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Intermediate Sunday School Lesson 9 : Fulfilment of the Prophetic Scriptures IV

Text: Matthew 2:13-18
27 February 2022

 

INTRODUCTION

1. Review of the Subject “Fulfilment of the Scriptures”

2. Two aspects may be noted:

a) Prophecy as the Plan of God foretold
b) Prophecy as the Prediction of the future

3. Prophecies fulfilled:

a) The Virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25
b) The Birth place of the Messiah Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1-6
c) Out of Egypt I called My Son Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:9
d) The massacre of Infants Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:18

THE DEATH OF KING HEROD

1. Wicked King Herod had died Matthew 2:19a

a) Severe kidney problems
b) Noted by a historian called Josephus

2. The kingdom of Herod was divided into four parts:

a) Archelaus ruled Judea, Samaria and Idumea
b) Antipas ruled Galilee, Peraea
c) Philip ruled North and East of Jordan
d) Salome (sister of Herod was made a toparch; ruler of a few small cities)

A MESSAGE FROM AN ANGEL

1. Informing Joseph in Egypt via a dream Matthew 2:19b

2. Content of this message

“Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.”
Matthew 2:20

a) The Lord Jesus was now “a young Child”
b) Joseph, Mary and the Lord Jesus may now return to Israel
c) Those who had sought to kill the Lord Jesus were dead

THE RESPONSE OF JOSEPH

Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.
Matthew 2:21

a) Obedience
i) Understanding
ii) Faith
b) Returning to Israel
c) But where in Israel would they go?

WISDOM NEEDED

But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.
Matthew 2:22

1. The Kingdom of Herod was divided into 4 parts

a) Herod Archelaus
He ruled Judea, Samaria and Idumea
b) Herod Antipas
He ruled Galilee and Peraea
c) Herod Philip
He ruled the region North and East of Jordan
d) Salome
She was the sister of Herod. She had a toparchy.
She ruled over a few cities

2. Herod Archelaus

a) Joseph might have chosen Judea
b) But Archelaus was just as wicked as his father

3. Warned by God

a) Not to live in Judea
b) Means of communication
Via a dream

FULFILMENT OF YET ANOTHER PROPHECY

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

1. Nazareth

a) A small town
b) Not a great or famous town in any way
c) Quite a despised town

2. Fulfilment

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene”

a) There is a general mention
“By the prophets”
b) This is thus not a specific reference
c) What does it mean, “He shall be called a Nazarene”

3. General references (“prophets”)

a) The word “Nazarene”
b) It could be a reference to a text found in Isaiah 53
1 Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
3 He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Isaiah 53:1-3

4. A Nazarene

a) A root out of dry ground
b) No beauty that people may desire
c) Despised and rejected
d) A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief

CONCLUSION

1. The Growing-up years of the Lord Jesus

a) He would grow up amidst difficulties
b) Many would despise Him because He came from Nazareth

2. Fulfilment of prophecy

a) God’s plans
b) He fulfilled all that God had planned for Him