For God's Sake (And Yours) Celebrate!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the first Christmas was not the peaceful, all warm by the fire, holiday that is depicted on our Christmas cards. Mary’s experience alone must have been more humiliating, worrisome, and even dangerous than any experience any of us have had or will have (especially during the holidays).

3 Areas Where You Probably Choose Herod Over Jesus

One of the titles that Matthew gives Jesus in his first couple of chapters is “King of the Jews.” The irony is that the Roman senate gave that exact title to Herod a few decades before Jesus was born. As far as Rome was concerned, Herod was King of the Jews. But when some foreign astrologers look right at Herod and ask where the King of the Jews could be found, Matthew’s readers had to have known that something was about to go down.

What Matthew Means by "God With Us."

It’s mind boggling to think about how God chose to make his big entry into the world. The rulers of the Roman Empire got parades and cheering crowds. Their faces were on every coin and everyone in the known world knew their name. And there’s no doubt that any dissenters would quickly and harshly be silenced. But Jesus came in almost completely unnoticed (besides his immediate family, only some astrologers, shepherds, and a paranoid governor knew who he was). And even in his obscurity, Jesus’ birth was surrounded by scandal and his first years were spent in hiding. These are odd circumstances for the Son of God to choose for himself.