Summary
With this story we have left behind what most people think of as Christmas. Gone are the cuddly sheep, the placid cows, the joyful angels, and the humble shepherds. In this story, joy and delight have given way to brutality and terror.
For most North Americans, Christmas is over now except for a few lingering holiday decorations to put away. For many people Christmas 2013 is fading from memory. But we who follow Jesus know that Christmas is not over just yet because the story is not quite finished. There is still more to tell about what happened. Specifically, there is this story of terror and brutality to tell. It’s not a story we really want to tell since it reminds us that the forces of violence are still very much at work in the world. Yet that is exactly why we must tell this story: it illustrates God’s response to terrible violence and powerful brutality.
Bible References
- Matthew 2:13 - 23
SERMON TEXT (PDF)
