It’s the day after Christmas. What do you talk about on the day after celebrating Jesus’ birthday?



I asked God that exact question this morning and his answer was so clear … talk about what happened next. And it was literally a light bulb moment because what happened after Jesus’ birth is most certainly applicable in my life, and probably applicable in yours as well. Do you know what happened after Jesus’ birth? The gospel of Luke doesn’t tell us, so we often miss it. We read our Christmas story in the book of Luke, but we have to go back a few chapters in our Bible to the account of Matthew to read what happened after Jesus’ miraculous birth.



What happened after can be summed up in one word … TROUBLE.



That’s what God has asked me to talk to you about today on the day after Christmas … trouble. Where does trouble come from? How do you handle trouble? How does God respond to trouble?



We’re going to read several verses that seem very dark and harsh, but hang with me because if you’re facing trouble you need to know about the sweet promises of God in all of this. You need to know the truth so you can cling to it. Don’t check out because this could be the most important thing you’ve heard all week.



Okay, so you know how the nativity scenes include 3 men bearing gifts? Those men are known as the 3 wise men. They had been awaiting the birth of the Messiah and had seen a star which led them Bethlehem. On their journey, they met with King Herod and told the King about this star which was guiding them to the Savior who was to be born. King Herod was furious and threatened and planned to use the 3 wise men to lead him to this Messiah child to kill him.



The arrangement was made for the wise men to follow the star, find baby Jesus, then return to King Herod and reveal his location. But after they found Jesus in Bethlehem, they bowed down and worshiped him. They opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. (That, by the way, was the first Christmas gifts.)



But, check this out … Matthew 2:12, “When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.”



God already had plans to save his son, and God’s plans were greater than King Herod’s plans! While King Herod was being sneaky and evil, God was being GOD! God is above all. God sees all, knows all and controls all. Nothing gets by him!



I don’t know about you, but I needed to be reminded of that. God knows exactly what is happening. He knows the harm being planned. He knows the attacks being schemed. He’s not surprised or caught off guard by any of it. He’s known it all along and has a plan through it. That truth applies to my trouble, and that truth applies to your trouble. God knows. God has a plan!



Now we’re going to read the rest of the chapter. Again, there are some hard things to read, but don’t check out. Trouble is real. Trouble always comes after good because good is always attacked. And trouble is no match for God! As we read, watch how God was always one step ahead in the plan and had even foretold it hundreds of years before.



Matthew 2: 13-23:



After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay here until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”



That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother,