Not So Silent Night

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright

While that familiar tune is one of the most oft sung Christmas carols in the world, it's not the way most mothers tell the story of their son being born.

There wasn't anything silent or calm with her newborn baby frantically screaming; certainly, it was far from a holy night given the pains of childbirth (I read somewhere that childbirth was more like a curse).

Back to that familiar Christmas nativity for a moment. We've serenaded many a congregation with those lyrics of Silent Night, Away in a Manger, and Angels We Have Heard on High. And while they create a festive mood for this time of year, perhaps we've romanticized the story slightly more than it was ever meant to be.

Seriously! Think about the characters of this story for a moment.

A Jewish teen named Mary conceived a child by way of a miracle. Her fiancé Joseph was informed of her conception through a dream. Star gazers, called magi, from the east followed a specially named star to bring gifts to the child. Shepherds in the field were serenaded by heavenly hosts.

That sounds almost unbelievable.

While it does sound a bit make believe, Disney-like to be honest, it has most definitely made a profound impact throughout the entire world.

But what happens next is amazing in and of itself; it's the not so silent night!

It was during the reign of Herod that this other king, this savior if you will, was born. Herod was an egomaniac whose power was threatened by the reputation of a newborn. So he decided to slaughter all the male babies in the region. Let's just say he was the Hitler or Stalin of Jesus' day.

So, Mary and Joseph and Jesus fled. And all the while God was working behind the scenes, just as He often does, to secure His plan from being thwarted by inhumane human behavior.

And for thirty years Jesus walked the streets, treating others with grace, meeting physical needs, building relationships, forsaking his own means of gratification, forgoing any material gain. For what? One more not so silent night!

The night of His betrayal, He heard the screams of His accusers, the denial of one of His own disciples, and most certainly the cries of His mother. And in those moments of His crucifixion, surely, it was a 'not so silent night' as He screamed in anguish and torment upon that Roman cross.

You see, when we consider the lovely story of Jesus lying in a manger, that was simply the prologue for a story of death. The plot line takes many twists and turns from the cradle to the cross. But inevitably, He came to die. And His death requires a response.

All too often we dress up the story of Jesus in the manger as being something lovely. But His birth is meant to point to the cross. He came to die! And it cannot remain a silent night for you and me.

We must choose to believe the story of Jesus and completely surrender our lives to Him or, like Herod, feel the pressure of having our very own kingdom threatened by the coming of the Promised Messiah!