The Savior is Safe!
Matthew 2:13-23
Preached at the Laurel Church of Christ
On December 15, 2002
CIT: The baby Jesus is saved by the foresight of God and the obedience of Joseph and the wise men.
MOT: Even Jesus was not immune to suffering and the attacks of Satan.
CAA: The Laurel church should be motivated to continue their life of obedience.
Thesis: Salvation is found in the pure motivation of obedience to the Lord’s will.
Purpose: Devotional
Introduction:
I. There was a contest held at a local school one Christmas season a few years ago in east Texas.
A. One of the prizewinners was picture drawn by a nine-year-old boy showing three men offering gifts to the baby Jesus.
B. What made the picture unique is how the three gift presenters arrived – there was fire truck on the side of the picture.
C. The principle asked the boy about his decision to draw the truck and the boy, in his heavy East-Texas accent was quick to reply: “Well, the Bible says the wise men came from a-far.”
II. The story that Matthew continues to tell in chapter 2 is one of intrigue, deceit, suffering, and obedience.
A. It seems to me that it would make a good popular movie.
B. Let’s read Matthew 2:13-23
III. Danger for anyone but especially a small child is very real. A parent for at least the first couple of years is battling to keep the child safe.
A. Today we place outlet covers in all of the electrical plugs.
1. We put childproof locks on all of the cabinet doors to keep them safe.
2. We keep a close eye on them to keep foreign objects out of their mouth, and list goes on and on.
3. As parents it is our duty to protect our children from impending danger.
B. Surely at this time in Bethlehem, Joseph and Mary are worried about the protection of their newborn son.
1. Especially concerned about his safety because this is no ordinary boy, this is the Messiah everyone has been waiting on.
2. Enough time has passed that the parents of Jesus have found a place to stay other than the barn.
3. For some weird reason, I always understood the wise men to come to the manger not a house, but according to the Bible they found them at a house (v.11)
C. Let’s look to see how our Savior was saved.
Body:
I. Joseph’s obedience to God (13-15)
A. Obedience is really very simple
1. As one child put it.
a. I have figured out how to not get in trouble with mom
b. When she asks me to do something.
c. I do it.
2. If only we could realize just how simple obedience is to God, when God asks you to do something. Just do it!
3. So instead of arguing about obedience our society argues that God doesn’t have any rules that have to be obeyed.
a. Our rules are made on a one by one basis, and it is up to me what I do.
b. A good example of this is the slogan of the Outback Steak House…”No rules – Just right”
c. I suspect that if you showed up and didn’t wait for the hostess, took a table ahead of people waiting, ordered something not on the menu, then walked out without paying your bill the manager would think differently.
B. Fred Craddock, in an address to ministers, caught the practical implications of an obedient life to Christ
1. “We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking a $1,000 bill and laying it on the table - - ‘Here’s my life, Lord. I’m giving it all.’
2. But the reality for most of us is that he sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $1,000 dollars for quarters.
3. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there.
a. Listen to the neighbor kid’s troubles instead of saying, ‘Get lost.’
b. Go to a committee meeting instead of doing what we want to do.
c. Giving a cup of water to a shaky old man in a nursing home instead of hanging out with our friends
d. Usually giving our life to Christ isn’t glorious.
4. It’s done in all of those acts of love, 25 cents at a time.
5. It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory; it is harder to live the Christian life little by little over the long haul.
C. Joseph is an example of giving a little here and a little there.
1. The first episode with an angel was to stay engaged to Mary
2. The second episode was to protect his adopted son, the son of God
3. Because of Joseph’s faithful obedience, Scripture was fulfilled and the Savior was saved.
II. A Narrow escape to Egypt (16-18)
A. (Watch movie of Matthew 2:1-23)
B. As we viewed the movie clip, it brings to life what really happened when Herod gave the order for these young baby boys to be killed.
1. It was horrific. Herod, though, had done many such things before.
2. He slaughtered his own sons so they would not take his thrown.
3. At his death, his last official order was to have each family have a child killed so that all would mourn his death.
4. Herod was a sick individual with no moral influences, so at the possibility of a king at Bethlehem he ordered all young baby boys to be killed.
5. Thankfully, though, Joseph was obedient to the will of God and fled before the guards of Herod intercepted the town of Bethlehem.
C. This story is very reminiscent of Moses
1. The details between the Moses story and the story of the slaughter of the innocent children and flight into Egypt are different, but the pattern is the same.
a. The nuances of the story as told by Matthew would not have been lost on a Jewish audience.
b. Jesus is the deliverer of the new covenant as Moses was the deliverer of the Old.
2. Exodus 1:20-2:4
a. Obviously both stories do have differences but both delivers soon after birth were in danger of losing their lives.
b. Parents then took actions to protect their children.
III. The Return of the King (19-23)
A. Even after Herod had died and another had taken his place, the fear for Jesus life was still real.
1. Once again the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and told him to go back home because the threat had disappeared.
2. Then after he feared the life of his adopted son, an angel directed him to go to the region of Galilee specifically the town of Nazareth.
B. Wouldn’t it be grand if we could all have Spirit led lives like Joseph
1. It seems at each significant moment of decision making, an angel is there directing his way.
2. Can we have such direction?
3. Of course, but not in the same way as Joseph.
4. We do have direction that cannot be misunderstood, because it is before us in writing. You do not need a directing angel, because the Bible directs your decisions.
Conclusion:
I. Because of the simple obedience of Joseph our Savior lived another day and was able to grow to be the Jesus that went to the cross. Simple Obedience.
II. Cuban Missile Crisis
A. It is October 14th, and the sun is reflecting mirages of water on an Air Force base runway in southern Florida.
1. The silence of the scene is interrupted as a long-winged plane touches down on the runway and taxies to the hanger.
2. A thousand planes a day go through this same routine, but this one plane’s payload is different from all the others.
3. Its payload is just a few rolls of film, but the information on that film will shape the events of the world.
4. It will shift the balance of power in the world.
5. The film is transported to a top-secret laboratory and developed. It is sent to the Pentagon and then on to the Oval office in the White House.
6. The date is 1962, and a young president, John F. Kennedy, just 44 years old, sits at the desk. The decision he makes moves the armies of the most powerful nation in the world.
7. The crisis he faces is one of immense proportions
B. The photos taken were from a U2 reconnaissance aircraft. One picture in particular revealed that the Soviets had placed medium-range missile silos in Cuba. These missiles were capable of reaching strategic targets throughout the United States. The risk of world conflict hadn’t reached this level since WW@, and it involved the two greatest superpowers in the world. The president moved decisively, ordering Premier Krushchev to halt all further deliveries of weapons and to immediately dismantle the missile sites.
C. A broadcast to the American people let us know the gravity of the situation. The president said, “This secret, swift, extraordinary buildup of communist weapons is a deliberate and unjustifiable challenge to our national security, and it will not be accepted. America braced for what was to come. President Kennedy ordered an immediate naval and air blockade of Cuba.
D. Premier Krushchev decided he would test this young president’s fabric. He would challenge this nation’s resolve. He would confront the standard of our convictions. The Soviet ships sailed to Cuba.
E. The world held its breath in nervous anticipation as hours crept by and ships grew closer and closer to one another. As kids we played a little game. We called it chicken. You want to see who is going to flinch when challenged. In national politics you call it brinkmanship. Brinkmanship is the willingness to expose oneself to risk, to press the limits of safety for a cause. It is the walking of the tightrope of disaster.
F. The Soviets were 100 yards away from our American ships. Our Navy was on full battle alert with orders to stop the Russians at all costs. Some of you recall those moments as people were glued to the radios and TV’s to see who would flinch, who would fire, or what the world would look like in this latest age of nuclear war. With just feet to spare, at the brink of disaster and destruction, the Soviets turned.
G. This incident in world history has a living parallel in our daily lives. Many are involved in a dangerous game of spiritual brinkmanship (chicken). We walk the very boundary of sin in our lifestyle. Balancing precariously, we move toward the cliff’s edge. Dangling our toes over the abyss, we tempt the fall. We struggle with bad habits that become self-destructive patterns. At the same time, we are saying, “Oh, don’t worry about me it’s okay. I’m a Christian.”
III. Joseph is a pattern to us once again of faithful obedience.
A. What have you done to obey God?
B. Have you committed your life to daily service?
C. Have you obeyed the Gospel?
