00:00Day 2, King Herod
00:06Reflection
00:08I love Christmas, but I don't know anyone who gets as excited about Christmas as my
00:14husband. He starts the countdown for next year on December 26. He breaks out the Christmas
00:20music the day after Thanksgiving and begins greeting folks with Merry Christmas by December
00:271st. Can you imagine how sad he was when folks stirred up a fuss and asked him to say Happy
00:33Holidays instead? As we've thought and prayed about a reply, we've come to this conclusion.
00:39It's not the first time someone tried to take Christ out of Christmas. During the time of King
00:45Herod, Magi from the East came to Jerusalem and asked, Where is the one who has been born King
00:51of the Jews? Matthew 2, verse 1-2. Herod was a cruel and maniacal king, appointed by Rome
00:59to rule over Judea at the time of Jesus' birth. He was a great builder, restoring Jerusalem's
01:06temple, constructing palaces, and adorning Judean cities to match the lavish splendor of Rome.
01:13But building talents couldn't save Herod from himself. Suspicion and paranoia haunted him.
01:19Herod suspected his wife and her family of betrayal and had them killed. Certain some of
01:26his sons were plotting to steal his throne. He ordered their executions as well. Is it any
01:32wonder that Herod and all of Jerusalem were disturbed when Magi from the East arrived saying
01:37a new king of the Jews had been born? Herod's role in the Christmas story can be found in Matthew
01:432, verse 1-18. After the Magi's question, Herod called the chief priests and teachers of the law
01:50to determine where this new king was to be born. He secretly asked the Magi when they first saw the
01:57star and then sent them to Bethlehem, asking them to report back to him when they returned.
02:03The Magi needed no direction from Herod. God's sovereignty led them by the same star to the
02:09exact house in Bethlehem where Jesus lived. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to
02:15Herod, they returned to their country by another route. Matthew 2, verse 12. When Herod realized he'd
02:23been duped, he remembered the Magi saying they'd first observed the star two years ago. So this cruel
02:29king ordered all boys in Bethlehem, two years old and younger, to be slaughtered. Crazy, right?
02:36Actually, yes. Plagued by a long list of chronic ailments, Herod's final commands added mental
02:43instability to his physical maladies. When he realized death was near, Herod locked up all
02:49prominent Jewish leaders and made plans to execute them upon his death. Why? To ensure mourning at his
02:56burial. F. Laggard Smith said, Evil bears within it the seeds of its own destruction. Herod's life bears
03:04out the principle. A leader who knowingly tried to kill the Messiah. He was eventually swallowed up
03:11by the evil flourishing in his body, soul, and spirit. But God used even an indisputably evil
03:18leader like Herod to fulfill his sovereign plan. He, Joseph, got up, took the child and his mother
03:26during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled
03:32what the Lord had said through the prophet. Out of Egypt I called my son. Matthew 2 verse 14-15.
03:40If you struggle with today's commercialized Christmas, take heart. Herod couldn't kill him.
03:46God is still greater. And his good plans prevail. God wins. Pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for showing
03:54us this example of your absolute authority over evil. Though each of us has freedom to choose evil over
04:01good, we trust your sovereign plan to save and bless your people. Thank you for Jesus' birth,
04:08for protecting him from Herod, and for his death and resurrection, so we can live with you forever.
