The Anticipated King and a Jealous Tyrant

The birth of Jesus Christ, the long-awaited Messiah, was an event of significance for all creation, heralded by angels and foretold by prophets throughout the Old Testament. Yet this arrival met humble adoration from shepherds and murderous paranoia from the reigning power. King Herod, a ruthless and insecure monarch appointed by Rome, reigned over Judea. His reign was marked by grand building projects and extreme cruelty, even to the murder of family members he saw as threats. Into this setting the King of Kings was born in Bethlehem, a small town with immense prophetic significance.

The Wise Men and Herod’s Treachery

Some time after Jesus’ birth, a group of Wise Men, or Magi, from the East arrived in Jerusalem, following a celestial sign – a star – that signified the birth of the “King of the Jews.” Their arrival reached the ears of King Herod, and the very idea of a new king threatened his precarious hold on power. His heart was filled with treachery, veiled by a feigned desire to worship the newborn king.

When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Matthew 2:3
KJV

Herod convened the chief priests and scribes, demanding to know where Christ should be born. They, knowledgeable in the prophecies, cited Micah 5:2, confirming Bethlehem as the prophesied birthplace. Herod then secretly called the Wise Men, inquiring precisely about the time the star appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem with a sinister instruction:

And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

Matthew 2:8
KJV

The Wise Men, guided by the star, found the young child with Mary His mother, and worshipped Him, offering gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. However, God intervened to thwart Herod’s wicked plan. The Wise Men were divinely warned in a dream not to return to Herod, and they departed for their own country by another route, leaving Herod’s scheme in ruins.

The Divine Warning and the Flight to Egypt

God also guided the Holy Family. As soon as the Wise Men had departed, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream with an urgent command:

And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

Matthew 2:13
KJV

Joseph, a righteous man obedient to God’s will, did not hesitate. He arose and took Jesus and Mary by night, and embarked on the perilous journey to Egypt. This flight was a fulfillment of prophecy, demonstrating God’s sovereign hand guiding the events surrounding His Son’s life from its very beginning. The sacred family found refuge in Egypt, a land that had once been a place of bondage for Israel, but now served as a temporary sanctuary for the true Israel, the Son of God Himself.

And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

Matthew 2:15
KJV

This verse directly references Hosea 11:1, which originally spoke of God calling Israel out of Egypt during the Exodus. Matthew’s application here highlights the typological significance, presenting Jesus as the ultimate embodiment of Israel, recapitulating its history, and fulfilling its destiny.

The Horrific Decree: A Cry in Ramah

When Herod realized that the Wise Men had defied his instructions and mocked his authority, his rage knew no bounds. His paranoia, coupled with his insatiable lust for power, led him to unleash an unspeakable act of cruelty. Unable to pinpoint the exact location or identity of the “King of the Jews,” and calculating based on the Wise Men’s information about the star’s appearance, Herod issued a decree to murder all male children in Bethlehem and its surrounding regions who were two years old and under.

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.

Matthew 2:16
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This horrific event, known as “The Slaughter of the Innocents,” was a dark stain on human history, a stark manifestation of evil’s desperation against divine light. It brought unimaginable grief to the families of Bethlehem. Matthew records that this too fulfilled prophecy, spoken by Jeremiah:

Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

Matthew 2:17-18
KJV

The original context of Jeremiah 31:15 refers to the lamentation of the Israelite mothers (personified by Rachel, the matriarch buried near Bethlehem) as their children were carried away into Babylonian captivity. Matthew applies this lament to the anguish of the mothers in Bethlehem, whose children were violently taken from them by Herod’s murderous decree. It conveys the depth of their suffering and the tragedy of the event.

God’s Protection and Prophetic Fulfillment

Despite the devastation of Herod’s decree, God’s plan for His Son remained unhindered. Jesus was safely in Egypt, protected by the same God who had warned Joseph. No earthly king, however ruthless, could thwart the will of the Almighty, and the flight to Egypt ensured that the Christ child would live to fulfill His mission of salvation.

The dual fulfillment of prophecy—“Out of Egypt have I called my son” (Hosea 11:1 applied in Matthew 2:15) and “Rachel weeping for her children” (Jeremiah 31:15 applied in Matthew 2:18)—highlights Matthew’s purpose: to present Jesus as the promised Messiah, whose life perfectly aligns with and fulfills the Old Testament scriptures. Even amid suffering, God is working out His plan, ensuring the safety of His Son and the eventual salvation of humanity.

The Return to Israel and Nazareth

After a period of time, Herod the Great died, bringing an end to his reign of terror. Once again, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, instructing him to return to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young child’s life were dead.

But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life.

Matthew 2:19-20
KJV

Joseph obeyed, but upon hearing that Archelaus, Herod’s son, reigned in Judea in his father’s place, he was afraid to go there. Again, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the regions of Galilee, settling in the town of Nazareth. This, too, was a fulfillment of prophecy, though more general in its nature, as Matthew states:

And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

Matthew 2:23
KJV

Matthew says “the prophets”, and no single Old Testament verse states, “He shall be called a Nazarene.” Matthew Henry takes it as the sum of what the prophets said of the Messiah as despised and rejected (Isaiah 53:3), and also hears in the name the Branch (Hebrew netzer) of Isaiah 11:1. Nazareth was a despised town in Galilee, and to be called a Nazarene was often a term of derision (John 1:46). Thus, Jesus’ upbringing in Nazareth further emphasized His humble beginnings and the rejection He would face, aligning with the prophetic portrait of the suffering servant.

Theological Significance: God’s Sovereignty and Protection

These events show several truths about God and His plan for humanity:

  • God’s Sovereignty: Even amidst human evil and tyranny, God remains in control. Herod’s rage and destructive power were ultimately futile against God’s predetermined plan to protect His Son and bring forth salvation.
  • Divine Protection: God actively intervenes to protect His chosen ones. Joseph’s obedience to divine warnings, conveyed through dreams, highlights the importance of heeding God’s guidance, especially in times of danger.
  • Fulfillment of Prophecy: Matthew meticulously links these events to Old Testament prophecies, affirming Jesus’ identity as the long-awaited Messiah. Every detail of His early life, even the tragic ones, was part of God’s unfolding redemptive narrative.
  • The Cost of Redemption: The slaughter of innocent children reveals the evil that Christ came to conquer. It reminds us of the darkness that pervades a world without God and the immense cost of bringing light into that darkness. The suffering of these innocents, though not redemptive in itself, points to the ultimate sacrifice of the innocent Lamb of God.
  • Jesus’ Identification with Humanity: From His humble birth to His flight into a foreign land, Jesus experienced the harsh realities of human suffering, persecution, and vulnerability. This early experience foreshadows His later suffering and demonstrates His complete identification with the human condition, making Him a compassionate High Priest who understands our infirmities (Hebrews 4:15).

The narrative of the Slaughter of the Innocents and the Flight to Egypt, as recorded in Matthew 2, shows God’s providence and His commitment to His Son’s mission: the protection that kept the Messiah alive to accomplish the redemption of all who believe.