“……an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying, ‘…Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.’” Matt. 2:13
Even before He was two years old His enemy was trying to destroy Jesus. It wasn’t enough just to kill Him, He had to be destroyed. Why take a chance? Satan knew God’s promise to him in the garden when He said Jesus would bruise his head. Satan’s answer to his problem was to destroy the ministry of Jesus before it could take shape.
The word destroy literally means “to lay waste, destroy utterly, disintegrate. The New Testament often uses this word to describe spiritual destitution. It is a total loss of the sense of well being. Do you realize Jesus spent His entire life just trying to stay alive until it was time for Him to die? Every prominent group plotted to kill Him. What if you faced every day with the threat of your life hanging in the balance?
Christmas is a wonderful time but the real story is what happened after Christmas was over. Did Jesus have a wonderful childhood? The same enemy that tried to kill Him at two years old knew where He was even during His early life. In the face of that temptation Jesus completed His purpose on earth. Should we not be as intent to fulfill our purpose as He? We give up to easily–I fear.