Matthew 2:13–18 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

This fourth day of Christmas is also observed as The Feast of the Holy Innocents. These were the boys born in Bethlehem around the same time as Jesus who were slaughtered by a maniacally jealous King Herod in a fit of rage. He wanted no threat to his throne, so he simply eliminated what he saw as competition.

This episode, as tragic and horrible as it is, does not seem to fit in with the joyous celebration of the birth of our Savior. However, it is a stark reminder of why Jesus came here. The problem of evil was consuming mankind. It is still a problem today. And Jesus was the remedy. He would be the sacrifice to pay for all sin. He would offer redemption to any who would trust in Him. He is our hope, our deliverer, our Savior.

Throughout His life here on earth, Jesus was a voice of reason, calmly addressing the problem of evil in people’s lives. He spoke God’s Word, the truth, in the face of the lies this world continues to spread. And lives were changed. People listened and believed. Not everyone, but many. And that is why we need to continue to calmly speak God’s truth in the face of the lies this world spreads yet today. We can show the world there is an alternative, a better way. It happens when we live in the confidence of knowing we are forgiven children of God.

Innocents continue to be slaughtered in our world. It happens in conflicts like the ones in Israel and the Ukraine. It happens in abortion clinics throughout the world. In the face of such atrocities, we should speak out. We should tell people about our righteous, loving and victorious King who did not come to kill and destroy His enemies. He came so that all could have life and have it to the full. Speak that truth so that more will hear, and the Holy Spirit can do His work in their hearts.