BASIC SCRIPTURE for 25 December 2023
BASIC SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 2:13 – 21
13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.
17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life.
21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
The scripture you mentioned, Matthew 2:13-21, recounts a pivotal event in the life of Jesus, specifically during His infancy. Here’s a summary:
In this passage, after the wise men from the East had visited the infant Jesus and presented Him with gifts, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, warning him to flee to Egypt with Mary and Jesus. The reason for this urgent departure was Herod’s malicious intent to destroy the child Jesus.
Joseph, being obedient to the angel’s instruction, took Mary and Jesus by night and escaped to Egypt, where they stayed until Herod’s death. This relocation fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Hosea: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Meanwhile, Herod, realizing that he had been outwitted by the wise men, became furious. In his rage, he ordered the massacre of all male children in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, based on the time frame he had learned from the wise men.
However, as prophesied by Jeremiah, Rachel’s weeping for her children echoed through the land as a result of this cruel and senseless act.
After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared again to Joseph in Egypt, instructing him to return to Israel with Mary and Jesus. Joseph obeyed but, upon hearing that Herod’s son, Archelaus, was ruling in Judea, he was afraid to go there. Instead, following divine guidance in another dream, Joseph settled in the region of Galilee, in the town of Nazareth. This relocation fulfilled another prophecy, proclaiming Jesus as a Nazarene.
This passage highlights the divine protection over the life of Jesus, as well as the fulfillment of several Old Testament prophecies through these events. It also demonstrates the obedience and faithfulness of Joseph in carrying out God’s instructions to safeguard the child Jesus.
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