This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” — Matthew 2:15

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” Yes, indeed! My heart agrees with a warm and cheerful “Amen!” I love Christmastime: the feasting, the presents, the family gatherings, the decorations, and the lights! Christmas is a wonderful and joyous time.

But this time of celebration came into our world the way that light invades a dark morning. When Christ was born, he was not born into friendly territory, but rather behind enemy lines. Even before Jesus was born, he was the target of an assassination by the tyrant King Herod. He was born into conflict with real evil because he was born to be our deliverer.

If you listen closely, you can hear echoes of God’s great deliverances...

Matthew says Christ’s coming fulfilled the word of the prophets. If you listen closely, you can hear echoes of God’s great deliverances: A dreaming Joseph. A cruel king who massacres children. Egypt. Escape. But it’s clear something greater than the Exodus is here.

We read of the fulfillment of Hosea 11:1: “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” Like Moses, Jesus was rescued from a king so desperate to protect his reign that he murdered a generation of baby boys. But things are oddly flipped in this passage. While Israel is rescued from Pharaoh, the King of Egypt, Jesus is rescued from Herod, the King of the Jews! While the Hebrews were brought out of Egypt into Israel, Jesus was brought out of Israel into Egypt! This is how deeply we need a savior: even Israel, God’s people, became corrupt like Egypt.

While Israel was saved from their Egyptian slave masters, Jesus came to save us from our greatest slavemasters: sin and death.

Where Moses was saved from Pharoah and placed in a basket, Jesus was saved from Herod and placed in a manger. While Israel was saved from their Egyptian slave masters, Jesus came to save us from our greatest slave masters: sin and death. And though Jesus was spared the violence of Herod, he accomplished our great Exodus by submitting to the violence of the cross. When he was torn on the cross, he tore down the darkness. Why? To free you and bring you into the most wonderful joy in him. To be united to Christ by faith is to know this deliverance!

Lift up your hearts and remember that Christ was born into darkness to save us from it.

Whatever your situation might be this season, don’t despair. Lift up your hearts and remember that Christ was born into darkness to save us from it. He has not failed! This calls for feasting and celebration! Invite others into the joy! May the Lord give you hearts this season that rejoice in his deliverance!
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Liturgy

LORD of our deliverance,

We praise you for waging war against the darkness
on our behalf!
Out of Egypt, you called your Son!

Your Son is our greater Moses, our King of Peace,
and our Great Deliverer!
He was born to save us from the darkness of sin
and the hand of tyrants.
In Christ, you parted the seas of death
and brought us into the promised land!

Let us remember and give thanks that our King was born
into enemy territory for the love of his enemies.

Let us remember that he was saved in infancy from
Herod, so that later he would save sinners by not being
spared himself.
Let us remember and rejoice that in his body,
torn upon the cross,
Light has truly invaded the darkness of our world.

Give us hearts to celebrate with joy!
For sin, our slavemaster was cast into the sea!
Give us peace in Christ our Lord and Jesus our King!

Amen.