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Matt. 2:19-23

¹⁹But when Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in Egypt in a dream ²⁰and told him, “Get up, take the little Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel. Those who tried to kill the little Child are dead.” ²¹Joseph got up, took the little Child and His mother, and came to the land of Israel. ²²But when he heard, “Archelaus has succeeded his father Herod as king of Judea,” he was afraid to go back there. And being warned in a dream, he went to Galilee. ²³He came and made his home in a town by the name of Nazareth. And so what was said through the prophets came true: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

Well Herod the Great died. He was no longer a threat to the child. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream again to give him this good news. I find it interesting the patriarch Joseph had dreams that came true. This is the third time an angel spoke to Joseph in a dream. Does it mean anything the angel calls Mary the child’s mother and not “your wife?” She was his wife by now. Well I’ll let you ponder on that for a while.

Now Joseph does as the angel directs him to do. They returned to the land of Israel. This would fulfill what was prophesied, “Out of Egypt I called my Son.” Because this child is God’s Son is that why the angel refers to Mary as “his mother.” Matthew’s Gospel refers to Mary as “his mother” twice now. Is he just repeating what the angel said? You can ponder that for a while as well (this is a devotion not a commentary). Jesus is the New Israel or we could say he is Israel. Everything that applied to Israel Jesus is now. He is the bearer of the covenant. He is the one who will do everything the LORD commanded him. He will tell everyone what God in the Torah requires. All the promises God the LORD made to Israel he will fulfill in Jesus and in all those who are joined to him through baptism and faith in him. When you read a promise made to Israel in the Old Testament it is fulfilled in Christ or will be fulfilled through his body, the Church at the end of time.

Apparently Joseph and his family were not fully safe from the family of Herod as an angel warns Joseph in a dream (4^th time Joseph has a dread) that Herod’s son was in power so they move to Galilee to Nazareth, where Joseph and Mary were originally from. Now we don’t really know or are certain how “He will be called a Nazarene” comes from. The most explicit references to Nazarenes deal with a vow, not eating or drinking from grapes and not cutting their hair (probably why all the paintings of Jesus had him with long hair). Jesus in his ministry has a reputation for drinking (certainly he didn’t get drunk but ministered to drunkards). So what is up with that?

Sometimes biblical prophecy is action oriented and uses a pun or play on words. In Isaiah 11 and 60 the LORD promises a Branch, a Naytser (Nazer) would come who is the promised Messiah. Now Nazareth we aren’t 100% certain of the origin of the name but I think we can be certain God knows what he is doing. Jesus gets called the Nazarene, being from Nazareth, so when he starts his ministry the Jews when hearing Nazareth would think Branch. I think we should too.

Heavenly Father, you raised up the Branch of Jesse to fulfill all your promises through him to Israel. Grant us faith that we may be part of Israel through faith and baptism and receive all his benefits. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.