December 28, 2025

Matthew 2:13-23

Herod gave the order to kill all the boy babies in Bethlehem who were two years old and younger. He used the time line that the wise men had given him. Matthew shows the fulfillment of the prophecy of Jeremiah, “a voice in Ramah weeping and loud lamentations….she refused to be comforted for they were no more.” While this passage is about Babylon’s captivity, Matthew uses it to show mothers in Israel mourning the loss of their children over Herod’s ruthless act to retain his power. There are many reasons leaders seek to retain power in our world, and people flee from war torn countries and civil wars. If we include famines, disasters, diseases, persecution are all reasons people flee from where they were, to get to somewhere safe. There is no doubt many people seek a new life here in this country. We are like Egypt. In America, we have food, we have safety, we have shelter, we have resources, we have opportunities, the world has come to us. We do want to minister to the people who are here, at our doorstep. This is God’s call.

God wants us to be kind to all. Do not despise anyone. In Leviticus, Moses said “to love the alien among you shall love the alien as yourself for you were aliens in the land of Egypt, I am the Lord your God.” In times of persecution God used other nations to help His people, to save and protect them. Ruth and Naomi who journeyed to Israel after Ruth’s husband died. And because Ruth and Naomi traveled to Israel, the lineage of Christ would begin due to God moving His people from one place to another. The diaspora led God’s people out and settled them in communities and God’s word took root. He does this even today. He uses persecution, student visas, work visas, to move people around. This is how God uses His people to minister to the lonely, lost, vulnerable to bring them the good news of Jesus. And we want to make sure to share that message.

In the time of Jesus, travel was far more accessible than it is today, no need to fill out paperwork, Real ID, visa’s, or green cards, passports. I can’t Imagine what would’ve happened to Mary and Joseph and Jesus if they had to go through what people go through today in order to go from one country to the next.

God told Joseph to go to Egypt until Herod died. Many times God sent His people to Egypt to escape peril. Abraham, for example, sought refuge in Egypt during a famine, Same as Jacob and his sons, they also immigrated to escape famine. Jeroboam fled Egypt to escape persecution. In each trip, God still worked His plan for salvation for them.  And one way of looking at the flight of Egypt, it could be looked as a reversal of the Exodus. Joseph immediately obeyed God to safely guide him on the journey.

But remember Our Lord was a journeyman. He became a foreigner in our world in order to travel to the cross for us. Jesus became human for us. He became one of us to free us so that those who believe in Him could live forever.

When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and told him rise, “take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” Again Joseph obeyed without question and returned to Israel. This again fulfilled scripture and the prophecy of Hosea, “when Israel was a child I loved Him and out of Egypt I called my son.”  Jesus is the new Israel and it is fitting that the story of the new Israel begins just as the story of old Israel and they both were called out of Egypt to journey to their new home.

You’d think they’d head home to Bethlehem, but a new ruler, Archeleaus, reigned in the place of his father Herod. Joseph was concerned because the new ruler was just as cruel as his father. And in a dream, Joseph heard not to stay in Bethlehem so they moved to the district of Galilee and settled in Nazareth. Again fulfilling prophecy, He shall be called a Nazarene.

Nazareth was a bad place to come from. It had a bad reputation and people did not think much of you, if you cam from Nazareth. And in coming from Nazareth Jesus will be despised and rejected by men. Isaiah prophesied about the suffering servant who would be scorned and loathed because He is a Nazarene. He begins with His ministry, people hated Him. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathaniel said.

The journey to Egypt and to Nazareth was for us. The journey has a purpose and the path of the Father was set for Jesus. From there Jesus would begin His three year ministry and would consist of great miracles, signs and proofs that He is the living Lord and true Messiah. This journey would take Him to Jerusalem where He will suffer and die for us. To wash clean our sins with His precious blood. His journey will take Him to hell. And finally He will travel back from the dead and guarantee us rising from the dead on the last day. Finally His journey will take Him back to God the Father. There Jesus prepares a place for us. When our journey is done we will travel to the Savior who traveled the hard road for us so we would not have to.

As we go into our new year, 2026, let us remember our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Who came to our world to save the world that could not save itself. He did not have to come here and suffer, He did so because He is the Good Shepherd who loves us. God is still moving His people. Sending missionaries and pastors here and there. Deacons and deaconesses. Educators and musicians. Lay people. God is continually moving His people and God is continually moving among His people. He sets them in communities and provides for them the resources they need to survive, to flourish, to survive. God’s people move away, sad for me. But I also take great comfort that God knows more than me and He is in control, when He moves His people, it is for their good. So I mourn, yet rejoice at the same time, that we were able to cross paths and journey together for awhile on this earth.

Ya know, “synod” has great meaning in our name Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, our church body, it means “walking together” in Latin. Wherever the Lord takes us and whatever is in store for us in 2026 may we all know that as we walk together, near or far away, the Lord is walking together with us, our Immanuel is leading and guiding and protecting His people for our good and for His glory.  In Jesus name. Amen.