Advent 2025 December 11 - Sin and Christmas

Yesterday I reflected that the whole reason for the nativity is that we are sinners. We do not just have a "sin problem." It goes deeper than that.

Yet even the Christmas story is beset with sin, not just a result of our sin.

1. A Roman emperor wants nothing more than to control people, so he sends them on treks across the empire to be counted and taxed.

2. The "fake" king decides to kill babies born around a certain time to protect his own rule.

3. The world around the homeless young couple was pretty much indifferent to their plight (although I am pretty sure Mary had a midwife).

4. Even the Wise Men/Kings are a shade duplicitous with Herod, although we can't really blame them.

Russell Moore writes more on this subject here:

"She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Joseph was told in his dream. That is almost a throw-away line to us nowadays. To be saved from our sins is the point of His birth and coming and death and resurrection and return.

Another article in Christianity Today, rather long but thought-nudging, takes us through a comparison of theology versus therapy, or God the Father and God the Dad, or sin as systemic (through us and in us) versus sin as an ego problem.

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