"Threatened Christmas"

Just a few short years ago, all of life as we know it, was threatened due to the “pandemic.” The “pandemic” threatened and seemed to affect every area of our lives from vacations to graduations, from family gatherings to BB tournaments, businesses and even Christmas.

The pandemic was not the first time something threatened Christmas plans. Does a red-nosed reindeer named Rudolph come to mind? He had to save the day because of a blizzard. Even sooner than that threat came the biggest threat of them all. The account of this is found in Matthew 2.

Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus who came to be the “King of the Jews” and the Savior of the world. King Herod wanted no part of this. Wisemen from the east showed up and asked where the child was who was born king of the Jews. Herod didn’t know the details of who or where, so he asked his own “Chief priests and teachers of the law.” They knew what the scriptures predicted, so they told Herod where this was all going down. Herod was so alarmed that he tried to trick the wisemen into believing that he also wanted to worship Jesus. All they had to do was to let him know when they knew. When the wisemen never returned to tell Herod, he decided to have all the boys 2 years old and younger put to death. If Herod would have succeeded, this would have kept Christmas as we know it from happening.

In His sovereignty, God provided the way of escape for Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus before that fateful day came. Jesus didn’t come just to be born and survive an attempt to destroy Christmas, so we have another fun story to read like “The Grinch who stole Christmas”. The life of Jesus continued on earth until his death on a cross, and his resurrection from the dead. And why Christmas at all?

You know you aren’t perfect right? (Romans 3:23 says none of us are. We have all done wrong and it’s called sin) The Bible says the consequence of our sin is death. (Romans 6:23) But thankfully we see in Romans 5:8 that God loves us and showed us that, when Jesus went to the cross in our place. And we find in Acts 16:31 that in order to have this salvation, we need to “believe (trust, rely on, put faith in) on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.”

This is why I celebrate Christmas. I am remembering the birth of my Savior that day, knowing that Jesus came for the sole purpose of defeating death and making a way for us to enjoy the free gift salvation he offers.

— Pastor Josh of “Heritage Church” in Odessa.