Advent-ure 2021 December 20: Children Would Be Slain (His Light Overcomes the Darkness)

Jesus arrived on the earth during extremely dark times: the oppression of the Roman Empire, the brutal reign of a jealous king, the people of Israel having gone without a prophetic word for 400 years. The world was truly in upheaval. Sound familiar?  Christ entered the world to bring light. John chapter 1 says:
5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

A wicked plan was devised in the mind of a small and calloused "King" in Israel around the time of Jesus' birth - the Magi came looking for the Christ Child, about whom they had studied and determined He would be King of the Jews. But, Herod had other plans.  But, even though there was rampant death, He could not take the life of the Messiah - his worldly commission was ultimately inferior to our Savior's mission.  There are many who do not respect life even today, yet, those who know Christ can be devoted to speaking His truth and shining His light. 

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The Magi, or Wise Men, followed a star in the East and they recognized its significance.  They followed it all the way to Jerusalem, where they met with King Herod, asking him about where they could find the King of the Jews.  This made Herod angry and jealous and he began to search out the Christ child.  He ordered that the lives of all boys two years and under in Bethlehem and surrounding areas would be taken.  And, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Egypt to escape the slaughter.  

This series of events was prophesied in Scripture, in Jeremiah 31, where we read this verse:
15 Thus says the Lord: "A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more."

That is the verse in our Faith Radio Advent Guide, Day 20, along "The Timeline to Transformation." There was a great effort to eliminate the presence of this child who would be king; certainly resulting in dark times in Israel.  But, the subsequent verses offer hope:
16 Thus says the Lord: "Refrain your voice from weeping, And your eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord, And they shall come back from the land of the enemy.

17 There is hope in your future, says the Lord, That your children shall come back to their own border.

This series of verses show us that there is hope even in our despair, and that Christ came to provide hope for the world.  Even through His death, there was hope on the other side through His resurrection.

We are to be hope-givers through Christ.  I came across a testimony on The Christian Heart website - it was written by a man whom we find out is named Kipp Youngman.  He wrote:

I’ve been a UPS driver in Vermont for 29 years, and really gotten to know a lot of the people on my route. Especially during the pandemic where we’ve been making so many more deliveries. I love my customers and try to show Jesus’ love to them any chance I get.

That’s what I did with Max. He’s a 14-year-old boy with autism who rarely speaks or smiles. I try to say hello and take a few minutes to talk to Max whenever I make a delivery to his mom, Wendy. So, Max and I started to develop a real bond. He’d get excited when I’d drop off a package. Max’s room is at the front of their house and so he can hear the truck coming up the road. His mom usually greets me at the door and Max is not too far behind.

Kipp found out from Max's mother that he wanted to be a UPS driver and had attempted to make him a uniform for Halloween.  Kipp went one step further and assembled some uniform pieces and delivered them to Max. He wrote that...

...After he opened it, a smile as big as my truck came on his face and he gave me a huge hug.

That wonderful smile and warm hug from Max will stay with me forever. After I left, I felt on top of the world. It was one of the biggest blessings I think I’ve ever received.

Somehow, a local reporter heard about what I did, and told that story. I’m not an Internet guy, but from what I understand, the story went viral. Before I knew it, media people from all over the country were contacting me. I was amazed at what was happening and in awe of what God did with my simple act.

One of the multiple stories about the relationship between Kipp and Max was posted at the WCAX Television website out of Vermont, where this story takes place. It states:

Even the most expensive packages Youngman has delivered in nearly three decades never received such a priceless reaction, including that rare smile.

It quotes his mother as saying, “What Kipp has done for me is kind of renew that belief that there are small acts of kindness that people can do that really make a difference,” adding, “His kindness and his thoughtfulness for my son means a lot to me and my family.”

The article quotes Kipp, who said: “Everybody has a purpose. Max has a purpose. Everybody has a purpose, and I guess I’m finding out my purpose right now looking at you, which I’ve been wondering for a while..." The article also states, "Forget special delivery, as far as Kipp Youngman’s concerned, this was a divine delivery."

We can examine how we can bring hope to those who are discouraged.  We live in challenging times, and the enemy would want to extinguish our light and plunge the world into darkness.  We are surrounded by death through the threat of the coronavirus.  Yet, in the darkness, the light of Christ can shine. Jesus, the light of the world, came into the world - the darkness could not overcome Him, and He commissions us to be salt and light in the world.

And, remember God made a way for His light to come into the world to redeem the world. King Herod had a plan - to extinguish the light, and he carried out his wicked plan in a most heinous way. But, the light could not be overcome - Jesus, the light of the world, continues to shine to our dark world today.