By Rohan John

And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

Matthew 2:12

The story of Jesus’ birth, as detailed in Matthew 2, is a far cry from the quaint nativity scenes we see everywhere today. It’s the story of a young girl who should, by all rights, have been stoned to death by her own parents. It’s the tale of a young newlywed couple undertaking an arduous journey while expecting a child, and then having doors slammed in their faces on the cusp of the baby being born. It’s a narrative that sees a nation unprepared and uncaring for the birth of its promised Savior, while social outcasts and foreigners rejoiced in the news. And it culminates in a king ordering Roman soldiers to go door-to-door and commit mass infanticide.  

However, through it all, we witness how incredibly God orchestrates His plan for the salvation of mankind. We see how He literally changes the very laws of physics as He causes a star to rise and move to announce the birth of His Son. And we observe how He speaks to people in dreams to warn them of impending calamity. 

It’s hard to read the story of the first Christmas and not be awed by how vast and wondrous and powerful our God is.  

But the story of Christmas doesn’t end there. It actually leads up to a garden where Jesus says, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39, ESV). Where, despite His invincibility and power, He admonishes one of his disciples saying, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and He will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53, ESV). And where, in the fullness of God’s time, He dies on a cross after saying, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46, ESV). The story of Christmas is about the perfect, sinless Son of God rejecting His immortality to take on my sins and yours, in obedience to the Father, to die as a sacrifice so that we could share eternity with Him.  

My prayer this Christmas, amidst the joy, the presents and the precious time with loved ones, is that we press in to a deeper understanding of the incredible Gift we have been given through the birth, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I hope that as we press into Him, we each encounter Him in a way that births a desire for deeper intimacy, greater obedience, and bolder faith in this new year to come.

Jesus, thank you for loving me so much. Thank you for putting into motion your plan for my rescue long before I even existed – and then for being obedient to the Father’s will despite what it cost you and despite my sin. Help me to walk in a closer relationship with you, with a greater longing to hear your voice and a deeper desire to do Your will.

Amen.