A Mission to Accomplish – January 10, 2020

And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
Matthew 2:12,13

A Mission to Accomplish

After the Magi visited Jesus in Bethlehem, God gave them a dream warning them not to return to King Herod in Jerusalem. Herod had told the Magi to return and tell him where the King of the Jews had been born so that he could worship as well. But Herod had no intention of worshiping Jesus. He intended to kill him. The Magi heeded God’s warning and returned home by another route. When they failed to return to Jerusalem, Herod flew into a rage. He ordered that every boy in Bethlehem two years old or younger be slaughtered, figuring that in this way he would be sure to eliminate this new King that was challenging him.

God rescued Jesus from Herod’s homicidal plans by having the Magi bypass Jerusalem on their journey home. He also rescued Jesus by commanding Jesus’ stepfather Joseph to take him and his mother Mary to safety in Egypt. God did all this because Jesus had a very important mission to accomplish. Jesus had been born to save all people from their sins. In order to do that, Jesus needed to live a perfect life, not just for a couple of years, but for thirty-three years. Jesus needed to die, but not as a young child at the hands of murderous King Herod. He needed to die as an adult on a cross on a hill outside Jerusalem.

God’s intense desire for the eternal salvation of all people led him to warn the Magi about Herod’s deceitful scheme. And for that, we can be eternally grateful. Because God protected the young Jesus in the way that he did, Jesus did indeed live to accomplish his mission. He lived, died, and rose again for us and all people so that through faith in him we might live in his kingdom forever.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, all praise to you for accomplishing your mission as our Savior. Amen.