Wise men from the east, wherever that is, came to visit Jerusalem because they knew that a baby, a new king of the Jews, had been born. Whatever humans might have expected about the birth of the Messiah, this wasn’t it.

For the fact that God has saved us, even from our own evil, we give thanks and praise. For the mothers and fathers of Bethlehem, weeping for their lost children, we remember and we pray. For the parents, children, and friends of those lost to stupid, senseless violence in our own time, we can yet preach peace and share the hope that we have because of Jesus.

In the birth of Jesus, God is doing a new thing. Never before in history has God become part of creation. Never before has God had a mother. Never before have people been able to talk with God face to face. This is unprecedented in the best way.