Sermonette: Dec. 23, 2019

The very first Christmas began with dreams and visions. In Luke’s gospel we read of the visions of Zechariah, Mary, shepherds, Simeon, and Anna. I have been considering the dreams of Joseph and the magi recorded in Matthew. The fourth dream recorded there is another dream of Joseph’s. We read: “When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly 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 seeking the child’s life are dead’” (Matthew 2:19-20).

We are not sure how much time has elapsed since the angel appeared to Joseph telling him to take his family to Egypt to protect the child from Herod. Possibly a number of months have gone by. And now Joseph and his family will, once again, be on the move. So it wasn’t just as an adult that Jesus could say, “The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). Again and again Jesus is homeless, his life threatened, even as a baby.

I wonder how Joseph felt hearing the words of the angel. I suppose he was frightened, it seems that is the usual response to a visit by an angel. Then maybe he was relieved since no one was trying to kill the child any longer. Yet I suspect Joseph was soon overwhelmed with a sense of weariness as he contemplated yet another arduous journey with his family back to Bethlehem.

I am struck by all this torturesome travel. The evangelist tells us that the journey to Egypt and back was to fulfill the prophecy of Hosea. We read: “Out of Egypt I have called my son” (Matthew 2:15). In one sense it refers to Israel in Egypt, being called home to the Promised Land. Israel was figuratively God’s son.

At the same time, Israel and you and I, if we are honest, haven’t always behaved like God’s children. And the Lord looks to a time when the perfect and true Son of God, Jesus Christ, as a little child, would go to Egypt for us, and then be called “out of Egypt” to go back to Israel where one day he would die on the cross, in our place.

But for Christ to save Israel, and all God’s people, he had to take their place. He had to relive their wanderings, their sufferings, their temptations, without giving in to sin himself. He had to succeed where the people of God had failed. So that’s what Jesus was doing, from the moment of his birth into poverty to his last breath on Calvary’s cross. And on Easter morning he rose to bring life and forgiveness to all who believe.

That’s what all these travels and journeys of Jesus are all about, beginning with his journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem and ending with his journey from Pontius Pilate’s court to Calvary’s cross. Jesus is taking our place. He is the second chance for all God’s people. When he endured a life of suffering that culminated with a fight to the death on the cross, he did it for you and me. His victory over sin and death and the devil is our victory. And it’s not just a dream. It’s the truth. Glory be to God!