INTRODUCTION
Once long ago in a farming villege in China there lived an old farm known for his wisdom. One day his only son found a powerful war horse who’s bridle was caught in a thorn bush. The young man freed the horse and brought it home to his father. Hearing of this news the whole villege came to the farm to see this amazing sight. Seeing this wonderful horse one of the villegers said, “Isn’t this good news! A horse like this can plow any field without breaking a sweat” In response the wise farmer said, "Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. It’s too soon to tell.” The next day the farmer’s son decided he would try to ride this great steed. But instead he was cast to the ground breaking his leg. Finding himself free the great war horse galloped off into the woods never to be seen again. Hearing of this news the whole villege came to the farm to offer their comfort. Seeing the boy’s injury one of the villegers said, “Isn’t this bad news! Now who will you get to plow your fields?” In response the wise farmer said, "Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. It’s too soon to tel.l” The following day a great war lord from the East came through the villege on his way to fight with a war lord in the west. The war lord had all the able-bodied men in the villege taken as a soldiers in his army. All that is but the farmers son because his leg was broken. After the war lord had left the remaining women and old folk of the village came to the farm and said, “All of our men have been taken to fight in a great war. None of them may return alive. Only your son remains because his leg was broken. Now isn’t that good news?” In response the wise farmer said, "Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. It’s too soon to tell.”
“wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.”
So, have you heard the wonderful news. God’s promise that He would send a Messiah has finally come to pass. Now isn’t that Nice. A Star has risen in the East Making known the birth of the “King of the Jews.” Isn’t that terrific. Wisemen have arrived in Jerusalem bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh and saying, "We have seen his star in the east, and we have come to worship him." What a comforting Christmas image. Now isn’t that good news? But what’s this about children dying?
"A voice was heard in Ramah, Weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; And she refused to be comforted, Because they were no more."
Suddenly our story turns from joy to sorrow. Having found the child they had traveled great distances to worship the Magi are warned by God to sneak back home. To avoid telling Herod where the child is to be found. Then Joseph is warned in a dream to quickly get up and flee with his family into Egypt. For Herod, he is told Is seeking to kill his new born son. When Harod learns that the Magi have left his territory without reporting back to him where the new-born King of the Jews can be found. He flies into a rage and has all of the male children in Bethlehem from the ages of 2 years old and younger murdered. But Herod is too late for the child who would be king has been carried off to Egypt. As the result of this single birth hundreds of children die. And this was all set into motion says Matthew when, “wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.”
They came to worship, to worship. How could a simple act of worship lead to such terrible consequences? We don’t like to hear of such things at this time of year, do we! We hear bad news during Christmas time and we say, "Isn’t this terrible. To bad it happened at this time of the year." After all, this is the time for Good News. For Christmas Cheer. For peace on earth, good will to men. Isn’t it? We have trouble accepting that there are those who resist this good news. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him. But this is what John is trying to tell us when he wrote, "There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him."
When the Magi came to Jerusalem they came seeking the new born king of the Jews. So naturally they thought this new king would be the child of the present king, that is Herod. But to everyone’s amazement. No one in Jerusalem, especially Herod, knew anything about a new born king of the Jews. And if there was anyone who would want to know about this birth, it would be Herod. Fearful of losing his position of power, Herod would kill during his reign anyone who might oppose him including several of his own sons. And so when Herod the king was told by the Magi that the stars declared that a child had been born who would be the next king in Israel. He was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. For they all knew Herod. They knew that due to this surprizing news blood would now surely flow.
You and I. We live in a world that resists the Light sent from Heaven. For those who live in darkness know that when the light comes everything will be changed. Their power will be taken from them. Their rule will come to an end. And who are these children of darkness? Who dares to resist the coming of God’s light? We can name many of them can’t we. Hitler. Lenin. Hochi Men. Sodem Housan. I mean it seems so easy to point our fingers at those who show disregard for God’s Son of Light. To identify all those who would kill the innocent to maintain their power and control. And yet in doing so we often miss the fact that our scripture passage states, "When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him."
Herod may have been the one who gave the order to kill, but it was his soldiers who carried out that order. And it may have been the soldiers who did the killing, but it was the citizens of Jerusalem who stood by and allowed that killing to take place. My father used to tell me when I was a boy, "You can either vote for something or against something. But you can not decide not to make a choice. For in not choosing you have already voted yes." In each of our lives the Light of Christ will shine and we can either resist his coming or allow Him to cast out the darkness of our souls. And so we must all admit that at times we have all resist the change that the Light of Christ would bring. Each and everyone of us seek instead to maintain control over our own destiny. To determine for ourselves how we will live our lives. For in the end we are all children of the dark. That is why there can be no Christmas without a cross. For the ultimate act of resistance that we the children of darkness could make was o kill the Son of Light. That is why there could be no birth without a death. No Bethlehem without a Calvary. No manger without a cross.
But I have to tell you. The true wonder of it all is that God chose this death for His son. That through our act of resistance, our rebellion, our sin. God would bring about His great act of redemption. In other words. While we were hating God, God was loving us. While we were killing Christ, He was redeeming us. God used our very act of murdering His only begotten Son, as the very act by which He freed us from our bondage to sin.
"When I gave Him hatred, He gave me love. When I threw Him darkness, He handed me light. When I offered excuses, He told me the truth. When in the end I gave Him death, He rose to give me life. When by Your Spirit I am lead, to Christ I live to myself I’m dead."
And why you might ask is it so important for us to remember that this child was born to die, that this Bethlehem would lead to a Golgotha? Isn’t Christmas time suppose to be a time of cheer. A time of Joy. A time of Of peace on earth, good will to men. But for many people, the christmas season can be their toughest time of the year. During the holidays there is more depression, suicides, and crisises then any other time of the year. What do you do when everyone around you says you should be happy, but all you feel is depressed? This happened one Christmas season for the writer Henry W. Longfellow. Overwhelmed by the death and destruction caused by fighting in the Civil war between the North and the South, he wrote these words:
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
I thought how as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th’unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head:
‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said
‘For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.’
Have you ever felt that way during the Christmas season? Instead of joy - despair. In place of celebration - anxiety? As some of you now know, I enjoy collecting miniature churches. You can see my department 56 collection here in our santuary windows. A couple of years ago I was in a hopital gift shop when I came upon a series of minature houses for sale. I asked the sales woman if this series had a church. She said, "Yes they did. But we chose not to sell them because they had grave stones beside the church and we were afraid that the gravestones would make the people think about death” I told the sales woman, “The grave stone isn’t there to point to death, the Church is there to remind us of the resurrection.” This is the reason why there must be a cross at Christmas. The cross isn’t at Christ’s birth to get us to think of our death. The cross of Christ is to be celebrated at this time of year because the solution to death has just been born in a cattle shed. This Christ child has been born to die that his death may lead to the resurrection and that we who place our faith in Him might experience the second birth the birth that leads beyond the grave to eternal life. It is this truth that led the apostle Paul to write,
"Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the
dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law: but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." A child born to die, that through his death and resurrection we might live beyond the grave. This is the story of Christmas. This is the child that was born in a stable in Bethlehem. Born to be both king and Saviour.
Conclusion
It is this truth that can reach each and every one of us even in our deepest despair and raise us up to the true reason for the season. It is this wonderful Christmas story that would raise up the spirits of Henry W. Longfellow and inspire him to conclude his poem,
Then peeled the bells more loud and deep:
‘God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.’
Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men.