Christmas 2

Jeremiah 31:7-14; Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-19; Matthew 2:13-23

A horrible thing follows immediately upon the birth of Jesus: the slaughter of an untold number of innocent baby boys. We might be tempted to think, "It were better, for their sakes, if this one baby boy, Jesus, had not been born," but that is to let time determine how we interpret events, rather than eternity.

The fact is that evil men oppose Christ, and their sins do great damage, but neither evil nor sin originate in eternity, and neither will find a place there. God determined what we would be before the foundation of the world, before history, before any causality, before anything happened to us or was done by us, which is to say, before any sin was committed or good work done. This is why good works cannot save us and sin's power is broken.

How can we change if what we are is already determined? If good works do not save and sin's power is broken, then why do the former and avoid the latter? Because time is given to us for one reason only, and history serves one purpose only: to know God and to make Him known. Good works show that we know God. Sin reveals we do not know Him. Moreover, God will make His people happy in time and history.

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