Know the Context, Get in on the Fun

I've just finished reading the New Testament and so I've rewound my readings back to Matthew (actually I just finished reading the OT too, so I've rewound to Joshua since I do Torah reading all during the year). As I've begun those readings in Matthew I've been drawn to the Old Testament references that Matthew uses so heavily in the first chapters. As I look at those OT references I'm reminded of the importance of not just grabbing the verse that Matthew uses but going back to the whole OT passage to check out its context--because that tells the story of what Matthew is trying to fully get across. There even seems to be sets of OT passages that feed off of each other.

For instance, in chapter 1.23 we are told that the coming of Christ is to fulfill the words of the prophet Isaiah that the virgin will be with child and he shall be called "Immanuel" meaning "God with us." The context of this Isaiah passage is God giving a sign to the king of Judah that assured him that the enemies of Judah would be destroyed while Judah will survive. So the coming of Messiah is a sign that the enemies of God's people will be destroyed. In Matthew 2 we discover that the wise men are seeking Jesus. Here Matthew quotes from the book of Micah,
6" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"
The context of this passage is that the one who is coming will bring about rescue/salvation for God's people. Suddenly, Matthew has combined "Immanuel" (one who is a sign of rescue) with the actual one who rescues, the one who will be the people's Shalom. Matthew begins to show us that Jesus is more than just a sign and he is more than just a rescuer--he is both.

Or is he? The next OT passage we come to is from Hosea 11.1 -- "out of Israel I call my son" The context of this passage is that Israel, God's son, is unfaithful to him. The son does not become what the Father hoped for, will this Son who he calls out of Egypt be faithful so that he can be a true sign and a rescuer.

Next Matthew takes us to Bethlehem and the killing of the infants there. Now he quotes Jeremiah 31
18"A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more."

The picture is of the people if Judah walking by the tomb of Rachel as they go into exile. Rachel is weeping as her "children" go into exile in Babylon. The question is, "who can rescue from such horrors as exile and death?" Could there be one, Could this Jesus be the one? Again, will he be faithful and so rescue God's people?

Finally, Matthew quotes one more prophet, he tells us that Jesus goes and lives in Nazareth thus fulfilling the words of the prophets, "he will be called a Nazarene". Just a quick note on this one--notice that Jesus does not fulfill the words of a prophet, but the words of the prophets. This means that there is a general condition here that Jesus fulfills that was written about the Messiah by the prophets. Any prophecies that connect with the idea of being a "Nazarene" apply. The who concept of Nazarene is one of being despised, but it is also connected with the promise of a root that will come out of Jesse (see Isaiah 11.1).

So over all these OT passages give us Immanuel who is to rescue his people--the question is: is he the right stuff, will he pull it off or will he be like the first son God called out of Egypt? If he does turn out to be the right one, he will be an odd rescuer for he will be in the line of kings (see Matthew 1) and yet despised--not at all what people were expecting.

Matthew sets up the story of Jesus for us by bringing tension and causing us to wonder just who this Jesus is. It's brilliant writing, use of the Old Testament, and it gets the reader involved deeply in what will happen next.