complain about how hard it is to uproot his young family or wonder about travel accommodations. He just gets up and goes. Hebrews 11:8 tells us that Abraham “obeyed and went to a strange land.” 1 Samuel 15:22: “To obey is better than sacrifice…” According to Jesus in John 13:17, blessings flow out of obedience: “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” If we say that we love the Lord than we better show it by living for Him as Jesus said in John 14:15: “If you love me, you will obey what I command.”
In what area is the Lord expecting your instant obedience right now? Is there something He’s prompting you to do but you’ve been delaying? Psalm 119:60 says: “I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.” If you want to obey, don’t delay. Is there a decision you’ve been putting off? An ungodly relationship you need to sever? An application you need to send in? Is there a gift you need to give? A commitment you need to make? Is there a person you need to forgive? What about deciding to plug into PBC like you’ve never done before?
2. Expect constant opposition. As a follow-up to our service last Sunday, have you noticed that every time hope is born, hard times are sure to follow? By understanding that Jesus and his family spent their first years as refugees, if we call ourselves followers of Christ, we too will experience opposition and persecution. We want a sentimental and sanitized Christmas but that’s really not an option. Properly understood, Christmas should take us out of our comfort zone. Hebrews 11:13 says that we are “aliens and strangers on earth.” This post-Christmas world is neither our hope nor our home. Just as Joseph endured opposition for the sake of the baby, as those who bear his name, we should expect no less. God didn’t remove the difficulties but He did lead him through them.
Joseph learned that to be caretaker of the Christ-child meant that his simple and quiet life was over because good news always has enemies. Likewise, as Christ-followers, our life should never be blah or boring. I don’t know who said this but it’s so true: “In order to see the Babe in Bethlehem, one must pass through Jerusalem and awaken King Herod.” And, there are Herods everywhere because Herod is simply the seed of the serpent.
I’m not sure I fully grasp Revelation 12:17 but I catch enough to know that Satan is intent on wiping out believers: “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” Since Satan couldn’t murder Immanuel as an infant he is out to assassinate the offspring of Eve. And he often launches his attacks stealthily.
I find it interesting that of all the blog entries I have made, there has been only one that has received comments that I’ve had to delete because they were gross and disgusting. It happened on the entry called, “Courageous Christians,” where I highlighted some believers who are standing strong in the face of persecution. Apparently someone does not like hearing about persecuted Christians. These comments came from Russia and from one other country, but their source is Satan himself.
3. Embrace God’s operation. I love this quote: “When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home, when the shepherds are back with their flocks, then the real work of Christmas begins.” God is weaving everything together to accomplish His will. The happenings of history work out in a way that will bring Him ultimate glory for He is the God of history. There is nothing that surprises Him, nothing that slows Him down because He rules and reigns. King Herod was strong but he was nothing compared to King Jesus. Life is often not like what we planned. Blahs come, plans change, life happens but God is great and He is good and He’s in charge.
I see God’s providence all over this. This word means “the care exercised by God.” He takes care of us and prepares us for what hasn’t happened yet. That means He brings blessing from brokenness and triumph from tragedy.
* God provided provisions for the journey. Gold, frankincense and myrrh were liquid assets and easy to transport.
* God fulfilled prophecy. There are three distinct prophecies fulfilled in this account. God had this in mind all along. This gives us great confidence in Scripture and helps us see that God is true to His Word. What He has promised has come to pass or if not yet, it will soon! Whatever path you follow, God not only knows where it will lead but He will work it out so that His glory is ultimately accomplished through your actions.
* God is always present. He never left Joseph and Mary to figure things out alone. He was with them, reminding them that Herod could not kill hope.
In the midst of our problems, God is present. We had an interesting example of this a week ago Saturday night. The winds were so strong that they knocked over our nativity set. When we woke up we decided to just keep them that way. Beth pointed out that all the figures should be bowing before Jesus anyway. That’s exactly what our problems should do in our lives – they should make us bow before Christ.
God doesn’t always tell us everything about the future, does He? Here’s a principle that is helpful. If you want to know God’s will then do the will of God that you already know. Many times we ask God to tell us what to do and God says, “I’ve already told you in my Word but you’re not doing what you already know.” I find it very interesting that God did not tell Joseph to go to Nazareth until he had first obeyed and went to Judea. The old adage is true: “God doesn’t steer parked cars.” If you want God to guide you, then start moving on those things you already know He wants you to do. Ray Pritchard says it like this: “If you really want to know God’s will, you’ll know it.”
I don’t have time to list all of God’s revealed will but here are six clear commands that come to mind:
* Put God and His kingdom first in all things. Matthew 6:33: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
* Read His Word daily. I love what Psalm 1:2 says: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” As a way to get ready for next Sunday’s sermon, and to approach the New Year with a renewed commitment to obey, could you please read Psalm 1 every day this week? 2008 is our 40th Anniversary Year and we’re going to give priority to God’s Word by reading the New Testament together using this Bible Reading Plan [hold up]. We’ll distribute these beginning next Sunday.
* Practice sexual purity. 1 Thessalonians 4:3: “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality.”
* Give on a weekly basis to the work of God in the world. Malachi 3:10: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse…and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”
* Encourage others and challenge them to grow. Hebrews 10:24: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”
* Make Sunday attendance a holy habit. Hebrews 10:25: “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Lucy walks up to Charlie Brown just before Christmas and says to him: “Charlie Brown, since it is Christmas, I suggest that we lay aside all our differences and be friends for this season of the year.” Charlie Brown responds: “That’s a great idea, Lucy, but why does it have to be just at this time of the year? Why can’t we be friends all year long? Lucy looks at Charlie Brown with disgust and asks, “What are you, a fanatic or something?”
Friends, Christmas changes everything. Let’s let it change us all year long. Most of us could stand to be a bit more fanatical in our faith anyway by…
1. Exhibiting instant obedience.
2. Expecting constant opposition.
3. Embracing God’s operation.
I opened with a poem called “Many Happy Returns” but never finished it. I conclude with it now:
To celebrate peace
And the meaning of giving
To discover real love
And the purpose for living.
Dear Jesus please help us
To stop and remember
That you came to earth
Not just for December.
But from birth in a manger
To death on a cross
You gave up glory
And counted it loss.
So now as we trust You -
God’s only Son -
The real celebration
Has only begun!
