The Magi’s arrival in Jerusalem inadvertently (so far as they were concerned) set off a chain reaction of enmity and hostility, for Herod, when he realised they were not going to return and tell him of the whereabouts of the Messiah, devised a radical plan to kill all possible contenders to the throne. (Matt 2:11-18) Once again, we see how the arrival of Jesus appeared not to bring peace at all, but to spark hatred and murder.
The Christmas story is often portrayed in saccharine and diluted form. “It’s for the children,” people say, embellishing the story with fantasies of Father Christmas and elves. We sing about baby Jesus never crying and make it sound like a fairy story, but the truth is that Jesus was born in a strange town in less-than-ideal conditions and that His family had to flee to Egypt to avoid being killed by a ruthless king who was happy to murder innocent children to satisfy his lust for power. Revelation 12 tells the story in far more vivid form, reminding us that there is an enemy (here portrayed by a dragon) who wanted to get rid of Jesus before He could carry out His peace-making mission. The Christmas story is not just for children. It is for the whole world, reminding us that peace comes with a price. We are reconciled to God through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Cor 5:21) Jesus had to die for our sins in order to bring us peace; the baby of Bethlehem would become our Saviour through His sinless life and perfect sacrifice.
