The War on Christmas (Matthew 2:13-18)

Here’s my sermon this past Sunday (12.12.21) in our Karis Church Gathering. You can find the audio and video here.

This past Wednesday night, a man somehow managed to scale the Christmas tree outside the Newscorp Building in Midtown Manhattan, and set it ablaze, causing $500,000 in damage. Now that man’s act symbolizes what many people in America see as a “war on Christmas” - an attempt by some in our nation to burn the holiday to the ground. A recent poll, by Fairleigh Dickinson University, found that nearly 4 in 10 Americans believe politicians are engaged in such a war - to destroy that holiday, and with it, Christianity.

Are we serious? I don’t have much patience for the “war on Christmas” talk. A Wal-Mart employee wishing you “Happy Holidays” doesn’t amount to persecution. You drinking a venti latte from Starbucks with a snowflake on the side doesn’t make you a sell-out. Jesus isn’t sweating if your kid’s school has a “holiday” program. The God of the universe isn’t worried if the courthouse doesn’t have a nativity scene. And if you see someone abbreviate our holiday as “Xmas,” don’t scold them with “put Christ back in Christmas.” Because that X isn’t there to black out Jesus’s title. It’s actually the Greek letter chi, the first letter in Christos - the Lord’s title. It’s been an appropriate - and anything but irreverent - abbreviation for the holiday for many years.

Can’t you imagine the apostle Paul shaking his head? And Matthew the disciple here throwing up his hands? He’d probably say, “War on Christmas? I’ll show you a war on Christmas.” And he’d point us to these verses in his gospel today. 

Here in Matthew 2, verses 13 through 18, that’s what we see. Not vandalism to a nativity scene. But an attempt on the life of the baby Jesus. But at the same time, we so clearly see the zeal and strength of our Father to defend Christ, His Son. God protects and preserves His Son, and with it our salvation.

In our time together, I want to unpack that statement. I’ll focus on that big idea in three ways. We’ll see, first, how God threatens our kingdoms. Second, we’ll look at how our Lord preserves our King. We’ll then close by third pondering how God cares for His children, as well. And also, because I can, I’ll take some time before that last point of application to riff on some important reminders we also need to carry away from this text.

God and Our Kingdoms

Let’s first see how God threatens our kingdoms. We learn this in how Herod - this king in Judea - responds to the birth of Jesus - the king of the universe. What happens? He’s threatened. He lashes back.

Let’s see what Herod does. But, first, remember what we saw last week. “Wise men” come to Jerusalem, following that star, looking for the child king. Chapter 2, verse 3 tells us that Herod gets wind of it and gets really nervous. He gathers the religious leaders around him and learns where Jesus would have been born - in “Bethlehem” according to the book of Micah.

He then sends those Magi down the road to find Jesus. But he asks them first when they saw that star. Contrary to what he says, Herod doesn’t want to worship Jesus. He wants to eliminate Him. So he wants to know how old the baby is. That is, so he can be found. He also instructs the Magi to return and let him know when they do. Again, so Herod can send men to kill the child. 

Now this wasn’t out of character for the one they called “Herod the Great.” During his reign of terror, he murdered his wife, along with multiple sons. He was deranged, paranoid, and cruel, and he’d do pretty much anything he could to maintain power.

Verse 12 tells us that the “wise men” learn in a dream not to comply. And as we come to verse 13, an angel warns Joseph in another dream, “Herod is coming after the boy. Flee with Him and His mother to Egypt.” Well, in verse 16 the king learns of the Magi’s rebellion and goes off. And he sends executioners down to Bethlehem to kill “all the male children” there, as well as those “in that region who were two years and under.” He takes the date given by those men from the east, probably adds a month or two, and wipes out all the village’s boys of that age. Needless to say, there were a lot of tears in Bethlehem that night. And all for no good reason, as Mary and Joseph were already far down the road. 

Matthew 2:18 says that this is in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. And this is a theme in this gospel - how the Old Testament’s foundation finds its fulfillment in Christ. Here Matthew says that Jeremiah 31:15 pointed forward to this tragic event. Many, many years before, the people of God were being judged by God. They were being dragged off into exile by their enemies - back with them to Babylon. And down a road not far from what had happened there in Bethlehem. 

Near the place where the matriarch Rachel had been buried, Jeremiah pictures her weeping from her tomb, weeping over her ancestors being led in shackles away from their inheritance. Matthew points to those tears from back then. He says they pointed ahead to these tears we see right here. Mothers again are weeping for their children. And this time a Jewish king and not a Babylonian king is the main culprit.

Let’s think then about why Herod does this. Why is he so “troubled,” as verse 3 puts it - even troubled to the point of infanticide? Well, it’s not difficult to grasp. Right? His kingdom is being threatened. He’s clinging to his reign. And he has pagans traveling back from Babylon, following a star, looking for a King. As well as Jews there telling him of a King that is to come. His rule is shaky, tied to the moods and whims of the Romans above him. And this baby sounds most certainly to be legit. Herod likes being king. He wants to remain over that kingdom. So he takes action.

Now, if we’re honest, aren’t we all pretty much like him? In this age of social media, it’s easy to take shots at celebrities and leaders. We think, “I’d never stoop to that level. I’d never lash out like that.” I can say similar things as I hear of famous pastors being accused of abuse or falling headfirst into immorality. 

But I don’t have millions of Instagram followers or podcast downloads. I don’t have their pressures. I don’t have those temptations. I don’t have that kind of kingdom that I want to maintain. But I’m not as unlike those men as I might think. 

And that really applies to all of us. Each of us would like to have more power, for sure. If we tasted it, we wouldn’t want to let it go. We can rage at Walter White or Nate the Great. But we’re not as different from them as we’d like to think. We all want to be kings. And with it, resist the King of Kings. Paul Tripp puts it this way:

“…we are kingdom-oriented people. We always live in the service of one of two kingdoms. We live in service of the small, personal happiness agenda of the kingdom of self, or we live in service of the huge, origin-to-destiny agenda of the kingdom of God. When we live for the kingdom of self, our decisions, thoughts, plans, actions, and words are directed by personal desire. We know what we want, where we want it, why we want it, how we want it, when we want it, and who we would prefer to deliver it. Our relationships are shaped by an infrastructure of subtle expectations and silent demands. We know what we want from people and how to get it from them. We seek to surround ourselves with people who will serve our kingdom purposes, and we evaluate them not from the perspective of the laws of God’s kingdom but from the perspective of the laws of our kingdom.” (Paul David Tripp)

Like Adam and Eve, back in that garden, we want to turn from God’s reign and rule over ourselves. We buy the lie from Satan that God can’t be trusted. And that we can be little gods ourselves. And we strike out on our own. And head straight toward our death. Taking others with us down that road. Apart from God’s grace, we spend our lives building up and defending that “kingdom of self.” And we declare war on whatever  - or whomever - stands in the way of those idols. Would we act much different from Herod and the Israelites that day? I’m not so sure.  

The Jews were waiting for God’s King - yes. But they wanted a King that would just put them back in power. Herod, on the other hand, had a pretty sweet gig. He liked being king himself. 

Here in America, we the church just want to be put back in charge. To do things our way. Much like Israel when Jesus showed up. And like Herod, we seem to like the thought of Jesus, but we don’t want him to shake things up to much. We want to keep our own lives. We see Christ’s kingdom as threat. But God welcomes us into the safety of His garden. To experience the freedom of His reign. To see His Kingdom that is here and coming as a blessing.   

What about you and me? Are we committed to the kingdom of God or the kingdom of self? Are we the “wise men,” bowing in worship, and there finding our joy? Or are we Herod here, sticking out or chests, willing to kill to keep control?   

God threatens our kingdoms. Yes, indeed He does. But that’s so He can pull us toward His. It’s there that we find what is truly life. Friends, receive Your King. Welcome His Kingdom. Let every heart prepare Him room.

God and Our King

Let’s second see how God preserves our King. We learn this through how the Lord guides these young parents here in Matthew 2. See what Joseph does first of all. And why he does it. Look again at verses 13 and 14. 

Matt. 2:13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”

Matt. 2:14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt

An angel appears to him in a dream. He instructs Joseph to head for Egypt. He informs him about Herod’s plan. And the family departs. To a place only 90 miles or so away, filled with millions of Jews, outside of the jurisdiction of that king. Verse 15 says that this journey - really the return from it - fulfills Hosea 11:1.  When Herod dies, and that family returns. That quest Israel made way, way back - out of Egypt, through the Red Sea - it pointed ahead to this journey here.  

But Joseph here, like those Israelites, had to get up and leave. We’ve already seen his heart here in Matthew. We see more of it here. He’s open to the kingdom of God. Joseph obeys. He turns from the kingdom of self to do what the Lord asks. He clearly knows something truly special is going on with that child. And he could in no way ignore that voice in that dream.  

But most important here is what God is doing and what’s at stake. He’s a good Father, taking care of His Son. He has loved Jesus for all eternity, and He is committed to the mission He gave His Son to do. Those words from Hosea 11 read this way, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” God’s people are often referred to as God’s son in the Old Testament. But that son sins. Israel fails. 

But that nation pointed ahead to this Son, Jesus. He wouldn’t disappoint His Father. He’d do everything He was asked. Twice in Matthew - once at His baptism in chapter 3 and again at His transfiguration in chapter 17, God says, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” The Lord here is taking care of His Son that He loves.

But He also won’t let His rescue plan fail. He sends Jesus into the world to save sinners like you and me and restore this brokenness all around. And He’s not just sent to live, to obey, in our place. He’s sent into the world to die - on our behalf, as well. But it wasn’t supposed to happen yet. So the Father foils this plan at the start, so His Son can walk that road for us to the end. Until He hangs on that cross for our salvation. And rises again to bring us life.

The Lord is determined to free us from our fallen, foolish kingdoms. And bring us into the kingdom of His Son. Here at the start, God won’t let anything get in the way.

We really don’t like people telling us what to do. We live for the kingdom of self. But we really hate people telling us we need a savior. We don’t want to admit our kingdom is so filled with sin. And that we’re really the problem with what’s so wrong in our world. But there’s freedom for owning who we really are. And reaching up and receiving His salvation.  

And that’s ultimately what’s at stake here. The Lord is preserving our King. And with it, our redemption. Herod is dead. Jesus lives on. And because of that, we can live, too. Forever with Him. God is committed to His Son. And He’s committed to our salvation.  

We talk about a “war on Christmas.” That’s what’s going on here. With Herod trying to take out the baby Jesus. But this is a conflict that goes way, way back. Look back with me to Genesis 3:15, back to almost the beginning. 

God has created all we see, and with men and women as its pinnacle. And Adam and Eve rebel, bringing a curse on all the Father has made. And there, right at the beginning, He makes a promise. He speaks to that serpent: 

Gen. 3:15 “I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and her offspring;

he shall bruise your head,

and you shall bruise his heel.”

So there you have two offsprings - that of the serpent. That’s the “you” being spoken to here. And that of the “the woman,” Eve. God promises there will be “enmity” between the ancestors of each. That’s hostility, conflict - yes, warfare. And the Lord promises that serpent: “You’ll bruise His heel. You’ll bite him on the foot.” And He’s talking about the cross. “But He’ll bruise your head. That child of the women, He’ll strike you in the skull.” In other words, there would be many battles - between these two seeds - the biggest at the cross. But the good guys, the children of Eve, would ultimately win the war. Jesus would triumph.

Things start with Cain, her son, killing his brother. There are many fights that take place along the way. Of course the one in Egypt is the biggest one of all. But God preserves His people. He keeps a remnant. And most important of all, He protects the line of His Messiah. And keeps Him alive right here.

Here we see how God threatens our kingdoms. But we also see how He preserves our King. The battle for Christmas here is won. And that’s so the final war against our sin can be won, as well. And we can be saved from death.    

Three Important Truths We Can’t Miss Here

Now, before I move on to one final point, I think there are three important truths we need to see in this passage, as well.

First, see something about how we should read Scripture. Now skeptics will look at the prophecies in this passage and cry out in protest. The Hosea passage is talking about Israel leaving from Egypt. The Jeremiah passage is talking about Judah heading into exile. Those authors weren’t thinking about Jesus at all. Or Joseph or Herod. And they’ll call into question the truthfulness of Scripture. 

But here’s what we have to understand. We’ll soon get to Matthew 5:17, where Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” All of Scripture finds its fulfillment in Him. It all reaches ahead to Him and His ministry. Yes, those passages had their context in history back then. But they reach ahead to truths far, far, greater. 

It’s like Matthew here is saying, “This reminds me of Israel leaving Egypt way back then,” and “This makes me think of those mothers shedding tears back in the exile.” But it’s far more than that. Matthew knows Jesus is the point of the Bible. And all that history finds its fulfillment in Him. And that’s how we should read our Bibles, as well.   

Second, see something about how we should confront sins. Here’s another thing we can’t miss in this passage. First of all, in a nation arguing about immigration, and how to handle refugees, you literally have Jesus and his parents fleeing for their lives. 

And second, in a country where thousands of abortions are performed each day, and it’s being debated in the Supreme Court even this week, you see babies killed here in this text. The Father protects His Son from infanticide by turning His family into refugees. And we have to speak the truth about both issues. 

A ministry that I appreciate more and more each day is what’s called the And Campaign. Their belief - one that I share - is that the church can’t find a home on either the right or the left - as Republicans or Democrats. We have to speak the truth to power on both of those sides. We must have compassion and conviction. Their president, Justin Giboney, recently said this:

“Being conservative or progressive on every single issue is intellectual lazy & unfaithful. Critique and pushback on these flawed ideologies. Make conservatism sympathize & pursue racial justice. Make progressivism acknowledge absolute truth & the sanctity of life.” (Justin Giboney)

Such good words! We have to speak truth - to both sides - declaring His kingdom with conviction. You should make both conservatives and progressives uncomfortable during Christmas dinner. But we have to do it with grace - with compassion, knowing that we every bit as much need the King.  

Third, see something about how we should approach suffering. Here we see unspeakable pain - mothers weeping over their sons - alongside all this language about fulfillment. And that may be hard for you to reconcile. You may read that and think, “So you’re telling me that God is that much in control? Even over suffering?” 

And you may bristle and rebel. But I want you to think about the alternative. Most of you know, over the past couple of years, my wife has been battling breast cancer. And that’s during a global pandemic where now 750,000 people have died - just here in America. 

And we’ve chosen - as a family, and as a church - to believe three truths. God is good. God is in control. And God is with us. Somehow, in a way we can’t understand, God is King. And He’s ruling over all of this. As David Powlison puts it, “God’s hand is intimately mixed up in our troubles.” Doesn’t that truth bring so much comfort? As we look around at sin in the world, we have to trust God is in control. As it comes into your life, you have to fight to believe the same. 

But if you reject that, here’s what you’ve got. God’s hand is far away. And there’s no purpose to it at all. And with that, no hope. Our body’s white blood cell counts going up or down. People eating bats in that market over east. No one behind it. No one in control of it. Just chance. Randomness. Is that really what we want? In the fiery trials that we all face? Really?

The War on Christians

Sadly today, many are choosing to go in that direction. Christians are deciding to just walk away, to set it all ablaze. There’s a lot of talk about deconstruction as of late. People are saying, “I can’t believe in the virgin birth anymore. Or what the church says about sex and marriage. Or that Jesus is the one Savior of the world.” And they’re turning their backs.

But you might respond - and, trust me - I understand, “There are good reasons why people are doing this - because of the ways people are distorting and destroying our faith.” Christian hip-hop artist Kevin Burgess, better known as KB, shared this on Twitter recently:

“I’ve watched a surge of people I love walk away from Jesus in the last few years… Just about ZERO had been lured away by marxism, liberalism or atheism. Almost all have ‘shipwrecked’ over the politicizing of Christianity & their church’s apathy (hostility) re: injustice.” (Kevin Burgess, AKA KB)

Now I’ve seen the same thing. And trust me. I get the doubts. Hear me clearly: some deconstruction of what Christianity has become in America needs to happen. But please don’t throw THIS baby out with that nasty bathwater. If you’re on the verge of doing that, I’d beg you - step back, take a deep breath, and realize that there has been a “war on Christmas” going back to the very beginning. There have been many distortions. It’s been used for political ends before. And it’s survived. Don’t give up just yet. That’s the main reminder I want many of you to hear. And consider whether you might just be wanting to pursue your own kingdom, and not His. 

But some of you need to hear something very different from that. Last week, I quoted Rich Villodas. You should definitely check out his book, The Deeply Formed Life. It’s so, so good. But a few days ago, I saw him post these words on Instagram: “This holiday season, let’s ‘Keep Christ in Christians.’” In this day when so many people claiming the name of Jesus are behaving badly, Satan is no doubt grinning from ear to ear. 

Perhaps in trying to win this “war on Christmas,” in attempting to defeat the culture around us, we’re playing right into our enemy’s hands - fretting about how we might lose, not trusting our Father and King, and going off on those we’re supposed to reach.

Maybe that’s the real “war on Christmas” today - getting us to look less like that baby in the manger and more like Herod that we see here. Maybe this so called “war” has more to do with our earthly kingdom being threatened than anyone disrespecting our King. To you, I’d make this appeal. Turn from your kingdom, those of this world. Give your life to His. Ask Him to renew you by the fruit of His Spirit. Soak yourself in not just the truth of Jesus but the grace of our Lord, as well. 

Some today are trying to deconstruct our faith. Others are trying to politicize it. And both sides are arguing about who started the fire. But the living waters of Jesus - with equal parts of conviction and compassion - would surely bring us back together, dousing those flames. 

God and His Children

I want to turn to my last point. We’ve zoomed in to the battle that’s happening in this passage. And we’ve zoomed out to see its place in this cosmic war. God protects and preserves His Son, and with it our salvation. But I want you to hear something else. He’s also keeping us safe. Let’s third see how God cares for His children.

The war may have been won - through Christ’s death on the cross. But the battles still keep happening - until that day He comes back in glory. Until that day, what 1 Peter 5 says remains true and brings fear. 

1Pet. 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Satan still rages. And tries to take us out. The danger is real. But our Lord tells us to stay strong. As all believers must fight to do.

1Pet. 5:9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

And He gives us this promise. He won’t let us go.

1Pet. 5:10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

If He can protect that baby in that house in Israel, He can also protect us, the children of God. It doesn’t mean necessarily that we won’t lose our lives. Sickness may overtake us. Persecution could lead to death. But it does mean that He’ll preserve our souls. Until that resurrection day when our bodies are revived. If we are truly His, He’ll keep us safe. Just as He protected His Son, He’ll keep us, His sons. We are the new Israel. His people. The Church of the living God. And we can bank on it. No matter how hot the flames may get.   

Until that day, we just can’t forget. God’s preserving a remnant, a people for His Name. Our Father is committed to Christmas and Christianity every bit as much as He was way back then - protecting His Son and the redemption He came to bring. Our God won that battle for Christmas back in Bethlehem long ago. And He will in no way lose the war. 

Just like He defeated those enemies back then, He’ll triumph over them once and for all. And just as He safeguarded His Son, He’ll care for us His children, as well. If He’s saved us. He’ll keep us. We keep on hanging on to Him, as we know that He’s hanging on to us. So we can relax. And rest in His arms. Let’s pray.