Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
I greet you today, in the name of Jesus, on this the first day of a new year, 2024. At this moment the year lays out before us like a blanket of fresh snow with no footprints. As we step into this year, where will your footprints be leading you? What can you imagine awaits you this year, and how will you be different one year from now as you draw the year 2024 to a close?
I left you yesterday standing in the doorway of a small house in Bethlehem about 2000 years ago. We were watching a small caravan of camels head east, away from Bethlehem into the night, while Joseph and Mary were settling in for the night, trying to understand the shocking visit of Magi from a far distant land. Three small gift boxes were on the floor, right where the Magi had placed them as they bowed to honor infant Jesus.
Joseph and Mary had never seen any Magi before, nor had they ever imagined they would be blessed by such a visit or such outrageous gifts. As they finally lay down to sleep that night, I imagine they had many more questions than answers.
The record tells us Joseph was abruptly awakened from his sleep with frightening news: “When the Magi had gone, an angel of the LORD appeared to Joseph in a dream ‘Get up, 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.” (Matt. 2:13) Most of us have probably had the experience of being rudely awakened by a late-night phone call with very bad news, so it shouldn’t be hard for us to imagine what this was like for Joseph.
Also, we probably all know some people who always need more information before they can make a decision or take action. For a few moments Joseph, in a cold sweat, wrestled with this shocking news, as he watched both Mary and infant Jesus sleeping quietly.
He knew that as soon as he awakened them and he gave Mary this frightening news, everything would change for them, everything! He knew Mary would have questions to which Joseph had no answers. But the message was urgent, time was critical, Joseph had to act…now!
The Matthew record says: “So Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, during the night, and left Bethlehem heading for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of King Herod.” (Matt. 2:13) Joseph had no time to think about all the why’s and where’s and the what ifs. Joseph had only one focus… get his little family to safety as quickly as possible. All he knew about the threat was what he had learned in his angelic dream. There was no time for discussion or debate or asking God for more information.
The road south from Bethlehem would likely have been deserted at that hour of the late night. We have no reason to believe Joseph or Mary had ever been further south in Israel than Bethlehem, much less across the border into Egypt. Every step they took that night was a step farther away from home, the familiar, friends and family. Every step now was a huge step of faith, trusting God would lead them, protect them, provide for them and help them understand.
It’s time to pause and reflect on this first day of a new year. How much like Joseph and Mary’s walk, into the dark unknown of that night, is the journey you are walking as you cross into this new year?
What are your questions about your life direction, your life purpose?
What key lessons have you learned in recent years, including 2023, which will serve you well now as you enter the unknown of this year 2024 which will, without question, be a volatile year in every way… politically, economically, socially, morally, internationally and spiritually?
What will be your solid foundation upon which you’ll build your life this year?
What will be the guardrails on either side of you guiding you as you walk your life path this year?
What will be your radar helping you to discern danger ahead and how will you avoid that danger this year?
And what are the dangers for you ahead as you know them?
I’m guessing Joseph and Mary had a donkey with them, loaded down with their few belongings, maybe even pulling a small cart Joseph might have made for his carpentry work. Mary undoubtedly held infant Jesus close.
Jesus may have been about 18 months old by this time. I conclude that since we know Herod sent soldiers to Bethlehem with instructions to kill all male children age two years and younger. I imagine Joseph headed south from Bethlehem perhaps toward Hebron, about 17 miles south.
This was of course the town where the ancient patriarchs of the people of Israel were buried in the family plot of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and his wife Leah. I’m sure they knew the well-preserved stories of these great fathers of Israel and would have counted it a great honor to visit this city.
As they walked, I’m sure Joseph and Mary discussed over and over WHY all this was happening? Grateful they had been warned about danger in Bethlehem, don’t you suppose they asked God if they could settle down in another town in Israel, perhaps here in Hebron, rather than going all the way to Egypt where they would be refugees in a foreign country? Perhaps they stayed a day or two in Hebron, hoping to hear from God… but silence.
I presume Joseph and Mary continued their trek south, perhaps finally arriving in Beersheba, one of the southernmost towns in Israel, about 40 miles south of Bethlehem. This town they knew to have historical significance in Israel as the place from which Jacob had fled for his life, leaving his family, his parents Isaac and Rebekah and his twin brother Esau, when he had stolen his brother Esau’s birthright and inheritance, in Jacob’s deception. (Gen. 28:10)
This was a town near the Negev desert, so very different from Nazareth or even Bethlehem, but still Joseph and Mary evidently found no word from God about possibly staying there, and so they kept traveling, now heading west toward Egypt.
As they traveled through the harsh, increasingly barren southern landscape of Israel toward Egypt, of course they had no idea what was happening back in Jerusalem with King Herod, nor in Nazareth with their families, nor in Bethlehem as the census continued.
I wonder if Joseph and Mary found themselves reflecting on the previously unknown people God had brought into their lives since the birth of Jesus, that night in the Bethlehem stable? Where might those shepherds be now and who had they told of their visit to the stable? What was happening with Simeon and Anna? And most recently, what about the Magi, how far had they traveled returning home, was their trip going safely?
As we travel along with Joseph and Mary toward Egypt, let’s pause and consider some of the people God has brought into your life along your journey? Who are they? How have they helped you become who you are? How has your life impacted theirs? Who are those now most helping you to prepare for your journey into 2024? And I’ll meet you right back here tomorrow as we walk with Joseph, Mary toward Egypt.
Today’s Scripture is Matt. 2:13-15.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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