Author Max Lucado spoke about Christians rediscovering the peace that comes with Christmas despite the world’s chaos.
In an interview with The Christian Post, Lucado, 68, shared some encouragement to Christians for the upcoming 2023 Christmas season.
“This year has been tough,” he said.
He continued, “We’ve got the war in Ukraine, and now we’ve got Israel and Gaza, which has just turned into such a complicated and horrible bloodbath. And then coming out of COVID and now heading into an election year, we need a good Christmas.”
He also urged believers to “refocus on Christ, on what He did, and realize that He was born in the midst of chaos, so He can come through the chaos of our world and be born anew.”
Lucado, who is also a pastor at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, used the example of Jesus Christ’s earthly parents, Mary and Joseph, who faced their own hardships upon the arrival of His birth.
He shared:
“Every element of the first Christmas can be found in this Christmas. Joseph and Mary were terribly inconvenienced. The whole reason they were in Bethlehem was to pay a tax. Who wants to travel, and then who wants to pay a tax, nine months pregnant when you’re heavy with child?”
Furthermore, Lucado referenced King Herod who ordered the deaths of all the children in Bethlehem 2 years of age and under in an attempt to kill baby Jesus.
“We’re living in a day of oligarchs and terrorists. They’re on the news every day. Well, Herod was all of that,” he said.
He added, “He heard about the baby Jesus, the King being born, and he set out to kill him. The result was a bloodbath.”
During the interview, the “Because of Bethlehem: Love Is Born, Hope Is Here” author revealed what Christmas is really about.
“It’s wonderful to think about Christmas as presents under the tree or Hallmark movie channel, but the truth is, Christmas, for many people, is just the opposite of that. And that’s why we need to retell the real story of Christmas,” he said.
Lucado added, “It was, Jesus was born in a time of global upheaval and personal challenge. And for people who find themselves facing the same, they’ll find a friend in the story of Jesus.”