It seems that every day the news has been reporting on new restrictions due to the current Covid19 pandemic. I even heard one reporter even say that Christmas would be canceled this year. I admit that I don’t know what she meant by that. Perhaps she meant that all of the gatherings and special celebrations would have to be restricted this year. Whatever was meant, I thought about another time when there was an attempt to cancel Christmas.
During the birth of Christ there was an all-out push to cancel Christmas. First we notice that Herod tried to destroy Him. He had heard about the coming birth of a king from the wise men. He sent them to find this One who was to be king. They went to Bethlehem and gave baby Jesus their gifts and did not report back to Herod. Matthew 2:16 divulges Herod’s murderous attempt at destroying Jesus: “Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts…”.
Another attempt at canceling Christmas was made by the religious leaders in Jerusalem. Those scribes and chief priests knew the place that the Messiah would be born and perhaps even the approximate timing. However, this monumental event was ignored by those who should have been looking for Him. They did not even travel the 6 miles to Bethlehem to see for themselves.
We all know the story of Joseph and Mary and their arrival to Bethlehem. They tried to find a place to stay at the inn but there was no room. Yet Jesus was born in the barn and laid in the feeding trough for the animals. The scriptures record Herod’s murderous attempt at canceling Christmas. We hear about the religious leaders disinterested ignoring of the birth of the Son of God. The inn in Bethlehem also had no room for the Christ. However, no matter what the opposition, Christmas could not be canceled.
Today Christmas faces governmental restrictions, secular replacements, and now coronavirus fears. But no matter what, the birth of Jesus will still be celebrated. Christmas cannot be canceled because Christ is alive! Christ is our Savior! Christ is our King!