Advent: December 21
Jesus’ Advent was costly. Jesus came to die in our place for our sin. Jesus’ Advent was also costly for some dads and moms and their little boys.
The day you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you will die. Those words are a gracious warning of the consequences of not hearing and obeying God.
The result of rebelling against God has cost the lives of untold numbers of people at the hands of other people who have been ravaged by the fall of man into sin.
Romans 6:23a (ESV) 23 For the wages of sin is death...
Jesus’ advent to end the reign of death would be costly. It would cost the death of the Son of God, and Jesus’ advent would be the occasion for Herod to order the death of innocent little boys in Jesus’ hometown.
Matthew 2:(ESV) 16-18Then 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.”
Matthew records Herod’s slaughter of innocent little boys in an attempt to kill what he believes to be a mere rival King born in Bethlehem. No doubt Jesus is his rival. He is in fact Herod’s Creator and he cannot be thwarted. Herod’s attempt is a suspicious and murderous effort to hold on to his little corner of power.
This death of innocent children prepares us for the death of Jesus, the innocent Son of God who would provide salvation for all who would turn to him in faith.
Jesus’ death and resurrection also provide what will make right the injustice done to other innocent people, including these little boys who would die because of Herod’s sin.
Matthew’s account of the slaughter of the innocents always moves my soul because I have a robust imagination that can see the spears extinguishing the lives of little boys.
That was Christmas for those little fellas and their families.
I’d like to share my favorite poem that has put some language to my imagination of what this awful event might have been like, and what it might have been like if Jesus came to visit one of the dads of a slaughtered boy before he goes to the cross to redeem that event and what that encounter might have looked like.
This is just a “what if” put into words that may help us see Jesus a little clearer this Advent season.
I hope you will enjoy “The Innkeeper” by John Piper.
Advent. Jesus has come, and in his death and resurrection he provides salvation and by that same death provides all that is necessary to one day set right and restore what sin has unjustly taken from his people.
Here is a link to John reading his poem.
Here is a link to John reading the poem with the text.