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There is the beautiful side of Christmas. It’s found in Luke's gospel. Luke’s account of the first Christmas is a love story set to music. There are angels coming and going. They’re singing and lighting up the sky. There are shepherds coming to visit. There is a baby lying in a manger.
But there is another side of Christmas! It’s the dark side, the hard side. It is Matthew's account of the first Christmas. In Matthew’s account, there is hatred and betrayal. There’s murder and weeping. The doors are locked shut. There are families hiding in their basements. Mothers hold their dead babies in their arms, executed by order of the king because it was Christmas.
You probably know the story. The Magi have followed the star from the East. They stop in the royal city thinking the new king would be born there. Upon asking King Herod if he knew where this new king was, he calls out his religious advisors and they tell him that scripture prophesied that it would be Bethlehem. Herod relays that information to the Magi and then requests that after the Magi find this baby, they return to him and share where this baby is at.
Matt. 2:9-20 – 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 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.” 19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”
We don't like this account of the Christmas story but it is important to know so that we can understand what Christmas is all about.
Have you ever asked yourself why Christmas is such a difficult time for some people? For many, Christmas is the hardest time of the year. It’s a time of conflict or grief. There’s a burden to carry. There is something painful to endure.
Research shows that more people experience depression at this time of year. Suicide rates rise dramatically during the Christmas season and into the New Year. There are more family fights, and more tears are shed during this time than at any other holiday or season. For many people, it is not a season to be jolly.
There are a number of reasons for the feelings of depression and futility during this season. One reason is loneliness. Christmas is a time of gathering with family and friends. But in the midst of all the fellowship, there are people who are alone – some for the first time. That makes this season difficult for those struggling with loneliness.
A second reason is a sense of failure. At the end of one year and into another, we tend to evaluate our lives. A good number of people focus on their failures instead of their successes. Some of us think too long on the mistakes and it produces a sense of failure.
A third reason is finances. Our income didn’t match up with our desires. We spend a lot at the end of the year for Christmas presents and seasonal gatherings. We either wish that we could have been more lavish or we dread to open the credit card statements coming after the first of the year.
Other reasons may include the commercialization of Christmas or the busy-ness of the season. But the main reason for the dark side of Christmas is very simple. Christmas is spiritual warfare.
We see this truth presented in a symbolic representation of the first Christmas in the book of Revelation. Rev. 12:1-9 – A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.
3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
Every instance of our lives is part of a greater spiritual conflict. The first Christmas was no exception. Eph. 6:12 – For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
We want to believe that Christmas is the suspension of conflict. However, what we learn from scripture is that Christmas is the beginning of God’s final invasion into the dominion of darkness. Satan fought it then and he fights it now.
We want the world to believe that Christmas is innocent, tender, loving and good. For those who are Christ-followers, that is true. But for Satan and his demons and for all who want to stay in under the power of evil and darkness, this message of Christmas is their greatest threat.
How else can you explain the ridiculous reactions to the Christmas story and message? What about those million dollar law suits against displaying the nativity scene on public property?
There was one case right here in Illinois just a few years ago. The plaintiff claimed that
nativity scenes are dangerous to the welfare of society. Is that rational? What danger are a baby and poor shepherds and a young Jewish couple to the intellect and wellbeing of such an educated and open minded society as ours?
But there is a danger. It’s a danger because it’s not just a story. It’s about the invasion of the Light of the World into a world of darkness.
Christmas says that there are those who want the savior more than anything; they long for God’s presence, power and rule in their lives. But Christmas also says that there are those who do not want God in their lives. They would rather stay in darkness and selfishness.
In our main scripture passage for today, we see a clear demonstration of the dark side of Christmas. This demonstration comes in the form of a person. His name was Herod the Great.
Herod was the king of Israel. He was only half-Jewish but was placed into his role as the Judean ruler by special permission of the Roman Empire. It might surprise you to find that he was a gifted politician. He learned how to keep both Rome and the Jews happy.
To keep power, he married several times not for love but to increase his wealth and kingdom. Like any one whom gains position from power and deceit, he had to always protect himself from his enemies and his friends. He killed one of his wives and several of his sons because thought they working against him. Any hint of a threat was dealt with quickly and violently.
Factor in here the report of a new king being born. History records that there were predictions from the wise men of Greece, Persia, Rome, the far east and of course in Israel that the birth of the Messiah, the God king was about to occur. The Magi came to King Herod himself and asked directions to this new savior king to bring gifts and honor him. They obviously expected all of Israel to be waiting and prepared for this was their messiah and the entire world needed him.
What was Herod’s plan? Stop Christmas. He would kill the young child before his power could be established. So he tells the Magi that once they discover where this new king, please come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him too. But God is at work. He warns the wise men not to go back to Herod so the Magi take another road home.
When Herod discovers he has been betrayed he is livid with anger! The betrayer betrayed. The fox out-foxed. He kills all of the male children 2 years and under in the 5-6 miles radius around Bethlehem
But God is still working. He then speaks to Joseph in a dream: It’s time to flee! Take Christmas with you and go to Egypt and hide there. So they go in the cloak of darkness into Egypt just as scripture prophesied it would be.
Ironically, no one needed Jesus more than Herod. He was in deep trouble in his family. He was being consumed with fear and guilt for killing his wife. Emotionally, he was on the edge of a break down. His hatred and fear of his enemies was eating him alive. He was sick on the inside and in pain. He would soon die a horrible death and Jesus came to his kingdom and Herod’s fear and love of his sin won over his need.
So many of us today struggle with the same issues as Herod. We face the fear of surrender in very real ways. In reality, which one of us has not battled the fear of Christmas? The Christmas that says every knee shall bow. The Christmas that says not my will but yours be done.
Christmas is the center of the cosmic battle of life. Do we trust God or doubt God? Do bow or do we resist? Do we run to him or run away from him?
And so, like Herod, we fight when we should follow. We make war when we should worship. We fear when we should turn to God as friend. The fact is that you cannot understand or live in the real Christmas until you understand and deal with the spiritual warfare of Christmas.
Amidst the sound of angels singing there is also the sound of quiet weeping. There is the loving family gathered around the manger but there is also the hateful king wanting to tear them apart.
Christmas is Gods call to participation. God asked a young virgin named Mary and a man named Joseph to be his partners for Christmas. They were invited to participate in the bringing of Christmas to the world.
When God asks you to participate, he never promises that it will be easy. It wasn’t easy for Mary and Joseph. Their marriage plans were changed. Their friends changed. The ride to Bethlehem was hard and long and the local hotel was closed and they had to give birth to God in a stable with the sheep and cattle. It wasn’t easy to flee to Egypt and raise their child.
God’s work for redemption has always involved the invitation to participation. Think of Noah. Think of Abraham. Think of Moses. Consider Jesus’ call to the Twelve. Consider his call to his church to carry the Gospel across the world.
God invites us to partner with him. We can’t save anyone. We are not Christmas. Only Christ can do that. But we can carry Christmas to others. We can participate with God in his Christmas battle. This participation is not just at this time. Instead, we’re called to take the Christmas message – the message of Christ love, Lordship, power and cross to the world.
Christmas is also God’s promise for provision. It should have been easy to have stopped the first Christmas. It was one poor couple at the mercy of the great king Herod and his soldiers. The odds were not good! The devil thought it would be easy but he learns too late what God wants everyone of us to know: those who follow God receive God’s provision. God says, “If you will participate, I will provide.”
There is a passage from Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth. The Corinthian Christians had pledged to give certain monies to help the church in Jerusalem because there was a famine there. They had not yet fulfilled their promise so Paul includes a section in this letter to remind them of their pledge and how if they’d just [participate with God in this work, God would provide for them.
2 Cor. 9:8-11 – And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
God is big enough to provide everything you need to participate with him. Herod and his soldiers could not destroy the Christ child because God provided a way of escape. Joseph and Mary were provided for because they chose to participate with God.
Close
Satan has brought bondage to this world. He makes sure this time of year that he reminds us of the bondage and our failures. Christmas is a time of warfare but Jesus is Lord and the captain of our souls. He is the King of kings and where he is there is victory and freedom for all who will receive the Christmas message and live in its power.
