Matthew 2:18-23 Coming Home

Good morning all! God is good all the time, all the time God is good.

TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!

Matthew 2:19-23 The Return to Nazareth
19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”
21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.
Exodus 4:19 "Before Moses left Midian, the LORD said to him, "Return to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you have died."

Just as Moses left fled Egypt, he returned to do God's work. Joseph had fled with the baby Jesus, and now was returning.

When Herod the Great died in 4 B.C. he divided his kingdom into three parts, one for each son. Herod Antipas received Galiliee and Perea; Herod Philip II received Traconitis. Archelaus, a violent man who began his reign by slaughtering 3,000 influential people and was later banned was given Judea, Samaria, and Idumea. God did not want Joseph's family to go into the region of this evil ruler.

Matthew painted the picture of Jesus as the true Messiah announced by God through the prophets; and he makes the point that Jesus, the Messiah, had unexpectedly humble beginnings, just as the Old Testament had predicted. Micah 5:2

"But you, O Bethelehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past."

God is with us from these humble beginnings. Take time to think about God, who He sent to take away your sins, He who died for you. Let Christmas be "more (mas) Christ." Love you all. I will be on a mission trip next week with no communication. See you in 10 days.
In Christ's love and grace
Johnny