I thought this fitting for Christmas Day when I read it in my devotions last night.
Merry Christmas to all!
Enjoy:
Although Christmas is celebrated as a joyous holiday in many places around the world, the world's response to the real message of Christmas is anything but merry. The response that King Herod has in the Bible passage of Matthew 2:1-8, 13-16 is more like the way the world really responds to Christ. It's sad but true.
King Herod felt threatened by the birth of the King of the Jews. He even sent his soldiers to kill the new baby in the ruthless slaughter we read about in Matthew 2:16. Herod did not want anyone to take over his authority. He wanted to be in charge. Like most people, he did not want to give up all the power he had.
Humankind often responds the same way to Christ. Did you notice that in verse three, all Jerusalem was disturbed, with King Herod? People reject the message of Jesus because they don't want to give up control of their lives. They think that acknowledging the need for Jesus will cause them to begin a new life that is sentimentally religious, or it's old-fashioned, or at the very least boring. They think if they accept Jesus as Savior, all they'll end up doing is sitting in a stuffy church pew in a suit, listening to a preacher talk about eternal hell fire.
But as Christians, we see it differently. As a believer, we know that we needed Jesus to die for us and save us from our sins. Now that we have acknowledged that fact, we can live the life we were meant to live - a life that includes a vital, life-giving connection to God and blessings from God. Instead of anger or fear, the Christian has a heart that is filled with love for the baby that was born so long ago, and gratefulness for Jesus' willingness to die for the sins of the world.
~Dwell Devotional, Saturday, December 24, 2011
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