The biblical account
of the birth of Jesus
is horrifying!
Angels appear from nowhere
and speak to people
and tell them
not to be afraid (Luke 1:26-30, Luke 2:9-10, 13-14).
Sure, no fear here.
There are several occurrences
of dream angels
and
dream warnings (Matthew 1:20; Matthew 2:12, 13, 19, 22; Luke 2:28).
Not spooky at all.
There is a virgin mother (Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:31-35),
<insert confused face>
which is nonsensical
and defies logic
and science
and her more than boyfriend/
not quite fiance/
betrothed/
pledged/
husband (Matthew 1:18-19, Luke 2:5) –
whatever the term for this complicated relationship
would be in this century –
who is ready to bolt
and leave her
to raise this unborn mystery baby alone (Matthew 1:19).
There is a star
that moves across the sky
and then hovers over this child
and His family (Matthew 2:9).
Science questions again…
There is a horribly wicked king –
and no words awful enough to describe him –
who plots to kill this baby
after He is born (Matthew 2:13)
then decrees infanticide throughout the region,
ordering the deaths of countless baby boys
in hopes that he gets lucky
and the particular boy he wants dead
will happen to be one of them (Matthew 2:16).
Seriously, even the vilest words
are too trivial for him.
And there is a young family
who flees for their safety
in the middle of the night
and moves to another country
to escape from said king (Matthew 2:14-15).
The details of the birth of Jesus
are crazy
and terrifying
and nothing like
the beautiful pictures
or the Christmas carols
or cute ornaments
or nativity scenes.
Yet this is how the Savior
entered the world.
What insanity!
What a farfetched story.
No one would ever believe it
if it weren’t true.