Get Up and Take the Child

Egypt is nearby as countries go, a couple of hundred miles to the south and east from Bethlehem. There is a large settlement of Jews in Egypt. That fact is included in the tours in Egypt which trace the likely pilgrimage of the Holy Family.

Egypt is under the jurisdiction of Rome, but it is not under Herod. Therefore the child Jesus will be safe in their refuge there.

“Out of Egypt have I called my son” first referred to all Hebrews. Joseph was taken to Egypt as a slave. He became prime minister before the great famine hit all the middle east. His father Jacob, along with all his family in Palestine, found refuge in Egypt at Joseph’s invitation.

Egypt was a place of refuge before it was a place of slavery for the Hebrews. Now it is returned to its first use by providing refuge for Joseph and Mary and Jesus.

Sometimes Rulers Oppose Christ:

"When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem." - Matthew 2:16.

Jesus never got favors from the government.

• He was on the hit list as a child.

• He was a political refugee.

• He was not able to return to his birthplace because of political considerations.

• He was executed as an adult.

We don’t expect favors from government. But we don’t want government plotting to kill off the Messiah or his followers.

• We want to be free to worship as we see fit. Governments do not have to promote our worship or even approve our worship. Governments just need to leave us alone as we worship.

• This is what religious liberty is all about. It is not the support of government for any one religion but the preservation of freedom of conscience for all worshippers.

Prayer for rulers is commanded in Scripture at a time when most rulers opposed faith in Christ.

• Rulers do not have to be Christians to be good rulers. They need to be just, honest, and competent. Some foreign rulers played a part in the history of salvation just because they tried to do what is right by the Hebrew people.

• We should always pray for our rulers regardless of their political party or even their policies. We should work for justice and truth in our political process. But prayer is our fundamental obligation to those who serve in government.

• It is an honorable occupation despite the many abuses of power including this one by Herod.

Sometimes Families Must Move:

“'Get up,' he said, 'take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt.'” - Matthew 2:13.

Jesus and his family had to move or he would be killed.

• The word “escape” is translated “flee” in the KJV. So this has often been called the Flight to Egypt. The word means that one is fleeing danger and seeking safety.

• This is the classic definition of seeking political refuge. The Holy Family left Bethlehem in the middle of the night, fleeing the wrath of King Herod.

• This makes them refugees. A foreign country had to receive them and make space for them. That country was Egypt. Jesus and Mary and Joseph lived safely in Egypt for an undetermined time, probably several years.

Moving to a new place is a big disruption.

• When I was a teenager my father announced that we were moving from Canutillo where we had lived for four years to a farm in Central Texas about 500 miles away. I was upset.

• Jesus was a small child, one or two years old, when he was whisked out of Bethlehem by Joseph and made the long trip by foot or donkey to Egypt. It is about 235 miles from Jerusalem to Cairo as the crow flies. That means 300 miles or so following the trails and paths and roads.

• Mary and Joseph had lived all their lives in Israel, as far as we know. This may have been their first time to cross a national border.

• Surely Egypt felt strange to them even though they probably lived in a Jewish community. People all around them were speaking a foreign tongue. All the political and economic systems were strange.

Moving is a big education, too. The entire journey and sojourn in Egypt was a learning process for Joseph, Mary, and Jesus.

• If you think back to your years as a preschooler you can probably verify the impact of such a move.

But moving is often in the plan of God for us.

• It certainly was for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. God told them to move.

• From the very beginning of the Hebrew people, moving geographically was part of God’s plan. Abram left Ur of the Chaldees and went to a land that he did not know. But it was the Promised Land.

Many people think that the word “Hebrew” comes from the idea of crossing the Euphrates, the great river, and that a Hebrew is “one who crosses over.”

My move as a teenager turned out to be God’s will. I knew that in part because God revealed it to me through the text of Scripture. But I know that now in retrospect.

Jesus Calls Us to Follow Him

Being a follower of Jesus means that you will be moving closer to God, closer to one another, and into some unfamiliar territory.

We are all on a journey in this life. God calls us to himself through his son, Jesus.

Jesus says “Follow me” because this is the very best course to take in our journey here on earth. And especially because believing in Jesus is the only way anyone will ever enter heaven.

I have a Christmas Prayer for you to consider. “Father in heaven, I know that I am a sinner. I know that you are calling me to leave my sin behind and to follow your son, Jesus. Please forgive me for my sin. I give me life to you. I receive Jesus as my personal Savior and Lord. Help me be a faithful follower. I will go wherever you lead me.”