How Satan Tried to Steal Christmas

We all love the holiday classic-"How the Grinch Stole Christmas".  I'm talking about the cartoon that I watched as a kid and with my children every year for many years.  I'll never forget the low bass singer singing "you're a mean one Mister Grinch."  You know the story-he goes to Whoville to steal everything related to the Christmas celebration.  In the end he is charmed by Cindy-Lou Who and saves Christmas for all.  The Grinch did everything he could to steal away the joy of Christmas for the folks of Whoville.  Well, Satan did everything he could to take away the true reason for Christmas.  We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ our Redeemer.  Satan tried his best to put up roadblocks to stop the birth and life of the Savior.  Today we remembered three obstacles to the life of Christ. 

First, the importance of God fulfilling his promise to David that the Messiah would be one of his offspring.  Well, Satan caused many of David's offspring to be very wicked, so wicked that the wicked King Coniah was cursed that none of his offspring qualify to be the Messiah.  God's plan would make sure that Jesus would be the son of David and that the curse of Coniah would be fulfilled.  It happened that Jesus would be in the line of both Mary's lineage and Joseph's.  Coniah was promised you will be "childless" for the Messiah of which he was, as Mary's lineage was through David's son Nathan and not the legal line of Solomon.  God's plan was preserved as his plan remains true for each and every one of us every day.

Second, Mary was virgin born.  To many of the day this was very hard to accept.  God did a miracle as Mary was conceived of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 7:14).  There must have been rumours of a stoning as that was the punishment for unmarried pregnancies.  Joseph was told by God in a dream that this baby was unique and special.  He remained true to his betrothed and God's plan was fulfilled.  Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin.  Satan's plan was thwarted.

Third, the baby Jesus was saved from a murder by the wicked King Herod.  The three Godly wise men refused to give in to Herod and give him details of the whereabouts of the baby Jesus.  Joseph reacted quickly to take his family to Egypt to avoid the baby killings that would happen in Bethlehem.  Again, God's perfect plan was fulfilled.  Satan tried and failed.  He tried to stop the redemption plan and failed.  He tried every day to distract us from serving our God.  He tries to use trials to cause us to doubt.  Christian- Satan has already failed.  Trust Christ as Savior and let him rule your life.  Don't let Satan steal Christmas!