Many of us know the “Christmas Story” oh so well. And no, I’m talking about the one with the “Red rider BB gun”.
That “Christmas Story” is very humorous and it’s a lot of fun to watch.
But there was nothing humorous about what happened in Bethlehem and the neighboring villages as a result of the first Christmas - the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And if video had been available, we would cringe and perhaps even cover our eyes at the blood that was shed because of that first Christmas.
And we see this in Matthew 2.
(1) Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.
(2) Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
The wise men have come to Bethlehem to honor the new born king of the Jews. Many scholars believe they were astrologers from Persia, Babylonia and Arabia. They sought information from Herod the Great, who was king at the time. Herod was a man whose objectives were very simple: to get as much power, glory, and pleasure for himself as was humanly possible and would not hesitate to kill anyone who got in his way.
One of his first actions as king was to order the deaths of 45 members of the Jewish law-making body, the Sanhedrin, allegedly for opposing his appointment to the position by Rome.
He also ruthlessly and systematically exterminated members of his own family, including his wife Marianne, and his two sons Alexander and Aristobulus. Only five days before his own death, he ordered the execution of Antipater, the son who would naturally have succeeded him.
This was the maniacal, blood thirty, mentally unstable tyrant that the wise men approached seeking information about the new born king of the Jews.
The news of a new born king does not sit well with Herod. The idea that his own position might be threatened – even by a new born baby – was not something he would tolerate.
(3) When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled , and all Jerusalem with him.
Herod quickly convenes a meeting with all of the chief priests and the scribes. There is a look in his eyes. They had seen it before and people died. “Did you know about this? Did you know that a king would be born right here under my nose? Did you? Tell me where he was born. Now!”
They tell him about the Old Testament prophesies that foretold of a prince coming out of Bethlehem of Judea who would govern Israel. “But my lord, we didn’t know when these prophesies would be fulfilled or even if they were true.” Liars. All of them. They knew but they also knew Herod. A man prone to jealousy. A man who saw conspiracy everywhere. A man who trusted no one.
After learning that the prophets had foretold the birth of a king to govern Israel and where the king would be born, Herod has a private meeting with the wise men without the religious leaders and without his advisors. He couldn’t risk word getting out that he agreed to acknowledging the rights of a new king, especially since he plans to murder him once he finds out who he is and where he is.
So, he gives the wise men his blessing to seek the child. He also gives them an instruction - “When you find the young child bring me the news personally. I want to worship the new king too,” says the man who has killed all of his potential rivals.
You know the story.
The wise men find the young child, who is now about two years old with Joseph and Mary in their house in Nazareth, not Bethlehem. They bring the type of gifts ambassadors from other nations or countries would bring to gain the favor of a king – gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold, well, it speaks for itself. It represents royalty and nobility. Frankincense was used in sacrificial offerings and worship because of the aroma it produces when it is burned. Myrrh was valuable because of its aromatic qualities and was used in perfuming ointments and as an anesthetic for pain.
When it is time for the wise men to leave, their intentios, initially are to return to Herod with information about the child’s whereabouts. But in verse 12 we read “And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.”
Do you see the phrase “being warned”? It means “to give a response to one who asks or consults.” It implies that the wise men asked God if they should return to Herod or go home.
What I find most interesting about this verse: it uses the pronoun “they” which indicates all of the wise men had the exact same dream. When they awoke the next morning they knew what they needed to do. No discussion. Leave Nazareth. Their only question: what road do we take?
Again, you know the story.
Not only did the wise men leave Nazareth, but so did Joseph, Mary and the young child the following night.
(13) And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
(14) When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt.
The angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream: “Joseph. Joseph. Wake up. Wake up.” There’s sense of urgency in his voice. But this is only a dream, he reasons. “Joseph, you, Mary and the child – you must leave Bethlehem tonight. Get up. Tonight Joseph. Tonight.”
Joseph struggles to grasp the significance of what the angel is saying. He’s conscious and yet he’s asleep. It’s not making much sense. But then the angels says something that sets off alarms. “Joseph, wake up. You must wake up. If you don’t the Son of God will be murdered.”
The sleepy fog lifts and Joseph is on high alert. The angel’s words are ringing in his ears: “Herod will destroy the child if he finds him!” Herod will destroy the child if he finds him!” Joseph, Mary and baby flee to Egypt.
Herod is livid when the wise men don’t return with the information he desires. He’s fit to be tied and sends soldiers to Bethlehem to find the traitors.But we know from scripture that the wise men - the traitors - never go to Bethlehem. The star took them to Nazareth. “How dare they mock me and not tell me where this king of Israel is? I’ll kill them! I’ll kill them all!”
Let’s pick up the record in verse 16.
(16) Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.
(17) Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
(18) In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
Rama is five miles north of Jerusalem and Bethlehem is five miles south of Jerusalem. Herod slaughters all of the young males under the age two within a 10 mile radius of Jerusalem. Many scholars believe that, because of Bethlehem’s population, somewhere between 15 and 20 children were slaughtered in Bethlehem and another 15 to 20 in the neighboring villages.
Perspective: 20 children died in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
What we see here in Matthew 2, is what happened in the realm of the natural as a result of the birth of the king of kings. We see a demented king trying to stop the fulfillment of prophesy by murdering innocent children.
Now let’s wind the clock back two years.
The angel Gabriel is sent by God to Nazareth. He is to deliver astounding and life changing news to a virgin who is to marry a man named Joseph.
Let’s pick the record up in Luke 1.
(28) And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
(29) And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
(30) And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
(31) And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
(32) He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
(33) And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
You know the story.
Mary has never been intimate with a man and so she asks the angel a simple question: “How will this happen?” Mary’s question was not one stemming from unbelief but one of trying to understand how such a thing could be possible.
The angel tells her that Holy Ghost will impregnate her [the phrase “overshadow thee – symbolizes God’s presence – the cloud by night] and that she will give birth to the Son of God. And her response was simple as we see in verse 38: “Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.”
Mary’s decision sets off a chain of events that, once again show us that, in the natural, there was not a lot peace surrounding the first “Christmas”.
We see this in Matthew 1:18-25.
(18) Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
(19) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
(20) But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
(21) And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
(22) Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
(23) Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
(24) Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
(25) And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Mary was betrothed to Joseph in a legally binding ceremony that usually takes place a year prior to the marriage when all legal documents and contracts are signed. According to Jewish culture at that time, Mary would have been a teenager, probably 13 or 14 years old. Joseph would have been a little older, probably 16 or 17.
From the time of betrothal, the woman was regarded as the lawful wife of the man to whom she was betrothed. We see how serious a matter betrothal was to the Jews in Deuteronomy 22:23-29.
(23) If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her;
(24) Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour's wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you.
(25) But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die:
(26) But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter:
(27) For he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her.
(28) If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;
(29) Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days.
For the betrothed couple, all that awaited them was the wedding. If they engaged in sexual intercourse with each other that was not seen as a violation of any cultural norm.1 If pregnancy occurred before the wedding, this was not a problem because the parentage of the child would not be in question.2
What would be shocking is not that a betrothed couple had been intimate, but that presumably Mary had been intimate with another man – that she had committed adultery.3
(References: 1 Cohick, L., “Women in the World of the Earliest Christians” (2009), article in December 2009 issue of Christianity Today. Cohick is an associate professor of the New Testament at Wheaton College.
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid.)
Do you think that Joseph may have felt a little humiliated when he found out Mary was pregnant? Do you think that maybe he got angry? What about feeling rejected? The virgin he is to marry, in his mind, is no longer a virgin.
Joseph has a decision. Two divorce options are available to him. There’s the private divorce where he would simply give Mary a bill of divorce without assigning a reason for it (Deuteronomy 24:1-3).
Then there’s the public divorce. Joseph charges Mary with adultery which carries the punishment of death, by stoning.
But Joseph is a good man, a just man. So he decides to present her with a bill of divorcement in private. Joseph wants a quiet, “no fault” divorce.
But in a dream, the angel of the Lord tells him “Mary has not betrayed you Joseph. She has been true to you. Take your wife Joseph. She is the one Joseph that God has called blessed. She is the one Joseph who will give birth to His Son. ”
You know the story.
Joseph’s decision to divorce Mary and his subsequent change of heart are not common knowledge. No one in the village would have suspected that he was not the child’s father. To the world the child would be his son.
Remember the phrase from verse 21 “...for he shall save his people from their sins.”
I also want you to remember the phrase “God with us” from verse 23.
Joseph marries Mary. While she’s pregnant they have to go to Bethlehem to be taxed. It not a “tax” as we understand it. The word we would normally use is “census”. But of course we know that a census ultimately leads to the collection of taxes. Shake head: some things never change.
Jesus is born in a manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes. The angel of the Lord appears to shepherds who are watching over their flocks at night.
In Luke 2, we’re going to read verses 10 & 11
(11) For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
(12) And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
In the realm of the spirit, this is an eternally life changing announcement. Great joy! Great joy! The savior, the deliverer, has been born!
Earlier I asked you to remember the phrase “...for he shall save his people from their sins.” I have heard people say that “Jesus is the savior” and that’s true. But scripture also communicates a deeper truth.
Look at verse 11 again. “For unto you is born ... a Savior.”
Jesus is not just the savior. He didn’t just become our savior. He was born our savior. Jesus was born for one reason: so that He could die and remove the barrier that kept us for a relationship with God.
Remember I also asked you to remember “God with us”?
Turn with me to Romans 5:1. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Do you see the word “peace”? It doesn’t mean “contentment” or “satisfaction” or “quiet”. In the context it communicates a state of reconciliation as opposed to enmity. In the Greek it means “to set at one again”.
Look at verse 10. “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”
Before Jesus’ birth we were at war with God spiritually. We were His enemies. Our sin nature made peace – being one with God – impossible. Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection gave us an opportunity to once again be at peace with God. The Greek says “it set us at one again” with God. Just as Jesus said “My Father and I are one” so can we say “God, my Father and I, are one.”
So, we could read verse one this way: “Therefore, being justified by faith, we are once again in a place of rest and oneness in our relationship with God because of what our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ accomplished through His birth, death and resurrection.”
Ladies and gentlemen, the first Christmas, in the realm of the spirit, was a joyous and praise-worthy occasion. For the first time since Genesis 3, man had a chance to be “at one with God” again! Praise God!
I want to close with a story I read recently. Some of you may have heard it.
Amid the horrors of World War I, there occurred a unique truce when for a few hours, enemies behaved like brothers. Christmas Eve 1914 was all quiet on France’s Western Front, from the English Channel to the Swiss Alps. Trenches came within 50 miles of Paris. The war was only five months old, and approximately 800,000 men had been wounded or killed.
Every soldier wondered whether or not Christmas Day would bring another round of fighting and killing. But something happened: British soldiers raised “Merry Christmas” signs above the trenches, and soon carols were heard from German and British trenches alike.
Christmas dawned with unarmed soldiers leaving their trenches, though officers on both sides tried unsuccessfully to stop their troops from meeting the enemy in the middle of no-man’s land for songs and conversation. Exchanging small gifts, they passed Christmas Day peacefully along miles of the front. At one spot, the British played soccer with the Germans, who won 3-2. In some places, the spontaneous truce continued the next day as neither side was willing to fire the first shot.
Finally, the war resume when fresh terrors arrived, and the high command on both armies order that further “informal understanding” with the enemy would be punishable as treason.
Ladies and gentlemen, there’s something about Christmas that seems to bring out the best in most people. Perhaps it’s the knowledge that Jesus came into the world and because he did, the world – whether it realizes it or not – is a far much better place.
Please stand.
