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The World Hated Jesus From the Beginning | Matthew 2:13-18

He's that big of a deal

Author

Caleb Lee
January 04, 2024

Have you been persecuted for your faith before?

Hopefully, it wasn’t life-threatening, or even close to what Jesus faced as a baby.

13  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.”

Matthew 2:13-18

This is a tough passage to read, personally. How could a king kill the children in an entire region? He wouldn’t have been protecting his throne, he’d likely be dead by the time Jesus was old enough to potentially take over.

But Herod does commit this atrocious act. Simply because Herod the king didn’t understand who Jesus was.

Our world is the same as it was back then.

People hate Jesus because they don’t understand who He is. Or maybe they do. But they still hate Him.

Regardless, people will go to extreme lengths to persecute and reject Christ. The world is against Him. So if you proclaim to be Christian, the world will be against you too.

The good news is that He’s provided the only way out. He’s taken the big blows so that we’re able to hope and trust in the One who is greater than the world.

So fight the good fight. Run the race.

And don’t fear persecution. Jesus has got your back.

Have a blessed January 4th!

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