A Christmas Perspective: Herod the Great

Christmas Perspectives  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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Herod the Great's response to the birth of Jesus reflects the heart attitude of a majority of the world's population. This sermon takes a look at Herod's response to the birth of the Savior.

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Please turn in your Bibles to Matthew 2
Each of the last few weeks, we have taken an in depth look at the Christmas account as revealed to us in scripture, and have really gained an appreciation for Mary, the Shepherds, and the Magi
They all, through their own unique experience, came to a point of submitting their lives to the Savior and praising Him for His love and humility to take on human flesh
While their experiences make up a majority of the Christmas account, I am under the belief that their example accounts for a minority of the world’s population
In fact, it is estimated that the amount of identifying Christians worldwide hovers around 2 billion people (about 29%), and that is not exclusively those who have truly put their faith in Christ alone
Honestly, the one experience that accounts for the majority of the world’s population (the other 71%) is that of Herod the Great
While he is only given approximately 8 verses in the entire Christmas account, the truth of his experience rings true for many people today.
Without any further ado, let’s take a look at Herod’s Perspective of the Christmas account

Fear

Troubled… (2:3)
It is only natural for Herod to have been troubled at the statement that a King of the Jews was born. This presented a rival to his throne.
He was so bent on holding the power for himself, that:
36 BC: He had his brother-in-law, Aristobulus III, drowned at a party because he feared his popularity among the people.
28 BC: He executed his brother-in-law, Kostobar, for conspiracy.
8-7 BC: He accused his sons, Alexander and Aristobulus, of high treason and had the executed.
4 BC: Herod had his son, Antipater, executed for scheming to have him killed.
“It is better to be Herod’s sow than to be Herod’s son.” ~Caesar Augustus~
“All Jerusalem” was troubled with Herod because they knew this news would only cause trouble and disruption of the peace
Inquired… (2:4)
Herod had a working knowledge of the expectations of the Jewish people, because he inquired about where the Messiah was to be born
There was a connection made in the mind of Herod from the star in the east and the coming Messiah
The Messiah presented a real problem for Herod because He would certainly be the rightful heir to the throne in Israel as a descendant of David
Herod was an Edomite, a descendant of Ishmael, and had no proper claim to the throne other than being appointed by Caesar

Deception

Secretly… (2:7)
Herod was a man known for putting out surveillance on his enemies, and the promised Messiah proved to be no different
Herod called a secret meeting to learn all he could from the Magi’s experience with the star
It is sad to see that a man who was ruling in the area where God’s people worshipped, helped them renovate their temple, and was familiar with their expectations was set on preserving his own power and legacy rather than being excited about the fulfillment of God’s greatest promise
Bring me word… (2:8)
What do you think? Was Herod interested in coming down and worshipping the new born King?
No way! He made it a point to eliminate the rivals to his throne, family or otherwise, and he had the same intention when he told the Magi to inform him where the child is
I read one time someone’s explanation of what is happening in this text:
It is said that two kinds of birds fly over the California deserts: the hummingbird and the vulture. All the vulture can see is rotting meat because that is all he looks for. He thrives on that diet. But the hummingbird ignores the carcasses and the smelly flesh of dead animals. Instead, he looks for the tiny blossoms of the cactus flowers. He buzzes around until he finds the colorful blooms almost hidden from view by the rocks. Each bird finds what it is looking for.
The Magi were looking for the Savior so that they could go worship Him, while Herod was looking for the enemy so that he could go and kill him
What are you looking for? Better still-what are you finding? What you are finding tells what you are really looking for. Your expectations of life will determine your outcome.

Destruction

Very enraged… (2:16a)
Herod’s plan was foiled, so he reacted as only he was expected to react in such a situation…he reacted in a fit of rage
He could not stand being one-upped by these Gentile star-gazers
Sent and slew… (2:16b)
Rather than going on to kill one child, he decided to kill all the male children 2 years of age and under.
This is the result of his private consultation with the Magi.
They must have told him it was about 2 years since they first saw the star, which is the parameter Herod uses to kill all the children in Bethlehem 2 years of age and under.
It is interesting to see that about 1400 years previous, there was another power hungry man that tried to thwart God’s plan in a similar fashion
Exodus 1:15-16, 22
Exodus 1:15–16 NASB95
Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other was named Puah; and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”
Exodus 1:22 NASB95
Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born you are to cast into the Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive.”
Despite this intent by Pharaoh, Moses would live and eventually lead God’s people out of bondage in Egypt
Herod tried with all he could to kill his enemy, the Messiah, by killing all the male children in Bethlehem
Jesus still survived this attempted murder and would prove to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29)
When we place our complete trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior, He delivers us from bondage to sin and brings us into His family

A Christmas Perspective: Herod the Great

Unlike Mary, the Shepherds, and the Magi, who all submitted to the Savior and worshipped Him, Herod was a different story:
He reacted in Fear to the news of a rival to his throne
He used Deception to try and trick the Magi into revealing Jesus’ position
He resorted to Destruction to try and eliminate his competition
Perhaps you, like a majority of the world’s population, are a lot like Herod.
You are Afraid of the reality of a God who rules over all
You have Deceived yourself into thinking that this is all a fairytale
You are facing Destruction and eternal torment in Hell for your rejection of Jesus the Christ as Savior
Please know that as of right now, it is not too late for you to choose to submit to Jesus the Christ and give your life to Him as your Savior, for Him to use as He deems best
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