Does He Matter?

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. —Matthew 2:3

 

Have you ever told someone something, and their response was “so?”  A “so what” response is just insulting!  This was exactly how Herod, his priests and scribes reacted to the news of Jesus’ birth.  They teetered between “so what” and “do what!”  Scripture tells us Herold was troubled enough to plot and carry out a wicked plan, but none of this crowd were moved to acknowledge or worship.  “So today … two kinds of opposition will come against Christ and His worshipers: indifference and hostility.” (John Piper, Good News of Great Joy.)  We expect the world to be hostile toward The Messiah but even among Believers, it’s too easy to slip into indifference toward Christmas … shopping, baking, wrapping, partying … and miss The Christ of Christmas, failing to see Him and kneel before Him.  Here’s the question for the Season: does He really matter?