Jesus Who Flees

[Matthew 2:13–18]

The gospel is Jesus Christ. The core of the gospel is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is why, in our desire to know more about Jesus Christ and the heart of the gospel — His death and resurrection — we meditated eight times on the theme “The Word Became Flesh,” focusing on John 1:1–4, 9–14.

Who is Jesus Christ? He is the one who existed from the beginning (John 1:1), who was with God, and who is God (v.1). He is the Creator who made all things (v.3). In Jesus Christ is life, which is the light of mankind (v.4). Why did Jesus Christ become a man [“The Word became flesh” (v.14)]? It was to dwell among us. Look at John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us...” Also, it was to become the mediator between God and man. 1 Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.”
And He came to die. Matthew 20:28 says, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” This verse speaks of the suffering of Jesus Christ in a broad sense. Jesus Christ became man and lived on this earth for 33 years, during which He suffered. In short, the 33 years of Jesus’ life were a life of suffering. His suffering was not limited to dying on the cross at age 33 — as we see in today's passage, Matthew 2:13–18 — He suffered even as a child. In other words, Jesus experienced the life of a refugee from a young age.

Matthew 2:13 says:
“When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘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.’”
Here, “they” refers to the Magi from the East (v.1). We do not know for sure how many Magi there were. It is commonly thought there were three, because they presented gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh when they worshiped baby Jesus (v.11).
When the Magi, following the star, came to Jerusalem seeking to worship the baby born King of the Jews, King Herod and all Jerusalem were disturbed (vv.1–3). Herod called together all the chief priests and teachers of the law and asked them where the Christ was to be born (v.4). They replied, based on the prophet’s writing, “In Bethlehem in Judea” (vv.5–6).
Then Herod secretly called the Magi and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him” (vv.7–8).
After hearing the king, the Magi went on their way. The star they had seen in the east went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was (v.9). When they saw the star, they were overjoyed (v.10).
They entered the house and saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts (v.11).
They were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, so they returned to their country by another route (v.12).
After they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Herod is going to search for the child to kill him. Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you” (v.13).
So Joseph got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and left for Egypt, where they stayed until the death of Herod (vv.14–15).
Why did the baby Jesus flee to Egypt? The reason was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son” (v.15).
This prophecy was spoken through the prophet Hosea. Hosea 11:1 says, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.”

Jesus Christ came to this earth to fulfill all that He had promised in the covenant.
For example, the covenant in Genesis 3:15 says,
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Jesus fulfilled this when He said on the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30) and died.

Jesus Christ came to this earth to fulfill the will of God at the time appointed by God.
Jesus Christ died at the time appointed by God. Romans 5:6 says,
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.”
Christ died “at just the right time,” that is, at the time determined by God, for the ungodly.

Jesus Christ came to this earth at the time appointed by God (the first coming of Jesus). Galatians 4:4 says,
“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law.”
God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, born of the virgin Mary, “when the set time had fully come”—that is, at the appointed time.

Jesus Christ will come again to this earth at the time appointed by God (the second coming of Jesus).
1 Timothy 6:14–15 says,
“Keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time...”
[Modern Translation: “Keep this command without fault or blame until the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. God will bring him at the right time.”]

Jesus did not flee to Egypt because He was weak or afraid of King Herod, but because the time set by God had not yet come (Matthew 2:13–14).

Jesus Christ not only fled to Egypt, but He also fled on other occasions. Why? Because it was not yet God’s appointed time.

John 8:59 says:
“At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.”
When the Jews tried to stone Jesus, He hid and left the temple. [Modern Translation: “He left the temple to avoid them.”]
In short, Jesus avoided death because it was not yet the time appointed by God.

John 10:39 says:
“Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.”
The Jews once again tried to seize Jesus, but He escaped from their hands, because the time for Him to die had not yet come.

John 11:53–54 says:
“So from that day on they plotted to take his life. Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.”
Because the time set by God for His death had not yet come, Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the Jews but withdrew.

John 12:36 says:
“Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

John 2:4 says:
“Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

John 7:8 says:
“You go to the festival. I am not going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come.”

Our Lord did not hide or flee because He was weak or full of fear.
Jesus turned water into wine (John 2:1–11), fed five thousand men with just two fish and five loaves of bread (John 6:1–15), walked on water (vv. 16–21), and raised the dead—Jairus's daughter (Mark 5:21–24, 38–43), the son of the widow in Nain (Luke 7:11–17), and Lazarus (John 11:1–44).
Clearly, Jesus did not flee to Egypt because He was afraid of King Herod. He fled because it was not yet the appointed time—God’s time—for Him.

Pilate tried to avoid crucifying Jesus.
When the crowd brought Jesus before him and accused Him, Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd,
“I find no basis for a charge against this man” (Luke 23:1–4), and again,
“You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death” (vv. 14–15).
“For the third time he spoke to them: ‘Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him’” (v. 22).
He wanted to release Jesus (v. 20). However, because God’s appointed time had come, God handed over Jesus Christ to the cross.
God, in His perfect timing, fulfilled what He had planned before the foundation of the world for our salvation.

In this world full of trials, many people are living in exile or experiencing suffering (e.g., refugees, those suffering from illness, and many others).
As we think of Jesus Christ, who fled to Egypt, we must hold firmly to the conviction that God will surely fulfill His saving will at His appointed time.
We must wait patiently in faith.
Especially, we should carry out our responsibilities faithfully, with the assurance that God will fulfill His covenant with us at His appointed time and in His way.

For example, in Matthew 16:18, the Lord promises to build His church.
We must participate humbly and faithfully in the work of building up the church, trusting that the Lord will indeed fulfill this promise.

Although many difficulties may arise in this journey, each time we must flee to the Lord, who is our refuge.
Clinging to His promises, we must pray in faith, with full assurance that the Lord of the covenant, who is always faithful, will certainly fulfill His word at His time and in His way.
With that confidence, we must carry out the calling and ministry given to each of us with consistency and perseverance.

When we do so, the Lord will surely accomplish His will—in His time, in His way, and for His glory.