The humble birth of the Messiah that we celebrate each year from the account of the Gospel of Luke is given an exclamation point by Matthew's focus on the story of the unexpected visitors that came to see the Christ child some time later. That the Roman puppet-king Herod features prominently in this story is no fluke because his power hungry kingship is in stark contrast with the type of king that God's Messiah will be. The gifts of the Magi serve as a reminder that Jesus was indeed worthy of the gifts of a king even while he himself has come into the world to be a gift for all mankind. The story of the Magi ends on a tragic note, with Herod's bloodthirsty vengeance upon the innocents of Bethlehem while Jesus flees to Egypt in the arms of Mary and Joseph. How does such a gruesome story fit in with the celebration of Christmas? Can a tale of the evil of the heart of man fit with the story of the newborn Messiah? It actually fits perfectly as it reminds of of the reason why Jesus had to take the extraordinary step of becoming a man in the first place. The reason why we can still celebrate Christmas, even in a world mired in hatred and sin, is that the birth of the child of promise was just the beginning of God's ultimate plan of salvation for humanity, a plan that ended in ultimate and final victory on Easter morning. So as we celebrate Christmas, we too can bring our gifts and bow before the Christ child.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Sermon Video
This blog serves as an outreach for Pastor Randy Powell of the First Baptist Church of Franklin, PA. Feel free to ask questions or send me an e-mail at pastorpowell@hotmail.com
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