![](https://cdn.monkplatform.com/image/czoyMDM6Imh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGczMuYW1hem9uYXdzLmNvbSUyRmFjY291bnQtbWVkaWElMkYyMDUzNSUyRnVwbG9hZGVkJTJGcyUyRjBlMTg0NTE3MDhfMTcyNTIzODkxMF9zZXJtb24tdGl0bGUtc2xpZGUtOS0xLTIwMjQuanBnJTNGcSUzRDkwJTI2dyUzRDUxMCUyNmglM0QwJTI2Zml0JTNEbWF4JTI2cyUzRDkxNjZjODU4ZWU0ODExZjUzNjk5ZGMyMmQzNWY4MjNlIjs=/sermon-title-slide-9-1-2024.jpg)
This Side of Christmas
Dec 29, 2019
![This Side of Christmas](https://cdn.monkplatform.com/image/czoyNDI6Imh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGZDQ2NDk1YWNlN2M2YWY4OGEwMDAtNWVlMTA0MTI2M2Q1YTAxNGI5NjYwMjI0NjIyNjYzNDUuc3NsLmNmMi5yYWNrY2RuLmNvbSUyRnVwbG9hZGVkJTJGcyUyRjBlOTY3NTY1Ml8xNTc3NTUyMTM1X3Nlcm1vbi1pbWFnZS0yMDE5LTEyLTI5LTEzNjZ4NzY4LmpwZyUzRnElM0Q5MCUyNnclM0QxMDgwJTI2aCUzRDAlMjZmaXQlM0Rjcm9wJTI2cyUzRDVmNTVlYzYxZTI5NzlkN2I0MTMwNzg2NDJjNzQ0OWM5Ijs=/sermon-image-2019-12-29-1366x768.jpg)
Summary
We meet a stark contrast between the joys of Christmas and its following weekend. We move from still and quiet and joyful to scenes of sorrow, sadness, and violence. The ‘Little Town of Bethlehem’ has now experienced a great tragedy of King Herod’s doing. Yet, as much as the tyrant might rage, God’s plans for salvation cannot be stopped. The same can be said of our own lives. God still holds us in His care, even when the tragedies of life strike hardest. We find hope in the Christ child, who has come to save.