Christmas Morning: Son Rise on a New Dayნიმუში

Back in 1984, Bruce Springsteen recorded the song “Glory Days.” This song tells the tale of a few aging people looking back on their childhood exploits with great fondness. Their “grown-up” lives were not as exciting as their high school heroics, so they preferred to sit around talking about the “good ole days.”

We all have a temptation to look at some former era of life with nostalgic fondness, and long to return to some bygone era when life was easier and times were good.

Luke 1:5-7 informs us that the Jewish people, in the era when Jesus was born, were NOT living in the glory days. Their glory days had passed them by long ago. When Jesus was born, Herod the Great was the King of Judea. Herod may have been “great” in power, but he was certainly not in righteousness. He was a ruthless leader, commanding all the babies in Bethlehem to be killed out of jealousy and fear (Matthew 2:16). Herod was so unpopular that he feared no one would mourn when he died. As he aged, he had likable people arrested with an order that they be killed on the day he died so that someone might mourn on the day of his death! He was one terrible guy.

Herod was the local ruler in Judea because he proved his loyalty to the political sovereign, the hated Romans. When Luke says that Jesus was born in the days of Herod, king of Judea, he was saying that Jesus was born in sorry days, not glory days!

Not only were these days tough politically, they were also tough personally for Zechariah, the priest and his wife, Elizabeth. They had no children, and their empty arms had become a heavy burden. No glory days indeed.

This year, as you head into Christmas, you may look around and see hard times. Job insecurity, a new illness, world events, or other challenges may tempt you to flee in your mind to the “glory days” of Christmas past.

If you are experiencing some sorry days this Christmas season, take heart! Jesus IS THE GLORY that came into our sorrow to bring us peace. Let’s look to Him together this season.