“You cannot stay in the presence of Christ and remain unaffected.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – January 17, 2026
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. Matthew 2:1-3, NIV
Whenever I watch a Christmas movie with my family, I’m always struck by how “neatly” the stories resolve. No matter what conflict or tension exists throughout the movie, once Christmas Day arrives, the credits roll, and everything is exactly as it should be. Yet I often wonder, what happens after the event? I’d love to see an extra 30 minutes of the Grinch learning how to re-integrate into society, or George Bailey beginning the hard work of healing and restoration that a single rousing rendition of Auld Lang Syne can’t fully support.
In Matthew 2, we’re given “the rest of the story,” a window into life after the event of Christ’s birth. As such, we rapidly move from the warm glow of the manger to Herod’s rage and Joseph fleeing with Mary and Jesus as refugees into Egypt. This is a powerful reminder that the birth of Christ is both a finish line and a starting line. It is, on the one hand, the culmination of the hopes and dreams of Israel that God would come and dwell with them and set them free. Yet it is also the beginning of the end, for the birth of Christ reveals the true nature of the world and shines a light on who we truly are.
To be in the presence of Christ is a revelatory event. You cannot stay in his presence and remain unaffected. You will either double down on the darkness that’s already in your heart, or his presence will make you a noble and courageous person. In our story today, Herod finds the presence of Christ to be a threat to his power, status, and security. As such, he doubles down and gives into the darkness that’s in his heart and calls the darkness “light.” On the other hand, Joseph’s response to the presence of Christ is one of courage, self-sacrifice, and protection.
The birth of Jesus has forever changed the world, for Christ is with us. The question that falls to each of us, then, is whether his presence will be for us a comfort and source of unending joy? Let us welcome his presence as the light that drives out all that is dark within us, and allow his presence to make us into the men and women we were made to be.
Prayer
Father, we welcome Christ today into our lives, asking him to disrupt all that needs to be disrupted within us, so that we may become men and women who are able to dwell in his presence and find his presence to be our home, by the power of your Spirit at work within us. Amen.
Application
Carve out time to read the whole of Matthew 2, reflecting on the contrast between Herod and Joseph.
Related Reading
Luke 2:34-35; John 3:19-20; 2 Corinthians 2:15-16
Worship Resource
Casting Crowns feat. Matt Maher: Make Room
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