A Grace Invasion in Bethlehem

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.””Matt 2‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Christmas is a grace invasion. The one who was King of the Jews would show that He is in fact King of the Universe. Everything about His arrival is counterintuitive; low, dirty, poor, humble, rejected. He appeared to be opposite of a king. He came looking more like a peasant.

 His death? His death would look even worse. He would die not as a peasant, that would have been a giant step up from how he really died. He would die like the worst of society, the thieves, the murderers, the scum of Jerusalem. They even traded Him for an actual murderer when they could have let Him go. Perhaps some of the most horrible of ironies is that they traded Jesus for a man named Barabbas, whose name literally translates to “son of the father.” Yes, the Son of the Father was taken in place of a murderer whose name meant “son of the father.” And for what?

All He did was live without committing a single sin from the time He was a baby, that first Christmas. Later we see why, because He needed to “sanctify Himself so that we would be truly sanctified (John 17:19).” He did it so that He could take our place (2 Cor 5:21). He did it so that we can be forgiven and be reconciled to God (Col 1:13-14).

 Yes, Christmas was a Grace Invasion. A new King was here, taking His seat and establishing His dominance over Satan, sin, and death. And it all started when a virgin conceived and gave birth to a baby. A baby who was fully God and fully man conceived of by the Holy Ghost… Jesus Christ our Lord.

Merry Christmas indeed!