Many of us feel that Christmas is now behind us—and yes, in one sense, it is. The decorations are coming down, or perhaps they already have. The carols have faded, and life has settled back into its familiar rhythm. Many of us actually hope for that return to routine, especially when the rhythms of life are already well known to us.
Matthew’s Gospel meets us at this moment—after the celebration of Epiphany, after the angels have departed, after the shepherds have gone home, and after the wise men have returned to their own lands. It shows us what faith looks like when life moves forward. As I mentioned earlier, the Christmas story does not end with the birth of Christ. It begins there. Yet many times, we place it behind us as though it is finished.
Matthew tells us the story of life after Christmas, and it is not a pleasant one. It is grittier, more disturbing, and ultimately more realistic. When the decorations and celebrations fade, we return to ordinary routines—and to the realities of life. The birth of Jesus does not put an end to human tragedy, but it gives us a promise: God is present with us through it all. Perhaps that is the greatest value of reading and meditating on the story after Christmas.
The story after Christmas is not a pretty one for Joseph, Mary, and the child Jesus. There is confusion, fear, and hardship. You know the story well. After Jesus was born, the wise men came from the East seeking the King of the Jews. They went to King Herod, who became afraid that this child would one day challenge his power. Pretending interest, Herod asked the wise men to return and tell him where the child was so that he could “worship” him—but his true intention was to kill the child.
The wise men, warned in a dream, returned home by another route. When Herod realized they were not coming back, he was furious. In his rage, he ordered the killing of all male children under the age of two. This horrific act is a historical reality—the mass murder of innocent children by a fearful king.
This is the world into which Jesus was born. Faith does not lead us into comfort and ease; it often leads us onto difficult and prophetic paths. We would prefer rest and certainty, but Christmas does not promise that kind of story. Instead, it promises God’s presence in the midst of trouble.
Joseph and Mary might have thought that after the angel’s announcement and the birth of the child, life would settle into peace. But that is not what happens. An angel appears to Joseph in a dream and says, “Get up. Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt.” There is no time to plan, no time to question. And Egypt—of all places. Egypt was the land of bondage, the place their ancestors had escaped centuries earlier. Yet this is where God sends them.
They may not have understood it, but there was a purpose. Staying in Bethlehem would have meant death. So the Savior of the world becomes a refugee, fleeing to a foreign, pagan land. This is not how we expect the Christmas story to continue.
Many of us understand what it means to leave a place we never planned to leave. We move closer to family, leave familiar surroundings, sell homes we lived in for years, relocate for medical treatment, or find ourselves confined at home. Our circumstances change, and what once felt secure becomes unfamiliar and uncomfortable. That is the story after Christmas.
Life is not always joyful or easy. Hard realities grip us. Yet Emmanuel—God with us—remains present. God does not always remove us from difficulty; often, He walks with us through it. His presence in the midst of struggle is more powerful than the absence of struggle.
When we find ourselves in our own “Egypts”—places of fear, uncertainty, or pain—God is already there. He goes ahead of us. Just as the risen Christ walked with the confused disciples on the road to Emmaus, God walks ahead of us into our future, waiting to meet us there.
Egypt, once a place of bondage, became a place of protection for Jesus. What once represented suffering became a refuge. Matthew reminds us of the prophecy from Hosea: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” After Herod’s death, the angel told Joseph to return, but fear remained, so God guided them to Nazareth. That is why Jesus grew up as a Nazarene.
Joseph and Mary’s journey after Christmas was winding and uncertain, yet Scripture tells us they obeyed without resistance. There comes a season in life when we realize we are no longer in control—when strength fades and certainty disappears. That is when the message of Christmas becomes real. God becomes our strength.
Their lives were no longer about themselves, but about the child Jesus. And that is the lesson for us. Life is not about us; it is about God and His kingdom. Nazareth was not a place of fame or importance—“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” people asked. Yet it was there that Jesus grew. God does His deepest work not in moments of excitement, but in quiet faithfulness.
Jesus spent far more time in Nazareth than He ever did preaching or performing miracles. A quieter life is not a lesser life. God forms us in ordinary days as much as in extraordinary moments.
Together, the journey to Egypt and the return to Nazareth teach us that God guides us through both crisis and calm. He protects us when fear is near and shapes us when life feels ordinary. Christmas changes our destiny, and the story does not end in this world. Our journey continues into eternity, where we will dwell forever in the presence of Christ.
The Christmas story never truly ends. We are a Christmas people—called to live with joy, hope, and faith even in the midst of suffering. God is greater than any force we face.
T.S. Eliot, in his poem Journey of the Magi, speaks of the wise men returning home “no longer at ease” in their old world. God calls us not to comfort, but to faithful witness. He sends us back into our communities, families, and uncomfortable spaces to share His love.
There is a story of a 73-year-old Chinese evangelist who traveled for decades—often by bicycle—to preach Christ in remote villages. His bicycle bore a simple message: “Rest is not for this world.” Through his faithfulness, thousands came to Christ. Our rest is not here; it is with God in eternity.
May the Lord bless us with these words as we go forth to be His faithful witnesses, sharing His love, care, and compassion with those who need it most.
Amen.
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