Matthew 2:13-23: The King’s Escape
Introduction
The History Channel has a series hosted by Morgan Freeman called History’s Greatest Escapes. One episode recounts the bold actions of a WWII Airman, Roger Bushell. Having been captured by the Germans when his plane went down during combat, he found himself in Stalag Lugt III; a camp prisoners of war went to after attempting to escape another prisoner camp. Despite a failed escape attempt prior and now finding himself in a camp that the Nazi’s believed to be inescapable, he wasted no time in beginning to organize an escape plan for he and other captives.
He enlisted others to help him begin to implement his plan of escape. It would not be easy for he and 199 others to make it out of the prison but he hoped to cause such a panic that a massive manhunt would ensue requiring the Germans to relocate troops from the front lines to the search allowing for the Allies to make gains in the fighting. But for his hopes to be realized he and others would have to figure out how to tunnel through the sandy soil undetected until they were safely on the other side of the barbed wire and guarded fence.
The Germans had built the barracks at Stalag Lugt III on stilts so the guards could easily see any prisoners digging a tunnel under the buildings foundation. To remain hidden, Bushell and his inner circle decided to create the floor entrances to each tunnel over a brick enclosure that housed plumbing and wiring. Two tunnels entrances were underneath concrete slabs that fireplaces set on and the other was located under a shower’s drain. Roger and the guys had decided to build three different tunnels simultaneously because if the Ferrets, the German’s task force for finding tunnels, were to find one of them, they would most likely cease from looking for the other two.
Using the brick casings to hide their tunneling work, they had to dig thirty feet down to avoid being detected by the seismic microphones that the Germans installed to detect and report digging sounds. The brick casings provided stability for the tunnels’ shafts but the camp also had very soft and sandy soil. This golden sand made it easy to dig but made it impossible to guarantee the tunnels would be safe for passage. To stabilize the tunnels and prevent cave-ins, the prisoners snuck thousands of bed slats into the barracks where the tunnels were being dug. Using a homemade saw from a spring in their record players, the men cut grooves in the bed slats, allowing them to interlock the pieces into a wooden tunnel.
For months the escape plan went on smoothly and undetected until a German soldier accidentally discovered an entrance to one of the tunnels during a routine inspection of a barrack. After discovering it, the Germans blew it up and because of the effort required for a tunnel of that magnitude and detail, they concluded that the prisoners didn’t have the resource or time to have made any other tunnels. The Germans relaxed their preventative security measures because of their conclusion.
Construction on the remaining two tunnels went on as planned until the Germans decided to enlarge the camp toward another tunnel’s exit, placing the fence out of reach via tunneling. Roger halted that tunnel’s construction and repurposed it to store sand excavated from the main escape tunnel. Before using the abandoned tunnel for storing sand, the soldiers would empty the sand removed from the tunnels as they walked through the gardens in the camp. They had constructed bags using long johns; these bags, concealed under their pants, let them slowly release sand from the bottom of their pants as they walked undetected around the campus. Their accomplishment at displacing the sand removed by digging undetected is even more astounding when you realize that during the year of digging the soldiers removed an estimated 125 tons of sand.
As the tunnel progressed further from the entrance, the men had to develop a way to get an air supply throughout the tunnel. They assembled ductwork throughout the tunnel using empty milk cans provided by the Red Cross. To cause air to travel through the makeshift ductwork, they assembled a pump out of kit bags and two hockey sticks. Working together, two soldiers could inflate and deflate the bags, pushing air through the pipe and into the tunnel. The tunnel’s crew was also able to light the escape route by stealing wire and other lighting fixtures from German contractors who were in the camp for a work order. For fear of their lives, these electricians did not report their material stolen to the authorities. With a stable, sustainable, and well-lit tunnel well underway, they needed to secure legal documents for each man attempting the escape.
In January of 1944, two months before the escape the troops painstakingly created documentation to help them safely bypass checkpoints when needed. They created stamps by carving the necessary seals into the soles of their boots and the most artistic of them painted the papers to resemble actual documentation. To attain photos for each man, bribery and black mail seemed to work well with the guards. By taking their badges or other items they were required to keep up with or face orders to join the frontlines, they were willing to meet the prisoners demands to have that item returned and remain far away from the dangers of fighting. Photos needed for the documents were attained in this way.
With the tunnel completed and everything needed for providing each man with the best possible chance of escape, they just had to wait on a green light from Mother Nature. The night of March 24, 1944 was a night with little to no moon light, it was what Roger and the guys needed to not be seen by the guards in the watch towers.
When breaking the topsoil for the exit, the first soldiers to emerge from the tunnel discovered they were 50 yards from the woods’ cover. The distance provided ample opportunity for the machine gun-equipped guards to spot and eliminate any runners. Despite the risk, they had reached a point of no return and continued to rise from the hole and run to safety. Miscaculating a safe exit wasn’t the only hiccup the couple hundred men faced during their attempt. At midnight, the Allies began an air attack on Berlin. An air attack in Berlin caused a blackout all over the nation, including the camp, cutting power in the tunnel! The pitch-black tunnel caused a delay. At about 1:30 am, a collapse in the tunnel happened when a man brushed up against the tunnel wall as he was crawling, causing another delay for repair. When 4:45 am arrived, so did the last possible chance for men to escape as darkness began to fade into light. At 5 am, the escape was halted when a guard spotted some men running. Guards quickly arrived to the tunnel’s exit capturing three. 76 of the 200 men, including Bushell, made it out and were then running for their lives.
Out of the 76 men who broke out of Stalag Lugt III, only three remained uncaptured. Many of the men were recaptured within 36 hours. Roger Bushell’s escape was going well as he traveled, hopping from train to train. However, upon inspecting his documents before boarding a train, the railroad worker saw that his documents were forgeries. The man immediately turned Roger into the Gestapo.
News of the mens’ attempted escape from the prison camp deemed as inescapable reached Hitler. In a rage, he ordered that every one of the troops who had attempted the escape be executed. Hitler’s orders were not to the normal or prescribed punishment for prisoners of war who attempted to escape. For sure, an enemy who tried to escape a war prison could expect harsher treatment or thinner rations but not death. Those within Hitler’s leadership convinced him not to execute all of them but in the end, 50 of the men who attempted to tunnel to freedom were executed, Roger Bushell being one of them.
While Roger failed to remain free after his impressive escape, he managed to affect Hitler and the war’s outcome. Hitler’s overreactive and brutal execution of the men who tried to escape caused an irreparable rift between Hitler and the Reich leadership. Some historians say that the US and the Allies wouldn’t have won the war without this division within the Reich’s leadership caused by these men’s attempted escape.
As we turn our attention to Matthew 2:13-23, we see a threat by another ruler, this time, King Herod instead of Hitler. Herod’s target is not the Jewish people in general but towards Jesus, the King of the Jews, which causes the need for Joseph to take his family and escape to Egypt. With Matthew as our Morgan Freeman, we are guided through Herod’s attempt to murder Jesus brutally; if the king succeeds, the means of salvation and good news for all people, the Savior, is eliminated. Unlike Roger, who had a positive impact on WWII despite his failed attempt to escape, the murder of a young Jesus has no positive effect. As we look at these verses, we see God’s protection of His Son and His earthly parents; more prophecy fulfilled confirming Jesus as the King descended from David and thus the Messiah, and application for today.
The Escape to Egypt (2:13-15)
The family’s unexpected escape to Egypt results from Joseph’s encounter with an angel in a dream. The angel appears to Joseph in a dream after the reassuring and exciting visit from the wise men. Not only is the journey unexpected, but it is also urgent and necessary!
From the Greek word translated as “flee to” we get our word “fugitive,” one who escapes from someone or something. The word in 2:13 is written in the present imperative. In summary, the angel told Joseph that once they started running away from the threat, they were not to stop until they reached Egypt. The journey from Bethlehem to Egypt’s border was 75 miles and required an additional 25-mile trek into the nation to arrive at a place of safety within it.
Why did the angel instruct Joseph to lead his family to Egypt without stopping until reaching safety? The phrase “is going to” in verse 13 is better translated as “is about to” or “is on the verge of,” highlighting the imminent danger. Under the cover of night, the family departs for Egypt. They remain there until Herod’s death (4 B.C.), when an angel instructs them to return (2:20). Most likely, their stay in Egypt lasted only a few months.
Egypt served as a natural refuge for first-century Jews, as it had a well-established Jewish community that dated back several centuries. Alexander the Great had established a sanctuary for Jews in Alexandria, a city named after himself. From its establishment through Roman rule, it was considered a special place of opportunity and safety for the Jewish people. The city is also where the Septuagint, a translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew to Greek, took place in the third century B.C.
What was Joseph and his family’s primary reason for this necessary flight to Egypt? Of course, to preserve the life of Jesus, but God also had another purpose in this essential and inconvenient trip for the family of three. Matthew says that this journey to Egypt had to take place so what the LORD had spoken through His prophet would be fulfilled (2:15). Once again, Matthew points his Jewish audience to their prophetic Scriptures to show how Jesus matches the fingerprint of God’s Messiah.
In its original context, the Old Testament text cited (Hosea 11:1) is not a predictive prophecy but a reflection of God’s love for Israel during the exodus. It is best to recognize Matthew’s connection to Jesus’ return from Egypt with Hosea 11:1 as typological. Matthew identifies profound parallels in God’s historical actions that he views as divinely orchestrated rather than coincidental. Just as God led Israel out of Egypt to establish His original covenant, He now brings the Messiah out of Egypt to inaugurate the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34). Matthew 2:15 is one of several instances in Matthew where Jesus embodies the role of Israel as a whole.
The language of Jesus’ sonship also points to His identity as the Son of God (or Immanuel) and echoes Old Testament texts that link the Messiah with “the Son” (Psalms 2:7; 89:26–27; 2 Samuel 7:14). Additionally, the Septuagint’s version of Numbers 24:7–8 portrays God Himself bringing the Messiah out of Egypt, reinforcing this typological connection.
The Enraged Herod And His Evil Decree (2:16-18)
Matthew continues to give an account of this time frame of Jesus’ early life by returning to Herod’s threat, which prompted the quick escape to Egypt. Herod behaves in keeping with his murderous and paranoiac personality. The massacre offers a classic example of overkill, but 2:7 and 16 together suggest that Herod may have known that the child was already one to two years of age and wanted to make sure he did not miss him.
Herod lost control of his emotions, and as a result, his emotions controlled him. Feeling as if he had been tricked or played like a child by the wise men—though they were obeying God and looking out for this young family—he decided to enact his murderous plan that should secure his position as king. The king gave orders to kill all male children from birth to two years of age.
Critics of the gospel narrative often point out that there are no other historical documents substantiating Herod’s “massacre of the innocents.” But given the small size of Bethlehem and the rural nature of the surrounding region, there may have been as few as twenty children involved, and the killings would have represented a relatively minor incident in Herod’s career, worthy of little notice by ancient historians who concentrated on great political and military exploits. The number could be even less if, as the grammar allows, the phrase “two years old and under” is translated as “under two years old.”
Though far from his intent, Herod’s murderous act would fulfill another prophecy – this one spoken by Jeremiah (2:17-18). This prediction, like that of Jesus’ return from Egypt, is in the form of a type. A type is a non-verbal prediction revealed in the New Testament.
Jeremiah initially spoke of the pain and anguish God’s people would soon experience when they were led into exile by the Babylons (Jeremiah 31:15). In its original context, the passage depicted the lament of mothers in Israel over their sons led away to Babylon.
Ramah was on the border of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) and (Judah (the Southern Kingdom), five miles north of Jerusalem. This city served as the gathering place of the Jewish people by the Babylonians for deportation (Jeremiah 40:1).
Rachael was the wife of Israel (also known as Jacob). She gave birth to three sons. Ephriam and Manasseh were two of them. These two sons became the forefathers of the half-tribes that bore their names. In the Old Testament, Ephriam is often a synonym for Israel. This matriarch was also the mother of Benjamin, whose tribe became part of Judah, the Southern Kingdom. She desired children more than life itself (Genesis 30:1). Now, “her children,” the multiplied descendants of her sons, were being taken captive by a pagan nation. During Jeremiah’s time, the mothers of Israel were personified as “Rachel” by the people. Thus, in its original context, all of Judah’s mothers (the nation itself) were mourning because her children had been killed or deported by the Babylonians.
Matthew reveals that this weeping of the nation over her children is ultimately realized in Herod’s attempt to kill the Messiah. While the King was still a babe, Rachael had reason to weep once again, this time over the young boys murdered at the paranoid king’s command.
The Expedition to Nazareth (2:19-23)
Matthew resumes the narrative from verses 13–15, with Joseph receiving divine instruction through an angel in a dream once again. The wording of the Lord’s command parallels that of 2:13, but this time, Joseph is told to take his family and return to Israel, as the immediate danger has passed with Herod’s death. The plural phrase “those who were trying to take the child’s life” may suggest that Herod’s royal advisors shared his intentions.
Josephus says that Herod died from ulcerated entrails, putrified and maggot-filled organs, constant convulsions, and foul breath, of which neither doctors nor warm baths led to recovery. His way of dying was a most fitting end for a man whose gross condition was equally comparable to his heart’s condition, as demonstrated in his attempt to rid the world of the Messiah for his own sake.
Though those who sought to take Jesus’ life were dead, Archelaus, who was ruling in Judea, still proved to be a realistic threat. Just before Herod died, he ordered the execution of two Jewish rabbis, Judas and Matthias. They were popular among the people for stirring others to tear down the statue of an eagle Herod had arrogantly placed over the Temple gate. In response, at the following Passover, an insurrection occurred. Archelaus, having learned from his father’s example, had 3,000 Jews, primarily pilgrims, having nothing to do with the rebellion executed.
The new monarch proved to be a general threat to the Jewish people; how much more of a danger would he be to the one already identified as the Messiah and King of the Jews? Consequently, Joseph chose to settle with his family in Galilee, returning to Nazareth, the town they had previously called home (Luke 2:4-5).
Matthew’s final example of how Jesus fulfilled Messianic prophecy presents a unique challenge, as no such direct citation appears in the Old Testament. Matthew may acknowledge this by attributing the statement to multiple “prophets,” suggesting he summarizes a broader scriptural theme rather than quoting a specific text or that many had prophesied this truth about the Messiah, even though no written record of such statement was contained in the Scriptures; if the latter is true, then his audience would have had this knowledge and been able to know what Matthew was saying was fact.
One idea that tries to locate this prophecy as written in the Old Testament links “Nazareth” to the Hebrew word nezer (branch), which signifies a Davidic king (Isaiah 11:1; 53:2). If so, Matthew could be employing a Hebrew wordplay. Yet, this writing device is unlikely as “Nazareth” itself is not derived from nezer. While Matthew does not identify what prophets made these claims about the Messiah, he does point out to his Jewish audience that their words were fulfilled by Jesus and His family moving to Nazareth.
The term Nazarene had long been terminology describing anyone seen as rough or rude. With this in mind, it is easy to see why Nathaniel was surprised that the prophet Moses had spoken about could be from Nazareth (John 1:45-47). Jerome, an early church father, wrote that in synagogue prayers, Christians were frequently cursed as Nazareanes with the request that their names be blotted out from the Book of Life (Psalm 69:28).
Even though no recorded prophecy in the Old Testament clearly states that the Messiah would be called a Nazarene, His living in Nazareth helped fulfill other recorded prophecies. By being associated with Nazareth, He was despised, scorned, and hated as a Nazarene, thus fulfilling many Old Testament passages (Isaiah 53:3; 49:7; Psalm 22:6-8; 69:20-21; Matthew 12:24; 27:21-23, 63; Luke 23:4; John 5:18; 6:66; 9:22, 29).
Concluding Thoughts
What are we to take from these final verses in chapter two? Here are some thoughts.
God provided a way for Jesus to escape Herod’s scheme so that He could provide the Way for us to escape Hell for eternity.
Throughout Matthew 1 and 2 we are reminded that since the fall, there has been a struggle between the seed of the woman and of the serpent. Satan became more aware of God’s details for the coming Deliverer Who would deliver a blow of death to him as God revealed more to His people. Satan had tried to wipe out the family line the Messiah was to descend from time and time again but to no avail (take Isaiah 7:1-2 & Matthew 1:22-23 for example). The Devil takes another shot in Matthew 2 having to attempt to kill the Messiah Himself through King Herod (Ephesians 6:12).
Once again, as in times past, the Devil is unable to rid himself of the One Who threatens him and his plans. God protects His Son just as He had promised by warning Joseph about the impending danger. The Father would protect Jesus until His time (hour) had come to offer Himself as a sacrifice to God on our behalf, in our place, to make us right with God. Just like God waited until the time was right to send His Son into the world (Galatians 4:4), He preserved Jesus’ life until the time was right for His Son to die for the world (John 2:4; 17:1-5).
God made a way of escape for Jesus from Herod so He could be your way of escape from the eternal punishment of hell. Will you receive Jesus as your Savior now? If yes, watch this video and discover how to receive Jesus today!
Joseph lived his life according to the Word of God, we should too.
Throughout these first two chapters of Matthew, we see a man who lived his life and led his family according to the Word of God. Matthew 1:19 describes Joseph as a righteous man. Joseph was a man who generally kept God’s commands. While he didn’t obey God’s commands perfectly, his heart’s desire was to demonstrate His love for the LORD through his obedience to His commands; his righteous actions were evidence of his desire. It was against Jewish laws for him to wed Mary since she was found with child before they came together (Sota 5:1), but he would love God through obeying His command concerning this certain situation. Joseph also loved God by loving his neighbor (Deuteronomy 6:4-6; Micah 6:8; Matthew 22:37-38). Joseph desired to love Mary by breaking the engagement quietly, perhaps out of court. He knew plenty of cultural shame would be directed towards Mary and did not want to add to it.
As he considered his plan of action concerning his relationship with Mary, an angel delivered a message from God. The angel explains that Mary has not violated her covenant with him and that the Holy Spirit conceived the baby within her. The heavenly messenger told Joseph that he was to name the baby Jesus. A baby’s legal father was expected to name the child. Thus, the Word from God was for Joseph to take Mary as his wife and raise this one-of-a-kind boy (see also 1:20; Luke 1:61-63).
Joseph led his family according to the Word of God, we ought to lead others according to God’s Word too.
Joseph loved God by internalizing His Word. Joseph knew God’s law, and as a result, he could apply it to every area of his life. Though Joseph is absent from the majority of the gospels’ content, the little we have about him teaches us a valuable truth: When it comes to leading our families (and others in general), we need to lead them according to God’s Word. This carpenter’s family benefited in the following ways because he led them by God’s word.
- Leading our family by God’s Word keeps our family from danger (Proverbs 2:1-11; 3:25-26; 4:6; 4:21-23; 6:20-22; 8:32, 35-36). By leading his family according to God’s Word, Joseph was able to keep his family from Herod’s murderous scheme (Matthew 2:13-16; 19-22).
- What dangers or hurt can you keep your children from experiencing by leading yourself and them according to God’s Word? What are some dangers or hurt that could have been avoided by you if someone had led you according to God’s Word?
- Leading our family according to God’s Word provides opportunity for them to know the LORD better (Luke 2:41-52). Joseph made the expected journeys to Jerusalem to keep the feasts of the LORD as prescribed in the Law (Exodus 12:24-27; 23:14-17). These experiences allowed many teachable moments themselves but also provided opportunity for his family to grow in their knowledge of God with others.
- Joseph made it a habit to have his family around God’s people. Not only did Joseph make the journey to Jerusalem with his family to keep the feasts of the LORD, he had them in synagogue too. Are you following Joseph’s example and God’s command to be in community with other believers? If not, why not? What is keeping you from growing in your likeness and knowledge of Jesus with other believers?
- Who is influencing your children for Jesus alongside of you? If there is a person or people that God is using to help grow their love for Him and His ways will you take a moment to thank them for doing so in some way? If there isn’t anyone coming alongside of you will you make it a matter of prayer? Ask the LORD to provide another person to help your child’s love for Jesus grow. Like Joseph, have your child around God’s people so the relationships needed for spiritual growth can be formed.
- Leading our family according to God’s Word helps us to prioritize our family schedules and finances correctly (Leviticus 12:1-8; 23:1-4; Luke 2:22-24, 39).
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