Many Christians down the ages have remodelled Jesus into something they find more palatable for their own tastes: a sweet and loving Messiah who could never be offensive; a powerful and furious Messiah who will come one day to avenge those who have made us uncomfortable, and who will whisk us to heaven while those miscreants will spend their eternity in the fire; or even the social activist who stands against the forces of power, setting them straight and leading us to truth and right. It could well be that this healing Jesus is not the Jesus for us. Yet, for Matthew that feature defines the Messiah he presents and celebrates. Exactly what sort of Messiah are we about to welcome at Christmas is a crucial question that all must answer. Is Matthew’s answer one that resonates with you, or is it for you a scandal?