God’s Protection

God’s Protection

¹³ After they were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to kill him.” ¹⁴ So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt. ¹⁵ He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called my Son.

¹⁶ Then Herod, when he realized that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men. ¹⁷ Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

¹⁸ A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; and she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.

¹⁹ After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, ²⁰ saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, because those who intended to kill the child are dead.” ²¹ So he got up, took the child and his mother, and entered the land of Israel. ²² But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee. ²³ Then he went and settled in a town called Nazareth to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.
^{Matthew 2:13–23 [CSB]}

This is difficult for us. We like the idea of God protecting the baby Jesus…

But we can’t deal with God not protecting the little boys of Bethlehem.

That God would protect His Son…and not them…

Why didn’t he warn the parents of these little ones…so they could flee to Egypt too?

Was it just because God had to fulfill what He predicted through Jeremiah? Just so that God could say, “See, I was right! What I say comes to pass no matter what!”

If you have not been tempted to think this…about God and what He does, then you are better than many…better than me.

The problem is that when we take this direction, we are only looking at the narrow, immediate issue.

It’s like the miracles. Everyone wants them, but can’t see that they are just temporary. Every one of those whom Jesus fed, healed or ever raised from the dead…got hungry again…and what did that matter as they are now all dead and gone…for many centuries now.

Those little boys that Herod had murdered would be dead too…now…had they lived.

Isn’t that sad too? It should be!

But when we don’t see the larger context, we call this just part of life. It is not. Death is not a part of life!

The reason for Jesus’ miracles were not to fix every human problem and concern, but rather to show that Jesus can…and was willing to…

For people like us!

But most importantly…He had come to actually fix the CAUSE for every one of these problems and concerns.

The bigger picture was what He had in mind. The long haul was what He was working towards.

But we want the pain to go away now. We want things to be fixed now.

Are we children? Are we that short-sighted?

No, I’m, not saying simply that life goes on…and those who remain still have lives to live…and need to move on ….

This is true…but that does not relieve the pain…the sorrow…now.

But do you know what does?

Hope that comes from faith…faith because of the picture that the Message of Jesus paints before our eyes with His Words of Truth…that come from outside this place of death and sorrow…of sin and loss.

That is the Big Picture. Because life WILL be bigger and more…much more than this…as…

This is not the end. I mean, after all… they can only kill you, right? They only killed these boys.

Yes, those parents had a lot longer to suffer…this… their horrible loss….

But God is the God of the living. What does He say? How does He explain this?

He tells us that He is the God of Abraham…now dead…and his children…Isaac… and grandchildren…like Jacob…. And as all grieved their loss…
Yes, but… He is also the God of Isaac…remember? The son of laughter! In Sarah’s sadness…that was turned to joy!
That is what I mean…and it was not just for Sarah that this was done…but for us. Not just as an example, but through Isaac Jesus was born.

The big picture, remember. The final solution.

I mean, all barren women could say, “Why Sarah and not me?”

But hold on. These that I have mentioned are all dead…these mothers’ also lost their children…in the end…as all die…

Well…yes…but are they really dead? God is the God of the Living! Of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob… Now!

So, then, is this really the end?

See this has nothing to do with just 70 or 80 years. Or even a few generations.

Because these little boys that we should feel outrage about…as is right…

Are not dead. They are the first Christians martyrs. They hold a place in the Kingdom of God shared by only a select few. Forgotten? Not in the least.

But even if we have, God has not.

We are in a war, if you have not noticed. The devil and the World are out to kill us and undo as much of God’s creation…to wreck as much…of His Kingdom as they can.

And so, there are casualties. There is damage. Yes…painful for that time…and we could be without…for a time…

But we honor those who have fallen to protect us…

…so too do we honor these boys of Bethlehem.

Was it worth it…though? Is it worth it?

Is it better to lose your soul and gain the whole world, or lose the world and gain your soul?

Jesus also said those who wish to save their lives will lose them, and those who will lose their lives FOR HIM will gain them.

But guess what…those who do lose out…here…for Him….

They gain life eternal…and the whole world too!

So, nothing is lost, but a bit of time with family here. But what is time here…compared to eternity?

Those families that lost their little boys…they have been with them now for about 2,000 years… and that is just the beginning.

The bigger picture. The long game. The final solution. That is what this is all about.

These would-be little men of God helped bring in that which will put an end to such corruption in government, as He who was born is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

What they were part of was that which would put an end to what caused all this in the first place. Sin.

Jesus did this with that goal…that result in mind—the final and eternal healing of His Good creation.

The letter to the Hebrews says that Jesus: “…who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” [Hebrews 12:2]

But no, NONE OF IT…no sin and its result is ever right or good…like what happened to the many 2-year-olds in Bethlehem…

But then Jesus comes…and takes THAT and turns it into the opposite.

Death becomes life. Sickness health. Poverty, wealth. Loss, abundance.

Here and now? To some degree… and sometimes…yes…but that really matters little in the grand scale of things…in the real life that is to come.

For those little ones of Bethlehem? The Letter to the Hebrews puts it this way: “Women received back their dead by resurrection.” [Hebrews 11:35].

It has already happened. We saw Jesus do it with the Widow of Nain, when Jesus gave her only son back to her by resurrection. This will be the same for these martyrs. As it will be for us.

SO…when we are tempted to think or feel this way: look to the Cross…to the resurrection…to the Ascension. Because Jesus was just the first born among many brothers and sisters. You and I.

That is why. That is God’s purpose…that these little ones were part of. For us.

So, these boys say to us: You are Welcome. Merry Christmas to you. See you all soon.

Amen.

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