A baby born in a manger.. What a peaceful scene to make us think of children.
What does Christmas, in the year of our Lord, 2015, have to do with the birth of Christ in a manger in Bethlehem?
Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.
– Jeremiah 31:15
Matthew 2:
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.
What has war between the nations changed over the millennia, except the suffering of innocents by the hands of the sinful?
King Herod of Judea was a ruthless and savvy political leader, not unlike those who vie for power over the innocents in this post-modern day.
Herod had already executed his brother-in-law and High Priest Aristobulus III and also ended the rival rule of the Hasmonean kings of Judea by killing Hyrcanus II. source
After the three Wise Men from the East (Jews from former Seleucid lands) came with news of the Messiah, Herod did what any ruthless ruler does (then and even now). He sought to kill off any King who might come against him and take away his power. Herod ordered a killing of innocents.
Herod Kills the Children
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”
c. 5 B.C. at the time following the birth of Jesus Christ
- Best estimates of the number of children under two ordered to be killed by Herod was 20
December 2015
- 265 Children under age one have been killed in the war in Syria since 2011.
- One in eight babies are born in conflict zones, 16.6 million in all
- Violence has forced 60 Million people from their homes
- Victims of Muslim sectarian violence & Christians must flee or pay a tax to live in fear at home
- Up to 50% of IS & terrorist funding comes from forced taxes & they control all local trade
- More than 980,000 people have applied for asylum in EU countries this year alone!
Syrian, Saudi, Iranian and Russian despots are no less ruthless than King Herod. Yet the LORD God Almighty sent his only Son, Christ Jesus, into a place and time of danger – a humble manger in Bethlehem of Judea.
What has this changed for the world?
Did Jesus rule with an iron fist and the Power of Almighty God for a mere few acres of earth in the Middle East?
NO! A loving God our Father sent his Son, the Messiah of Israel and the hope of the Nations (including atheist and arab nations) to save beloved chosen individual souls from our sin and from eternal punishment and death. Jesus Christ did not fight for a homeland, but for Heaven above. Christ Jesus lived and died that you may have life eternal.
Joseph and Mary rescued baby Jesus from Bethlehem and Herod. They fled with the Messiah to Egypt.
The baby Jesus was a refugee.
Matthew 2:
19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.
Just two more thoughts: first about IS, Boko Haram & other evil men, and secondly, the refugees of 2015 who have fled from violent and powerful leaders of nations, from violent and powerful zealous misled Muslims:
Love Your Enemies
Matthew 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
Show your love to a child like Jesus
Matthew 25:37-38
Then the righteous will answer him, saying,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
When did you?
To be contimued
This post is part of the continuing series of post for Christmas, in the year of our Lord 2015, by Roger Harned.
C. Octavius (later Augustus) was born on 23 September, 63 BC
