Sin hurts. It promises good things, but never delivers on those promises. It promises pleasure and easy resolution to life’s difficulties. Maybe for a short time it seems sin is working out, but it always brings destruction, hurt, and brokenness. The nation of Israel had suffered much in their sin and in the sins of others toward them. As Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh, he entered into the suffering of this sin ravaged world. He identifies with his sin ravaged people in such a way that we will not miss what he is doing.
In Israel’s history they had been enslaved by the Egyptians. The Pharaoh so ruthlessly wanted to subjugate them that he was willing to kill all their male babies to do it. But God delivered one boy from that death, Moses, and he would lead the nation out of slavery. He would deliver them into the promised land.
After the magistrates left, not returning to Herod because they had been warned in a dream and angel appeared also to Joseph in a dream.
Mat 2:13-23 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.” (14) And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt (15) 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.” (16) 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. (17) Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: (18) “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.” (19) But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, (20) saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” (21) And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. (22) But when he 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. (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.
Jesus came an identified with a brutally enslaved people that he might deliver them from their slavery. Rom 6:16-23 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? (17) But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, (18) and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. (19) I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. (20) For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. (21) But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. (22) But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. (23) For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Have you come out from the brutal master of sin? Have those bonds been broken in your life? Have you been freed from the hard master who leads to death and been led out to a new king, a new master. Are you serving the king who would identify with you, who would die for you and serve you and lead you to life?
It is not a sudden transformation. We identify with Jesus also: Luke 2:40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
