01-01-2023 Herod the Enemy of Christ

Text: Matthew 2:1-19

                   These past weeks we have been looking at all the people who had a part in the birth of Jesus.  One of the things we learned about the birth of the Messiah is that God had a different focus than man.  The Jews were expecting their Messiah to be a political leader who would take them out from under the rule of the Romans and assumed that He would be a mighty warrior or a regal king.  But in God’s plan, the Messiah came to the world in a stable, not a palace.  Nor did He arrive on the scene as a battle-tested warrior or regal king.  Instead, His birth was announced to shepherds in the fields.                        

                   But there was a king that had a major part in the birth of our Lord -- King Herod.  How often do you heard him mentioned at Christmas?  He isn’t sung about in our hymns and carols nor is he depicted in our manger displays.  But he also had a role at the arrival to earth of our Lord Jesus.  

                    Our text this morning comes from Matthew 2:1-19 where we read of the Wise Men from the east who, after seeing the star, came to see and worship the One who was born King of the Jews.  Herod heard of this and as we see in verse 3, he was troubled -- meaning he was quite disturbed -- along with all Jerusalem.  Why should the sitting king be so upset over the birth of a little baby who was not yet ready to take the throne?  Herod was not the rightful heir to the throne of and was hated by many Jews for usurping the throne of David.  And if this child really was the heir, he knew there would be a lot of trouble ahead.  Herod also had many enemies because he was a ruthless villain who was always suspicious that someone would try to overthrow him.  And the last thing he wanted was for  the Jewish people, who were a religious people, to unite around a religious figure.  If these Wise Men who came to find Jesus were of Jewish descent and as some scholars believe came from Parthia which was the most powerful region next to Rome, they would have welcomed a Jewish king who could swing the balance of power away from Rome.  With Israel being far from Rome, it would be easy prey for an eastern nation trying to gain more control just as Assyria and Babylon had done centuries earlier.

                    So you see, Matthew clearly reveals that when Jesus was born people immediately began to react.  His presence didn’t soothe and comfort most people; instead, it startled and disturbed them.  For some, like the Wise Men, He awakened spiritual longings, in others, His arrival brought fear and insecurity.  And when you think about it, the world hasn’t changed that much in 2,000 years. Jesus still upends, stretches, and disrupts the world.  Because God entered our world in person when Jesus was born, mankind could no longer sit idly by, ignoring and rationalizing our inaction.  We must actively acknowledge Jesus as the rightful King of our lives, allow Him into our hearts, and join with Him to build His eternal and just kingdom.

                   In verses 4-6 of Matthew 2, we see how Herod gathered the Chief Priests and Scribes together and demanded they tell him where Christ would be born.  This group of men knew all the Old Testament prophecies and particularly Micah 5:2 that clearly spoke of the birth of one who would rule the people of Israel would take place in Bethlehem.

                   This meeting then prompted Herod to call for the Wise Men to come to him.  We see in verses 7-10 how he demanded that they tell him when they saw star, sent them to Bethlehem to find the child and ordered them to come back and tell him where this child was so that he too could go and worship Him. 

                   We learn in verses 11-12 that the Wise Men didn’t go to a manger but actually found the young child in a house with his mother, Mary.  It is likely that Jesus was one to two years old by the time the Wise Men arrived.  It was there where they worshiped Him and presented their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Such gifts were a worthy acknowledgement for a future king.  While it is a nice tradition to depict the Wise Men in our manger scenes, it is not historically accurate.  These men were then warned by God in a dream not to go back to Herod, so they returned to their own country following a different route. 

                   In verses 13-15 we see that an angel again appeared to Joseph in a dream warning him to take Mary and the young child to Egypt and they were to remain there until the angel told him to come back because Herod was intent on finding and destroying the child Jesus. 

                   Now back to Herod.  We see in verses 16-18 that he was outraged that the Wise Men ignored his demand to tell him where to find the child king.  You see, he had no intent of worshiping this child.  Because of his jealousy and fear of losing his throne, Herod demanded that slaughter of all male children in Bethlehem age two years old and under.  The age range likely resulted from information the Wise Men gave to Herod about when they first saw the star.  This action also fulfilled the Old Testament prophesy in Jeremiah 31:13 which speaks of the widespread mourning and crying over the death of all male children.  In verse 19-20 we’re told of the death of Herod which prompted the appearance of the angel to Joseph in another dream telling him it was safe for him and his family to return to Israel.

                   An important take way from this passage is when you reject Christ it affects others.  Herod rejected the Christ child, and it affected every family in Bethlehem.  Where angels once sang, now mothers were devastated with grief.  Romans 14:7 says:  “For none of us lives to himself, and no man dies to himself.”  This means that what we do affects others.  Our conduct determines if others see Jesus through us and impresses upon us the importance of bringing blessings to others by sharing the love of Jesus and God our Father.

                   When Herod died, he died in his sin and went from suffering on earth to suffering in hell for his sins.  Jesus came to save, but Herod died lost.  Jesus came to cleanse, but Herod died guilty.   Jesus came to give peace, but Herod died troubled, angry, and jealous.  Don’t let that happen to you.  If you have problems that you struggle with, take them to Jesus and let Him help you work them out so you can have the peace that only He can give.  He is there whenever you need Him.

                   As we prepare to partake of communion this morning, it’s a perfect time to look at your life and within your heart to see if there is anything preventing you from having a full relationship with Jesus.  If there is, ask Him to take away whatever may be preventing Him from coming into your life and allowing you to live with Him at the center of all you think, say, and do.  If you do that and follow through with needed changes, I guarantee you will have a life you never imagined possible.

                   I wish you a very Happy and Healthy New Year and pray that  God will always watch over you and bless you today and all the days ahead.