Bad tidings of great sorrow. This is why we need Jesus.
This is Scripture for Students. I’m Steve Whitacre, president of Trinity College and a pastor at Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville. I want to help students build a daily habit for life-long Bible reading. Today is December 19, 2024 and this episode of Scripture for Students is called Herod the Horrible. Grab your Bible and let’s get started.
You might know that the king Herod who appears in Matthew 2 is sometimes referred to as Herod the Great. In his lifetime, he completed some great construction projects, but he was not a great man. Actually, it would be better if he had been called Herod the Horrible. He was a wicked, murderous, vain, and selfish man. This guy was so paranoid, so anxious about losing his throne, that he had two of his own sons murdered to keep them from becoming king in his place.
Maybe that explains his hateful role in the Christmas story. Let’s read Matthew 2:1–18.
Matthew 2:1–8
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,
2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;
4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”
Sounds noble, right? But Herod has a secret and sinister plan.
Matthew 2:16–18
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.
17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”
May the Lord bless the reading and the hearing and the keeping of his Word.
Now, I understand that you might be thinking, whoa, this Scripture for Students got real dark, real fast. That’s true, but the good news becomes really good when we recognize that the bad news is really bad.
I’m sure you understand what’s happening here. Herod the Horrible was terribly afraid that someone was going to come along, kill him, and become king in his place. So when wise men showed up from the east, asking to see the king, he said, “Here I am!” They probably said, “No, not you. We want to see the new one, the baby just born.” Herod had to ask his advisors where this baby would be born because he was not actually Jewish. He was from Idumea, which lies to the south of Judah and used to be called Edom, a nation that opposed God’s people during the Exodus and afterwards.
Herod thought that he could manipulate the wise men into being his spies and that they would lead him to this upstart baby king, but when the wise men evaded him by taking a different route home, he flies into a rage and orders every baby in that region younger than 2 years old to be murdered.
Sometimes today, this episode is known as the slaughter of the innocents. There is a beautiful and haunting song that describes this episode called Lully, Lulla, Lullay. It’s something known as the Coventry Carol. I’ll include a link to my favorite version of it in the episode notes so you can listen to it.
Does this story remind you of any other story in your Bible? If you think this sounds a bit like what Pharaoh did to the Israelite children in Exodus 1, you’re absolutely right. Matthew tells a very skillful story. He wants you to connect Advent to Exodus. Matthew wants you to see that Jesus came into the world in similar circumstances because just as Moses was born to deliver God’s people from slavery in Egypt, Jesus was born to deliver God’s people from slavery to sin.
It’s true that Herod the Horrible is a dark and painful story that we would rather turn away from during the Christmas season. But stories like these remind us that sinners need a Savior. And Jesus is that Savior.
Herod the Great may be Herod the Horrible, but if Jesus had not called me into his service, I would be Steve the Horrible. It is easy to think: I’m not like Herod. But just a few chapters after this, in Matthew 5:21–22, Jesus says that there is more than a little Herod the Horrible in every one of us. It says, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment…” If I get angry with my brother, there is no fundamental difference between the sinful anger in my heart and the murderous anger at Herod’s hands.
The only thing that makes me different from Herod the Horrible is the grace of God.
If you want to experience joy this Christmas, take a few minutes to think about: what is the Herod the Horrible in me? In the last 48 hours, how have I proved that I’m a sinner?
And what do I deserve to receive because of that sin? What we all deserve is the wrath of God. Instead, we get Jesus as the savior. We received incarnation instead of damnation. Forgiveness instead of fury. Welcome instead of wrath. Joy in the place of judgment. The hope of heaven instead of certainty of hell.
Merry Christmas, indeed.
That’s all for today. If you enjoyed this episode please share it with a friend and follow us on Apple Podcasts.
This content is sponsored by Trinity College of Louisville. We shape young men and young women for Christ and for the church. Learn more at TrinityCollegeLou.com. Until next time, keep growing!