standing for the reading of God's Word. We will look this morning at Genesis chapter 3, verses 19 through 24, and Matthew 2, 13 through 23. Hear now the reading of God's Word. By the sweat of your face, you shall eat bread. Till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you were dust, and to dust you shall return. The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. Then the Lord God said, Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now lest he reach out and his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live forever. Therefore, the Lord God sent him out from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man and At the east of the Garden of Eden, he placed a cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. Matthew chapter two. 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. And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, out of Egypt I called my son. Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah. A voice was heard in Ramah weeping and Loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children. She refused to be comforted because they are no more. But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel. For those who saw the child's life are dead. And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he had heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he should be called a Nazarene. Let's pray together. O Lord, what you have spoken of old would you make fresh this day. Feed our very hearts, our souls, for your servants are listening. We ask in Jesus' name, amen. You may be seated. So if you've been with us any point in time over the Advent season, we've been in this series, the crisis of Christmas, kind of a tagline, far as the curse is found. And we're wrapping that series up this morning We want to look at one more event, one more crisis, you might say, that took place not at the birth, but after the birth. That's where we land in Matthew chapter two. But to help us understand what we're doing, I want you to hear an illustration that a seminary professor of mine used to give. He would talk in tensions at times. He would say, well, there's a bird's eye view. That's a term we're probably all familiar with. What can we see from 30,000 feet looking down? And he would say, there's also a worm's eye view. What are the nitty gritty details of what's taking place? And that's really what we're gonna look at this morning is, what's the bird's eye and the worm's eye view of what just happened? And so our three points, what happened? What else happened? And what is happening? Look with me in Genesis chapter three, when we talk about what has happened. When we see Genesis 3 and Matthew 2, you read it and you kind of see, this sounds like two different stories, Danny. We're not talking about the same people, there's different characters. And although that might be true, there's a very strong link between what you read in Genesis 3 and in fact what you will read throughout the rest of Scripture. What is happening when Adam and Eve sin and God curses the devil, Satan himself, and he curses the ground and he brings judgments upon them? What are the applications and implications of that for the rest of our life? What are those results? Well, Genesis chapter three here, what is the result that you and I are to understand? Well, he tells them, doesn't he? What does he tell Adam and Eve will take place because they disobeyed? He says, by the sweat of your face, you shall eat bread till you return to the ground. For out of it you were taken, for you were dust, and to dust you shall return. What is he saying? He's just reiterating what he's already told them. If you eat of this tree, you will surely die. That's what he's telling them. You're going to die. Because you have disobeyed, physical death is now a part of your very life. And it's almost a little weird. It's a role reversal, you might say. Didn't God tell Adam and Eve that you have dominion? I have created you in my image and you have dominion over creatures and creation. But at their disobedience, what do we learn? Well, those roles were reversed. now has a form of dominion over us. We will die. There's a physical death. We will return to the ground. But God continues, doesn't he? He doesn't just say that there's a physical death that takes place at the disobedience of God. What do we read? Well, in verse 21, we recognize that God makes garments. He clothes them, and then What are the words that God utters to Adam and Eve? Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live forever, what's God do? Therefore, the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man and at the east of the garden of Eden, he placed the cherubim. and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. What happened? There's more than a physical death. I think we could say that there's a spiritual death. What has just taken place for Adam and Eve? They have just been kicked out of what you might call paradise. But what was a blessing of paradise, it wasn't just the greenery, it wasn't just the food, it wasn't just the company between each other, it was the perfect life. It was the full life and relationship with God himself. And so what does God say to them at their disobedience? He doesn't just say, please leave. That language there is extremely forceful. It says that he drives them out. Now lest you and I misconstrue what's taking place here, we live in a culture that has a problem recognizing that God is loving and God is just. And I want you to see it right here. God is loving and He is just. How do you know that God is just? Because they disobeyed. It's cosmic treason as the late R.C. Sproul would say it. And so they are kicked out of his very presence. But how do you recognize the love and grace of God? Did you hear what he said to them? Look with me again in verse 22. Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live forever. Do you recognize God's love there? Adam and Eve have just sinned and alienated themselves from God. And so what does God in love do? He kicks them out because if they were to remain, what would take place forever and ever and ever? Their alienation from God. You see, love and justice are not opposed. They're not opposed. God does not show justice at the expense of love. God doesn't sacrifice one attribute for another. He is perfectly loving as He is perfectly just. And that's what we get here in Genesis 3. You see Adam and Eve sin, and here comes physical death, but then there's a side effect of that. It's spiritual death, it's separation from God. And isn't that what eternal life really is? Isn't that what little Lord Jesus teaches us in His prayer? Now this is eternal life. that they may know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ in whom you have sent. Life is found in God, and we've lost it. And lest you think that you and I are strong enough to earn it back, did you see what took place when they were driven out? Look at the language in verse 24. He drove out the manned And at the east of the Garden of Eden, he placed the cherubim in a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. What has happened? Man has depended upon the presence of the earth rather than the promise of God. And what he has said is, you are out of my presence. You will not come back in. And in fact, he's not saying it's going to be hard to come in. He's saying, I'm utterly resisting you. I have a sword. And it's turning every way in which you will not enter into my presence. And so as man has for all eternity, since being creation, sought to find their way back to God, he has said, man cannot redeem himself. It will come at the cost of another. And that's what God is saying in Genesis chapter three. And you might be saying, I might understand that, but how does that connect with Matthew chapter two? Because it's the same thing. You see what took place in Genesis chapter three wasn't an event that just took place once, with no lasting implications. When death set itself into creation, it continued. People don't just physically die, they enter into this world alienated from God. And that's what happens in Matthew chapter two. We love to talk about it. It's a fun children's Christmas story. We have hymns about it, the three wise men. And what do we understand that took place? Well, we've got these three wise men or magi, depending on your translation, and they come to Herod. They saw a star and they're following it. And they come to Herod and they say, we've seen the star. We understand that there's a new king that has been born. Will you tell us where can we find him that we can worship him? You can imagine Herod's response. King? No, I'm the king. And so what does he do? He gets his chief priests and scribes and they do a little bit of research and they find out, oh, it's the prophecy that we find in Micah. This king will be born in Bethlehem. And then he tells the wise men, go search for him. and then come back and tell me when you find him, so that I too may come and worship him. And you know that story, they go, they find Jesus, they worship him, and in a dream they are led to go home a different way. And that's where our text picks up. And why is that? Because what we see in Herod, it's not just an experience of Herod, it's not just an experience of Adam and Eve, it's the condition that you and I live in when we enter this world. We are fallen sinners, alienated from God. And so when Herod, when we read this story about Herod coming after the child, how are we to understand what's going on? Matthew wants you to understand something. He says, this is not an accident. This didn't just randomly happen. This wasn't just a wonderful, bunch of events coming together all at the right time to make this happen. It's not accidental. Actually, Matthew tells you it's intentional. Did you see that phrase he uses three times? Three times, Matthew says, this was to fulfill. This was to fulfill. This was to fulfill. You see, it's no accident. And God has been working to make something take place. What is the fulfillments that Matthew see? You see the first one in verse 15, it's a fulfillment. He says, out of Egypt I called my son. That's the fulfillment that comes from Hosea chapter 11. And Matthew is saying it's a fulfillment because when you look at Jesus, he is to be understood as the true Israel. And if you don't understand that, then you read in Matthew four and he clarifies that at the temptation of Jesus when he is led into the wilderness. We're to understand Jesus is the better and the perfect Israel. He is succeeding where we fail. And so Matthew says. This is a fulfillment. This is not accidental. This was to fulfill. That Jesus, true Israel, would come out of Egypt, And then we read in verse 17 and 18, then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah. A voice was heard in Ramah weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children. She refused to be comforted because they are no more. This is a direct quote, but do you know where he found it? The book of Jeremiah has plenty of lamentations. There are several to choose from. Why does Matthew choose this one? This comes from Jeremiah chapter 31 verse 15. The direct context, what Jeremiah is saying is Rachel is weeping over her children who will die in exile because of their disobedience. They are going to die. They will not make it. And you and I might think, what a weird citation, until you read Jeremiah 31, and you recognize Jeremiah 31 is a chapter of unbelievable hope. How does it begin? Verse three, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore, I have continued my faithfulness to you. And what's more noted by you is probably what takes place at the end of Jeremiah chapter 31. Behold, The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. My covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord, for this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days, declares the Lord, I will put my law within them and I will write it on their hearts and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, know the Lord, for they shall all know me. From the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Fulfillment, Matthew says. Herod is coming to destroy the children, and there is weeping to be found, but what Matthew is saying, but there's hope. There is great hope that there is one who's not just in the event, he's over the event, and he has made a lasting covenant with you and with me. He will write it on our hearts. He will be our God, and you will be my people, and he will forgive them their iniquities, he says, and Matthew says, This is to fulfill what God is working. And then the last one, you see it in verse 23. And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene. Now that's a tricky one. Because if you were to go and look in your Bible, here's what you're not going to find. You're not gonna find a direct quote. Notice that Matthew says prophets. He's not citing just one. He's not citing just one particular text. And so at any point in time we read that in scripture, how are we to understand what's taking place? If there's not a direct quote, we are to understand it's so overwhelmingly clear that he can draw from it. And you've read these passages, haven't you? What did we just celebrate in Isaiah chapter nine? but there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time, he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. But in the latter time, he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. I'm sure that's the verse you remember. Verse two, the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shown. What is Matthew telling you about Jesus and his birth? It's a fulfillment. Nazareth, it doesn't show up once, not once in the Old Testament. But here he says, it's just a small little village, a town, you might say, in the region of Galilee. What do you understand Galilee to be in the Old Testament? Well, it's a despised place. It's a rejected place. And in fact, if you know anything about your New Testament, when you begin to see the word Nazareth, what do you understand that word to mean? It's an insult, isn't it? Isn't that one of the disciples say to Jesus? Nothing good comes out of Nazareth. And in fact, if you read in Acts chapter five, you find that that becomes an insult to people. Oh, you are a child of Nazareth. You're of that clan. And so what Matthew is saying, what took place in Bethlehem that led him to Galilee, that was not accidental. That was quite intentional. That's what happened. But what else happened? What else happened? We've talked often about this curse. We understand that Adam and Eve sinned, they ate where they shouldn't have eaten, and God pronounces this curse and judgment upon Satan himself and judgments upon Adam and Eve. We've understood from Pastor Smith that the hostility, the enmity that is taking place between Satan and his offspring and the woman and her offspring, that is a picture of what is always happening. That is a picture of what took place in the garden, and it's a picture of what is still taking place today. When we read the Bible, we're to have this understanding of this is what happened. But meanwhile, over here, this is still going on. And to help you understand what that looks like, if you've got your Bibles, turn to Revelation chapter 12. There might be something happening on the surface, but there's something behind the curtains, you might say, is taking place. There's historical events in Matthew too, but what else is happening? John and his vision. If I had to summarize chapters 7 to 11, he is describing for us what are the challenges and what are the troubles in which we face in this world. And he's actually also letting us know here the judgments that fall upon those people who do not repent. And yet even in the midst of all of these challenges and trials, and even in the midst of these judgments, he's going to say at the very end, but Jesus reigns. Jesus is going to win. And then you pick up in Revelation chapter 12, and we say, or we read, it says, and a great sign appeared in heaven. Now before you keep going, which you have to understand about John's writings, he's not writing chronologically. He's not saying this happened and this happened and this happened and this happened. He is at times. But here he's actually going way back and he's describing the hostility that took place long ago when evil and good met each other in the garden. And so what he says in Revelation chapter 12 is he wants you to understand there's a great sign, there's a counterpart, you might say, that's taking place. You understood and you saw what took place in the garden, but there was something else happening behind the scenes. And so what he does in the first six verses is he gives these names, people, and their placeholders. They're not to be specific in every location. You read it and what you find out is a woman clothed with the sun and with the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of 12 stars. Who is he talking about? He's talking about the church. He's talking about the church throughout all of history, not just in the New Testament era. He's tracing it all the way back into the Old Testament. And so he describes this woman who is pregnant. Yes, Mary is included in that number clearly, but she is not the only reference. This woman who is clothed here is far greater and far larger than just Mary. And you keep reading and then you find out that there's a child. Who is that child? It's the Lord Jesus Christ himself. We learn that he is the one who's going to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. And then you're going to read about a great dragon, a great red dragon. And John's gonna actually tell you later on, that's the devil. It's Satan himself. And what John sees here is he says the devil, Satan himself is, he is after the child. He is coming to snatch the child. And if you read it carefully, it says, as the child is born, he is caught up to heaven. Now when you read your Christmas story, that doesn't sound any bit close to what you understand it to mean. What is John describing here? He's saying Satan was after Jesus at his birth. That language of caught up to heaven, he's summarizing the entire life of Jesus. Jesus was born, he lived a perfect life, he was crucified and he was raised from the dead and is seated at the right hand of God and Satan has been after him. He's seeking to destroy him. Yet John is gonna continue and he's gonna say, yeah, see, that's what was happening in Matthew chapter two, but there's something else that was going on. And you keep reading in verse seven, and he's gonna describe this scene in which there's a war going on in heaven, at heaven, in which Satan himself is fighting against the heavenly hosts and is cast down from heaven to earth. It's the behind-the-scenes look, what's taking place behind everything that is happening? There's a cosmic war between Satan himself and the heavenly hosts. And it puts into perspective what your life is really like, isn't it? It helps us wrestle with the true persecutions that you and I deal with. Adam and Eve deceived. You and I deceived. There's an enemy behind it trying to deceive. And he is at war with the Lord. That is the backdrop of our very life. And that's why Paul's going to tell you, we do not fight against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers against the spiritual forces of wickedness in high places. That is our livelihood. That's where we live. And you don't have to wonder what John is really saying. You don't have to understand all of what he's trying to get at. He's going to tell you his summary, what's taking place. And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, who's he talking about? It's these saints from Revelation chapter six you read about. It's the martyred saints and this is what they're saying. Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down who accuses them day and night before. Our God, what salvation is he referring to? He's referring to the crisis of Christmas. He understands what the incarnation of the God-man means. He understands what takes place when Jesus is going to live a perfect life. He understands what it means when he dies on a cross and raises from the dead to win himself a people of his very own, as Paul would say. There's a breaking of the curse. There's a breaking of the power of death in your life, and that's why the writer to Hebrews goes to painful lengths to explain it. Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he, speaking of Jesus himself, likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. And therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. That's what's happening behind the scenes. When you experience temptation, desire, There's a war, not just between you and the world. There's a war between the enemy himself and God and his people. That's what else was going on. But what's happening now? How do we understand this text in our time? When we read of Herod who is trying to destroy the Christ child, We have to understand that that's the same exact thing that takes place today. What Matthew is saying here, Satan tried to destroy Jesus, Herod tried to destroy Jesus, and so does the world we live in. That's the world we live in. The death of truth, the death of Christ, the suppression, as Paul will tell us, of truth. And Satan wants you to understand something about himself. If you read in Revelation, he describes himself as a king. He describes himself as one who has seven heads and 10 horns. He's trying to describe himself as the perfect and ultimate king. And Satan tries to destroy not only the Christ child, but his people. And he wants you to understand that that's his purpose. That's his power, he might say. And you see that same parallel in Herod, don't you? King, and he hears that there's another king, and he says no, and he seeks to destroy him. That's gonna happen later on in Matthew two, isn't it? Jesus will find himself before who? Pilate. And what will Pilate say to him? King, king of the Jews, you say? What's Pilate's aid to us this morning? You wanted to know about death, spiritual death. Do you remember the question that Pilate asks Jesus? What is truth? That's what spiritual blindness, that's what spiritual death demonstrates. The man who has already said, I am the way and the truth. stands inches away from him, and he has no idea to whom he looks upon. That's how we enter this world. And apart from Christ, that's where we are today. We're dead. We will die physically, but spiritually we have been separated and alienated from God. It's the same activities. It's the same attitudes. That's the world we live in. That's what will continue. And John's gonna tell you that. In fact, actually in verse 13, when Satan doesn't get the child, says he pursues after the woman's offspring. He's going after to kill them. He's gonna go after them to destroy them. And what you find out is she flees to the wilderness. That's an important location, isn't it? What happens in the wilderness? It became the place in which God draw his people out of Egypt to save them. It was the place in which God would guide and lead them on their way to the promised land. In fact, it was the place of humility for Israel in which Deuteronomy will say, eventually, God will do good. It's a place of repentance. And this is where the church flees to the wilderness. And why? Because Satan is after her. And when that doesn't work, he's going to try another trick. And he's trying to tell you over and over again, I'm greater than you. I will get you. But I want to point out something about Satan. There's two problems with what he's been doing. The first is he misunderstands himself. When you read Revelation chapter 12, you find that he is coming to heaven and he is preparing to make war and he prepares to meet God. But guess who he meets? Michael, the archangel. You see, Satan thinks he rivals God. And you know your Bible better than that. There is none above. and there's none beside your God. And the best he has is up here, another angel. Secondly, Satan often tries to use different avenues for judgment that the Lord uses for salvation. If you read in Revelation chapter 12, what is he going to tell? He's going to say he opens his mouth and he lets out the floodwaters and he's preparing to flood and sweep away the church. But you know your Bibles too well. The last waters that covered the world on judgment took place on who? Not Israel. That became a place of salvation for Israel. It was judgment upon, you might say, Satan's fleshly army, Egypt. And so all of his trickery, none of it can work when you abide in Christ. He is greater. He is stronger. And he will win. And Satan is saying, I've got you. And yet the Lord says, no, I have you. And no one can snatch you out of my hand. I lay my life down willingly for the sheep. And that's why you have your Bibles. Because it's everything you need to live a godly life. And Peter says, if you want to live a godly life, you will be persecuted. But you should take note, as Satan is trying to persecute his people, God protects them. And so you have great protection in God himself. You use the sword of the spirit. You dive deeper and deeper into the unchanging word of almighty God. What was taking place at that first Christmas? It was the beginning of the end for evil in the world. There was a work to be done on the behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. A world full of darkness sees great light. And so we have to remember, every year, we don't just celebrate this holiday. It's a necessity. It's a necessity for you, it's a necessity for me, it's a necessity for the world, because apart from it, you are not a part of the kingdom of God. I am not a part of the kingdom of God. We are still living in darkness. But because it did take place, we have a sure and strong foundation in Christ. And we can hold unwavering to that confession because it is true. And that truth is coming back into the world to redeem his people. And so we talked about in the very beginning, Isaac Watts and his hymn, Joy to the World. He wrote it based off of Psalm 98. And if you know anything about Isaac Watts, when he would write these hymns, he wrote them looking for a New Testament expression. And so he's looking at Psalm 98, and he's looking into the New Testament, and he's trying to figure out where is the New Testament expression of what I read in Psalm 98? And that's the verse you know very well in Luke chapter two. And the angel said to them, fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Watts knew well what was taking place in Psalm 98, and he knew well what was taking place in Luke 2. And that's why you read that third stanza, and he says, as far as the curse is found, so too are the blessings. So too are the blessings of God through the person and work of Christ Jesus. And so as we have just celebrated and remembered this first advent and we're waiting eagerly for the next, the final advent. We have great hope. We have great confidence. We have great protection because God himself has given it to us. And so may we find ourselves hidden in him knowing that he fights for us as the one who is in us. Let me pray to that end. Oh Lord, we acknowledge and are comforted by the fact that you alone are God and there is none above or beside you. Help us in the midst of our day to recognize the true battle that takes place, the continued application of what took place in the Garden of Eden. Father, we pray that you would grow us in our faith as we would grow in conviction and assurance of your truth. Help us to know your word and to trust it, especially in a day that focuses on changing it, adding to it, denying it. All of this we recognize is the same pattern of what took place with Adam and Eve. We give you thanks because of Christ who conquered death, through perfect obedience and rising from the dead, that we too might die to sin and live to righteousness, we'll be raised with Him. And so we pray, help us, O Lord, as we would move into 2021, help us to trust in Christ and to fight the good fight of faith, not in our own strength, but in the means that you have provided for us. Help us to be joyful as we eagerly await the return of the true King and sure foundation that is Christ, in whose name we pray, amen.