If you really think about it, the concept of death runs like a common thread throughout the birth narrative. A paradox, isn’t it? Mary could have been stoned for getting pregnant while unwed. Herod wanted to kill baby Jesus because he feared a competitor to the throne. And although he failed to kill the baby, he had other children killed instead. Simeon was ready to die once he had seen the Christ child. And we often forget that Jesus was born to die for us.
The birth of the Saviour in our lives will demand the death of something too – reputation, position, self, the world and most importantly, sin. When we die to sin, we begin to live for God. So the Christmas story isn’t just about a Saviour who was born to die for the world He created, but also a call to all the saved to take up their cross and follow Him.
Rising with the Son 