I have a pretty good book in my library entitled, Happiness Is A Choice. ... may
have heard of the Minirth and Meier Counseling Center in Dallas, Texas and they
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Woods Chapel Bible Fellowship 701 NW Woods Chapel Road, Blue Springs, MO 64015 Senior Pastor: Dr. Rodger Williams December 24, 2010 CONQUERING THE POST-CHRISTMAS BLUES—Matthew 2:13-23 An expositional message for Christmas from the Gospel of Matthew INTRODUCTION hristmas is for many the most joyous time of the year. It is filled with excitement, life, and pleasure. Some get to see their children who have been away at college. Others get to see their married children who live out of town and their grand children—for Candy and me it is our grand dogs—Sid and Sadie. We receive Christmas cards and letters from friends in faraway places that we don’t hear from any other time of the year. Homes are brightened by decorations and lights. Pleasant aromas fill the air from the baking of Christmas goodies and treats. Gifts and food add to the pleasure of the season. There is a general feeling of good cheer and good will in the air that sends our spirits soaring. Christmas is an exciting high for a lot of people.
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But it doesn’t take long before we come crashing down to reality when it is all over. Kids go back to college. Married children go back home with your grand children. The decorations have to be taken down. I don’t know of anything that is more drudgery than un-trimming the Christmas tree. As a matter of fact, I am not high on trimming the Christmas tree, but un-trimming it is the pits. Candy usually can’t find me when it is time to take the decorations down. Some of the toys you gave your children are already broken or totally ignored. You hear the complaints that they didn’t receive what their next door neighbor got. You are facing exchanging clothes that don’t fit or we don’t like and that is a hassle. Getting rid of the extra pounds we put on is a drag. On top of that, the vacation is over and we have to go back to work and school, and it is cold—it’s winter. It all adds up to the post-Christmas blues. There is an interesting parallel between our experience and the first Christmas story. Actually, the first Christmas for Mary and Joseph had to be more exciting than any Christmas we have experienced. Just think about the events surrounding the birth of Christ: · · · · ·
There was the angelic announcements of His coming birth—that He should be called Jesus because He will save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21); that He will be called the Son of the Most High and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David (Luke 1:32). There was that incredible visit with Elizabeth who called Mary “the mother of my Lord” (Luke 1”43). There was the amazing series of events the night of His birth that included the shepherds visit telling them of the angelic proclamation that today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11). There was that remarkable encounter with the aged Simeon when they brought Jesus up to Jerusalem. He took the baby Jesus in his arms and looked to heaven and praising God said, “For my eyes have seen Your salvation . . . A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, and the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:30-32). Then it was all capped off by the visit of several distinguished scholars from the east, magi, who were guided by a supernatural star. They fell to the ground and worshiped the Child, presenting gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Mary and Joseph had to be on a high that was above all highs. Their new born son was the Messiah, the King of Israel, God in the flesh, and the Savior of the world. They experienced one thrilling supernatural event after another. But it didn’t take them long to come crashing down to earth. It happened one night in a dream, shortly after the wise men left. Matthew 2:13 – Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him,” Get out of Bethlehem Joseph. Herod wants to kill your son. That news would take the joy out of Christmas for Joseph and Mary. All those wonderful experiences and all those precious divine prophecies that made their spirits soar were now countered with the news that their son’s life was in danger. That is what I would call post-Christmas blues. The most powerful man in that part of the world wanted to do away with their son. That kind of news could bring on despair and a crippling discouragement. How did Joseph handle that news? How did he get through this difficult time? It may help us in conquering the post-Christmas blues. I want you to see that the first thing Joseph did was to obey God’s Word. I.
HIS OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S WORD
I doubt very much that Joseph wanted to leave Bethlehem. They had settled into a home, made new friends, and started up his carpentry trade. Bethlehem was the home of his ancestry. I believe he had planned to make Bethlehem his new home. It was a suitable place to raise his royal son—the future king of the Jews. It was the city of David. It was just five miles south of the holy city of Jerusalem, the other city of David—the site of the temple where the Messiah would obviously make Himself known. What better place than Bethlehem for the Messiah to grow and begin His ministry? But God is now telling him to flee.
A trip to Egypt would be difficult with a young child and costly. God has obviously provided for that trip with the gifts from the magi. Verse 14: So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. To decrease the chance of being noticed, Joseph the common precaution of leaving by night, probably telling no one of his plans. Joseph seems to have been a man that consistently obeyed God. When God told him to do something, Joseph did it. It happened back in chapter one, when God told him to take Mary as his wife, even though she was pregnant and even though he was not the father. Joseph did as the Lord commanded (1:24). Here again he does as the Lord commanded. Egypt was a natural asylum for the young Jewish family. Alexander the Great established a sanctuary for Jews in Alexandria—the city named for himself. Throughout the Roman rule that followed, that city was still considered a special place of safety and opportunity for Jews. That may have been where the family resided. God used Joseph’s obedience to fulfill Old Testament prophecy. Joseph’s obedience and the subsequent fulfillment of prophecy would encourage Jews and Gentiles to believe in the Messiah for generations to come. The major theme in the Gospel of Matthew is that Jesus is the Messiah, King of the Jews, and one of the evidences to that truth is how He perfectly fulfilled Old Testament prophecy. Some of that prophecy was fulfilled through Joseph’s obedience. Verse 15: He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON.” It is likely that the stay in Egypt lasted no more than a few months. That prophecy comes from Hosea 11. In the context, it refers primarily to the nation of Israel. Matthew is telling us that Israel was a picture of the Messiah and thus there was a double fulfillment. God used Joseph’s obedience for good—to fulfill Old Testament prophecy concerning His Son. This wasn’t the end of His obedience. Drop down to verses 19-21: But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.” So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. Joseph did what the Lord commanded and came back into the land of Israel. He was headed back to Bethlehem. Verses 22-23: But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken though the prophets: “He shall be called a Nazarene.” Compared to Bethlehem, Nazareth was the arm pit of the nation. It was not the ideal place a raise children, especially the Savior of the world. But Joseph obeyed and God used his obedience to fulfill another Old Testament prophecy. That is a difficult text because we cannot turn to an Old Testament passage that says, “He shall be called a Nazarene.” Some interpreters have tried to connect Nazarene with the Hebrew neser meaning “branch.” But trying to tie the prophecy to the “branch or shoot” from the stem of Jesse just doesn’t fit (Isaiah 11:1; 53:2). Matthew speaks of the prophets, plural, so it seems that several prophets had made this prediction, though it is not specifically recorded in the Old Testament. Other sayings and events not recorded in the Old Testament are nevertheless quoted or referred to in the New Testament. Jude tells us that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way” (Jude 14, 15). Yet no such prophecy is mentioned in Genesis or in any other part of the Old Testament. In a similar way we know that Jesus taught that “It was more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35) only because Paul’s reference to it. That saying is not mentioned by any of the gospel writers. John had told us that he didn’t attempt to record everything that Jesus said and did during His earthly ministry (John 21:25). Matthew does not tell us here which prophets predicted the Messiah would be called a Nazarene, but only that more than one did so. That prophecy is said to be fulfilled when Jesus was taken to Nazareth, where Joseph and Mary had formerly lived. Matthew’s original readers were largely Jewish, and it was probably common knowledge among them who the specific prophets were that had made the prediction. The point of the passage is that prophecy was fulfilled because Joseph obeyed. God used his obedience for good. God used it to preserve the life of the Messiah, and to fulfill prophecy that God would use to encourage believers for years to come. Nazareth was about 55 miles north of Jerusalem, in the regions of Galilee. The town sits on top of a small mountain overlooking the valley of Megiddo, and was largely inhabited by people noted for their crude and violent ways. The term “Nazarene” had long been a term of derision, used to describe any person who was rough and rude. That is why Nathanael, who lived just a few miles south in Cana, asked Philip, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). It was in the lowly and despised Nazareth that the royal Son of God, along with the righteous Joseph and Mary, made His home for some thirty years. Below the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, they have uncovered several caves, believed by some to be the home of Joseph and Mary and Jesus. Joseph had to be encouraged by the results of his obedience—to see God accomplish some good things through him. Seeing the hand of God in his life certainly helped Joseph shake those post-Christmas blues. Obedience is a key in being lifted out of a place of
discouragement and despondency. Yes, we might be down and feeling depressed, but one of those things that will pull us out of that pit—one of the things God uses is obedience. It is a first step. I am not saying it is a cure all, but is definitely a first step that really helps. Do the obvious next thing that you know God wants you to do—whatever it is. We all just need to follow through on what God has given us to do. That accomplishment, however small, will bring you a measure of satisfaction and brighten your day. People who are depressed are usually non-functioning, but if they would get up and do what they are supposed to do, the next thing that needs to be done, it will help them feel better. I have a pretty good book in my library entitled, Happiness Is A Choice. It was written by two Christian psychiatrists, Frank Minirth and Paul Meier. If you are old enough, you may have heard of the Minirth and Meier Counseling Center in Dallas, Texas and they used to have a program on Christian radio. I had two classes at Dallas Seminary taught by these men in the discipline of pastoral counseling. Happiness Is A Choice is all about overcoming depression and written from a biblical perspective. In this book, Meier and Minirth give a list of things that help pulls out of depression. Number six on their list reads like this—I am quoting: “Be involved in a daily routine (including work, play, housework, projects) that brings personal satisfaction to you. Be convinced that this routine is God’s will and purpose for your life—your way of glorifying Him” (pgs. 144-145). The connection to our passage is obvious. Obey God—do what is God’s will and purpose for your life. Do what He wants you to do and you have taken a huge step in conquering the post-Christmas blues. Our actions affect our feelings. Elizabeth Elliot gives testimony to this advice in her little book “Twelve Baskets of Crumbs.” She writes, “At such times I have been wonderfully calmed and strengthened by doing some simple duty. I don’t mean anything valiant, meritorious, or spiritual. Just something that needed to be done—like a bed to be made, or kitchen floor to be washed—one of those things that will never be noticed if you do it, but most certainly noticed if you don’t. Sometimes it takes everything you have to get up and do it. But it is surprising how strength comes.” She continues, “According to a poem, a source I have been unable to find, there is a Saxon legend inscribed in an old English parsonage that says, ‘DOE THE NEXTE THYNGE.’ Do it immediately, says the poem, do it with prayer, do it reliantly casting all care. I know it works, she says. I have been hauled out of the slough of despondency in those four words. In the doing of whatever came next, we are shown what to do afterwards.” We just need to follow Joseph’s example by obeying God’s Word. It is the best thing in climbing out of the pits, the post-Christmas blues, or any other pit. As we meditate on Joseph’s obedience, we need to note that he trusted in God’s faithfulness. People don’t obey God’s Word when it is contrary to their own wishes unless they believe God is in control of their circumstances, that He will care for them as they obey Him, that He will honor their obedience, and that He will use their obedience to accomplish some good purpose. Joseph believed those things about God so he obeyed God. He believed God’s Word—he trusted in God’s faithfulness. It is well established that it is our faith that enables us to obey. The old hymn could not state it better: “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” James 1:22, 25 – But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. . . . But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed (happy) in what he does. Trust and obey. Trust Him. Trust leads to obedience which leads to being blessed in what we do. There is no other substitute for feeling good. You can try to find happiness in other ways, but eventually you have to come back to this simple truth—back to this point of practice seen in Joseph’s life—trusting in God’s faithfulness and obeying God’s Word. There isn’t any other way to conquer the post-Christmas blues and climb out of the pit. You might be asking, “How can I believe God when everything looks so dismal—when I got so many problems? How do I build faith? Romans 10:17 tells us, you have heard many times before—So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. We build faith by saturating our souls with God’s Word. I want to challenge you to read through Bible this year. Let me quote from Minirth and Meir again (#2 on their list of things to do in overcoming depression): “Spend time each day meditating on God’s Word and applying it to your life . . . Since we are born with a selfish, self-deceiving sinful nature (you don’t hear many psychiatrists say that), we tend to automatically do the wrong things much of the time—things that lead to depression and self-destruction. They quote Jeremiah 17:9 who said, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick.” If we choose happiness, we must choose also to reprogram our “computer” (our brains) to God’s way of thinking instead of our own crazy way of thinking. We can do this only by frequent meditation on God’s Word” (pg. 137). The mind needs to be reprogrammed with the Word of God. That’s what builds faith. Faith is thinking with and acting on God’s truth. That is why it is so important to fill our minds with His Word.
I think there is something else in this text that will help us conquer the post-Christmas blues. Obedience to God’s Word will help us, and practicing that other-orientation attitude—where the arrows of life are pointed outward—toward others. That is the other perspective seen in Joseph’s life. He did what was best for those around him. I want us to notice . . . II.
HIS OTHER ORIENTATION
I want you to take note of how often the Child and His mother are mentioned in this text. It was the Child and His mother’s well being that is preeminent. · · · ·
Verse 13 – take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt . . . Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him. Verse 14 – [Joseph] took the Child and His mother Verse 20 – Get up, take the Child and His mother . . . for those who sought the Child’s life are dead. Verse 21 – Joseph took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.
All through this narrative Joseph acted on what as good for the Child and His mother, putting his needs on the back burner. His goal was to live for God’s glory, for the benefit of others, and not merely his interests. Do you want to conquer the post-Christmas blues? Decide right now to live your life for the benefit of the Lord Jesus Christ, rather than your own. When you do that, God takes care of your needs. In Minirth and Meier’s list of things to do to overcome depression, number 1 was this: “Commit your life daily to the purpose of glorifying Jesus Christ. We commit our lives to glorifying Christ the first thing each morning. We wake up and thank God for another day to enjoy life. We pray that God will use us that day to bring glory to Him by benefiting our fellow man (including our wives and children)” (pg. 136). That is the other orientation—living for the glory of God and the good of others God has put in our life and in our path. What keeps us in the pits is the self-orientation. When all the focus is on our needs, and our problems, and our rights, we wait around for others to serve us and complain when they don’t or don’t do it right. The recipe for joy is when we turn those arrows around from self to others and begin live for good of others. It not a coincidence that the thread of joy runs through the Book of Philippians that speaks so much to that other orientation. You can’t stay in the pits when you give your life away to bring glory to Jesus Christ. That’s real living. I know I skipped over verses 16-18, not because they are not relevant, but because we might revisit this passage in a couple of weeks when we take note of the sanctity of human life Sunday. LIFE APPLICATION Jesus the Nazarene, was a title of reproach given to Jesus, fulfilling many other prophecies that depict the Messiah as despised and forsaken of men (Isa. 53:3; 49:7; Ps. 22:6-8; 69:20-21). It was just another one of those amazing Christmas choices God made. He chose to send a baby, born to a virgin, a son, a Jew, in Bethlehem, called a king, yet born an impoverished carpenter’s son. He would become human because salvation demanded a human pay the wages of sin. Sin is a human problem. He would be born of a virgin because salvation demanded a sinless Savior. The unique work of the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb guaranteed that our redemption sacrifice would be God in the flesh. He would be born a Jew because salvation demanded that the Son of God would come through God’s chosen race. He would be born in Bethlehem, the city of David, because salvation demanded a king to fulfill the Davidic covenant and defeat the kingdom of Satan and reign forever. God’s choices have our best interests at heart. He always chooses what is best. Knowing our God and His choices for us are icing on the cake in conquering the post-Christmas blues.
