Born With a Price on His Head
Now when [the Magi] had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him. Matt. 2:13, NKJV.
The shadow of the cross dominates the story of Jesus from this point forward. Jesus came into the world with a price on His head. His family escapes from Bethlehem in time to avoid Herod's hit men. A man who thought nothing of slaying members of his own family if he felt threatened by them, and gave orders on his deathbed that the leading citizens of Jerusalem were to be slaughtered so that there would be weeping at his funeral, would not think twice of killing a few dozen babies just in case one of them should be regarded as future royalty.
Some people have it easy in their early years. Not Jesus. He was born into a difficult part of the world at a time of trouble, fear, and violence. As N. T. Wright points out, "before the Prince of Peace had learned to walk and talk, he was a homeless refugee with a price on his head."
That is how God set about to liberate His people and bring eventual justice to the world. "There is no point," Wright continues, "in arriving in comfort, when the world is in misery; no point having an easy life, when the world suffers violence and injustice! If he is to be Emmanuel, God-with-us, he must be with us where the pain is."
Fleeing to Egypt in times of trouble had a long tradition among the Israelites, as illustrated by the stories of Abraham and Joseph. Egypt was the safest place to go. As a result, by the time of Jesus colonies of Jews had sprung up throughout Egypt, with Alexandria alone having upward of 1 million Jews. Thus when the family reached Egypt they would not find themselves altogether among strangers.
After Herod died, Joseph took his family back to Israel, but to Nazareth because of angel-inspired fear of Herod's son (Matt. 2:19-23).
Dirty little Nazareth. What a place for the King of kings to grow up in. It was not a notable place as was Jerusalem or even a Messianic location as was Bethlehem. Nathaniel once wondered out loud if any good thing could come out of Nazareth (John 1:46).
Often we may be tempted to complain about the stack of cards that life has dealt us. Sometimes we feel sorry for ourselves because of life's injustices. In such times turn your eyes upon Jesus, who became you that you might someday inherit a heavenly kingdom.
Now when [the Magi] had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him. Matt. 2:13, NKJV.
The shadow of the cross dominates the story of Jesus from this point forward. Jesus came into the world with a price on His head. His family escapes from Bethlehem in time to avoid Herod's hit men. A man who thought nothing of slaying members of his own family if he felt threatened by them, and gave orders on his deathbed that the leading citizens of Jerusalem were to be slaughtered so that there would be weeping at his funeral, would not think twice of killing a few dozen babies just in case one of them should be regarded as future royalty.
Some people have it easy in their early years. Not Jesus. He was born into a difficult part of the world at a time of trouble, fear, and violence. As N. T. Wright points out, "before the Prince of Peace had learned to walk and talk, he was a homeless refugee with a price on his head."
That is how God set about to liberate His people and bring eventual justice to the world. "There is no point," Wright continues, "in arriving in comfort, when the world is in misery; no point having an easy life, when the world suffers violence and injustice! If he is to be Emmanuel, God-with-us, he must be with us where the pain is."
Fleeing to Egypt in times of trouble had a long tradition among the Israelites, as illustrated by the stories of Abraham and Joseph. Egypt was the safest place to go. As a result, by the time of Jesus colonies of Jews had sprung up throughout Egypt, with Alexandria alone having upward of 1 million Jews. Thus when the family reached Egypt they would not find themselves altogether among strangers.
After Herod died, Joseph took his family back to Israel, but to Nazareth because of angel-inspired fear of Herod's son (Matt. 2:19-23).
Dirty little Nazareth. What a place for the King of kings to grow up in. It was not a notable place as was Jerusalem or even a Messianic location as was Bethlehem. Nathaniel once wondered out loud if any good thing could come out of Nazareth (John 1:46).
Often we may be tempted to complain about the stack of cards that life has dealt us. Sometimes we feel sorry for ourselves because of life's injustices. In such times turn your eyes upon Jesus, who became you that you might someday inherit a heavenly kingdom.
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