Day 30, Read Matthew 2:13-23; Luke 2:39

Matthew 2 contains details of Jesus’ early life that Luke was not led by the Spirit to include.  There is the story of the wise men and the massacre of infants in Bethlehem.  In addition, Luke simply indicates the family settled in Nazareth; but Matthew tells of the escape to Egypt before returning to Nazareth.  Matthew also acknowledges fulfillment of three prophecies.  Let us consider each.

The flight to Egypt is said to fulfill Hosea 11:1 which says, “When Israel was a child, I loved him.  And out of Egypt I called My son.”  If Hosea refers to the Nation (Israel) how can it be applied to the Messiah?  The answer is found in the connection between Israel and Messiah seen often in the Old Testament.  Messiah is the obedient Servant in Isaiah that Israel had not been.  Israel was seen as God’s son, but Israel was not the faithful son, while the Messiah did fill that role.  Thus there is seen in Matthew’s reference to the Messiah’s identification with the Nation.  As Israel went to Egypt for protection in the time of the famine, so the Messiah went to Egypt for protection for a short period.

The murder of the innocents is a fulfillment of Jer. 31:15.  The reference to Rachel in Jeremiah seems to refer to Joseph and Benjamin, Rachel’s two sons who were part of the population of both the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel after Solomon’s time.  In other words it acknowledged the suffering of all God’s people in Jeremiah’s time.  But the thought that it looked to a future suffering is not unusual.  The connection of Rachel to Bethlehem (remember, she died there; Gen. 35:16-20) makes what happened in Matthew 2 very apropos.  The birth of the Messiah was not the end of Israel’s suffering.

In Matt. 2:23 the return to Nazareth is said to fulfill words spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”  This is somewhat enigmatic as there is not such a phrase in the Old Testament.  Note first, it is not the same as Nazirite (Num. 6).  Second, Messiah’s ministry was connected to Galilee (Isa. 9:1).  Galilean and Nazarene are synonymous as places denigrated by the Jews (Jn. 1:46; Ac. 2:7).  And both are used of Christ (Matt. 26:69,71).   Thus this could refer to the way the Messiah would be shamefully treated.  Another explanation comes from the meaning of the name “Nazarene”.  It may come from the Hebrew word for “branch” (neser).  In that case Matthew would be referring to passages such as Isa. 11:1 and many others that call Messiah “the Branch.”  

Acknowledging the difficulty in understanding certain passages does no damage to the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ.  There are always Scriptures that need further study.  God’s word through Matthew is right on, however, in that Jesus of Nazareth is the fulfillment of God’s purpose and plan that was revealed through the prophets.  Over 65 times Matthew refers to Old Testament passages in telling the story of Christ.  Let us rejoice that God is faithfully doing all He promised, and will continue until all bow the knee to His Son (Phil. 2:9-11).