How does Jesus fulfill the prophecy that says, 'Out of Egypt I called my son' (Matthew 2:15)?

Quick answer

Matthew 2:15 is prefigured in Exodus, when God called Israel, His “son,” out of Egyptian bondage. That foreshadowed Jesus, God’s Son, being called with Mary and Joseph out of Egypt, where they had been in hiding from Herod.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Matthew 2:15 quotes a passage from Hosea 11:1 that refers to God’s deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage (Exodus 4:22). The historical events depicted in the Old Testament book of Exodus are a biblical type, or shadow—a form of prophecy in which an event prefigures a similar and usually more significant future event. In Exodus, God's “son” was Israel (4:22); in Matthew 2:15, God’s Son is Jesus. The common thread of the historical events in Exodus and the calling of Jesus out of Egypt foreshadows yet another deliverance: Christ calling believers out of slavery to sin. Jesus, through His death and resurrection, made a way for people to be free from sin and death (Romans 6:6–11; 8:1–4) and become children of God (John 1:12). The New Testament shows this happens by God's grace through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:1–10; Titus 3:3–7; Colossians 2:13–14). The Bible teaches that those who put their trust in Him are freed from the eternal penalty for sin and slavery to it; believers live a renewed life in Christ (1 Corinthians 5:17–21; Philippians 2:12–13). God has called His children out of sin and death, into eternal life.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

Exodus 4:22 records the Lord's instructions to Moses about what to say to Pharaoh: “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son.'” From this point on, throughout the generations, the Israelite people recognized God as their Father (Isaiah 63:16; 64:8). He would call His “son” (Israel) out of Egypt, which prefigures how Christ would be called out of Egypt.

Hosea 11:1 refers to that episode in Israel’s history when it says, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” These words, quoted in Matthew 2:15, are a Messianic type, or shadow.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

Matthew 2:14–15 says, “And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 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.’” In talking about Joseph taking Mary and Jesus to Egypt to escape Herod, Matthew connects that event to the historical exodus of God’s people from Egypt. The latter foreshadows the former.

Romans 6:6 shows that through Christ, believers have been freed from sin: “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” The Lord’s deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage is a type of Christ freeing believers from bondage to sin.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Although we sometimes ignore or avoid calls we receive, there’s one call we should welcome that will disturb our lives in the most profound and amazing way: the Lord calling us out of sin into the light of His saving grace. That call is life changing. Those who accept it receive a Helper in the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us for service and equips us to stay firm during persecution (John 14:26; Philippians 4:13). Besides this, we can bring our petitions before our Heavenly Father and ask Him for strength to defeat and deter daily temptations (Matthew 26:41). As born-again believers (John 3:3), we answer Jesus's call by becoming living witnesses (Matthew 5:14–16). We share the gospel with others and look forward to eternity with the Lord. God has called His children out of sin and death into eternal life.

UNDERSTAND

Israel's deliverance from Egypt prefigures Jesus's return from Egypt in Matthew 2:15.

Matthew 2:15 connects to Hosea 11:1, showing Jesus as God's Son, called out of Egypt.

Jesus delivers believers from sin and death, offering eternal life through faith.

REFLECT

How does the idea of Jesus calling us out of spiritual bondage apply to our faith?

How can you experience the freedom Jesus offers from sin in your daily life?

How does understanding Jesus's fulfillment of the prophecy about Egypt deepen your appreciation for His role in salvation?

ENGAGE

How does the parallel between Israel's exodus from Egypt and Jesus's calling out of Egypt help us understand God's plan for redemption?

How can we respond to God’s call out of sin in practical, everyday choices?

How does the connection between Jesus’s deliverance and the freedom from sin encourage us to live differently in a fallen world?