After Christmas: The Hard Side of Christmas
Randall Ross
Matthew 2:9-20
INTRO: The forgotten story of Christmas
A. A wise man once told me there are at least three versions to every story; my version, your version and the truth.
B. That is true of Christmas; there is a forgotten story that is necessary to make Christmas complete.
C. There is the beautiful side of Christmas; Luke's version
1. It is the love story set to music
2. There are angels coming and going, and singing and lighting up the sky
3. There is love
4. There are the miracles of stars that move,
5. There are the shepherds coming and the baby lying in a manger
III. In Luke's version everyone is singing; Mary sings my soul doth magnify the Lord, Elizabeth is singing. Angels are singing.
1. This is the side of Christmas we love and cherish and promote and rightly so. For it is Christmas from Gods view; the heart of God toward us
c. But there is another side of Christmas! The dark side, the hard side. It is Matthew's version
1. In this version there is hatred and betrayal, murder and weeping in the homes of Christmas.
2. It is about cosmic war! There is pain in the hearts of many in this version of Christmas
III. In Matthews version the doors are locked shut and families hiding in the basements, mothers hold there dead babies in their arms, murdered by order of the king because it was Christmas
1 . In this version Joseph awakes his wife and says we must leave now! Why, we are so tired and Jesus is so young. I know marry but its Christmas and we must leave our home and go to Egypt. Egypt why there..?
III. There are soldiers chasing the Christ child to kill him to stop Christmas from growing... This is the Christmas story
D. We don't like this version but it is important to understand what Christmas is all about.
E. Have you every asked yourself why Christmas is such a difficult time for many?
1. For many Christmas is the hardest time of the year. ...
Randall Ross
Matthew 2:9-20
INTRO: The forgotten story of Christmas
A. A wise man once told me there are at least three versions to every story; my version, your version and the truth.
B. That is true of Christmas; there is a forgotten story that is necessary to make Christmas complete.
C. There is the beautiful side of Christmas; Luke's version
1. It is the love story set to music
2. There are angels coming and going, and singing and lighting up the sky
3. There is love
4. There are the miracles of stars that move,
5. There are the shepherds coming and the baby lying in a manger
III. In Luke's version everyone is singing; Mary sings my soul doth magnify the Lord, Elizabeth is singing. Angels are singing.
1. This is the side of Christmas we love and cherish and promote and rightly so. For it is Christmas from Gods view; the heart of God toward us
c. But there is another side of Christmas! The dark side, the hard side. It is Matthew's version
1. In this version there is hatred and betrayal, murder and weeping in the homes of Christmas.
2. It is about cosmic war! There is pain in the hearts of many in this version of Christmas
III. In Matthews version the doors are locked shut and families hiding in the basements, mothers hold there dead babies in their arms, murdered by order of the king because it was Christmas
1 . In this version Joseph awakes his wife and says we must leave now! Why, we are so tired and Jesus is so young. I know marry but its Christmas and we must leave our home and go to Egypt. Egypt why there..?
III. There are soldiers chasing the Christ child to kill him to stop Christmas from growing... This is the Christmas story
D. We don't like this version but it is important to understand what Christmas is all about.
E. Have you every asked yourself why Christmas is such a difficult time for many?
1. For many Christmas is the hardest time of the year. ...
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