Keeping King Herod in our Christmas

Preliminary -

Invite to Matthew 2:1-18

Introduction:

We are so prone to quick witty quips and statements. Such as “Keep Christ in Christmas”

Sometimes that is a reminder that in all the hustle and bustle - Jesus is the reason for the season.

Sometimes it is a pushback to those who would want to replace the term Christmas with other terms - such as winter holidays, or Xmas, or some other term - or even attempt to stamp it out completly. Yesterday I heard a little clip of former president Trump who was telling his followers “Merry Christmas - I remember when we couldn’t say that....”

Sometimes its just a saying we say because it sounds nice.

But today I would like to shock us a little and tell you that as important as it is to keep Christ in Christmas - it is just as important to keep Herod in our Christmas.

Lets read some scripture to give us a little context -

Matthew 2:1–18 KJV 1900

1 Now when Jesus was born in Beth-lehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5 And they said unto him, In Beth-lehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6 And thou Beth-lehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. 7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Beth-lehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. 9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. 13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: 15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Beth-lehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, 18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

What a story to intertwine into the Nativity narrative.

Now for clarity - I want to remind you that the story of the Wise men or Magi chronologically probably began at Jesus’ birth - but they did not find the child until possibly two years later.

Those beautiful Nativity renditions that include both the shepherds and the wisemen at the stable are not Biblically nor historically accurate.

These wise men from the east are an interesting study - but we won’t take the time to delve into them this morning -

But they were men of knowledge, probably men of means, also spiritually minded men. Science was never intended to be separated from God or the supernatural. We do a great disservice to the brightest of minds and our advancement by leaving so much to just science.

They see THE STAR - it is fascinating that through science and astronomy you can go back in time and see exactly where stars were at any given time - and the study of this star is fascinating as well. - but again I dare not go off into rabbit trails

But this star was seen and noticed by these men who was willing to leave their lab coats and astronomy tools behind to go in search of the King this star represented,

We are not told about their journey - other than it took them from the East to Jerusalem -

It was at Jerusalem they asked their probably often recited question - “Where is he that is born King of the Jews? We have seen his star in the East and are come to worship him?”

When Herod the kind had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Herod was a troubled person - he is sometimes referred to as Herod the Great - was born in 73 BC and the Roman Senate named him king of Judea in 40 BC.

He was a strategist and ruled with a heavy hand and by 37 B.C. with the help of Roman forces had crushed all opposition to his rule.

Sometime toward the end of Herod the Great’s reign - we aren’t told the exact year - Jesus was born, the Wise men came seeking the King of the Jews - and the King of Judea became troubled,

By this time he was suffering by an illness that compounded his paranoia. He was incredibly cruel and would have fits of rage.

These fits of rage and jealousy at times brought about the death of even close associates. His wife who was of Jewish descent, and at least two of his own sons - faced his executions.

I have a feeling that “troubled” is a very tame term for what was going on in his private chambers that evening.

There probably wasn’t much sleep or quietness. It for sure wasn’t a “Silent Night”

The wisemen were given instruction to come back when they found the child so they could tell Herod where the child was so he too could go and worship him.

God interferes and the wisemen go home a different way -

that “troubled” turns into “exceeding wroth” rage.

His decree - “go kill all the children in Bethlehem and in all the coasts from two years old and under.

Think of this- The angels had just a short time ago declared - “Peace on earth, goodwill toward man”

“Joy to the world had come”

But now all of that had turned into “a voice was heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning.”

That had to be an unthinkable night for so many people.

I know what it is to endure the trauma of a miscarried child, I have seen many suffer the indescribable pain of losing a child

The grief the agony the sometimes unalterable affects on the mind and heart

What an awful thing to include in this time of “great comfort and joy.”

Sometimes we speak naively of Christmas time - and have cleaned up the story from any hardship and grief - but in reality this birth of Christ includes some of the darkest points in the history and depravity of humanity.

Those angels that brought “Good tidings of comfort and joy” no doubt hung droopily over Bethlehem this night and wept and sorrowed as only angels can do.

We can cut this part out of our Christmas, skip it for another time, block it out - all of those coping mechanisms we use for things we don’t want to deal with right now - but the fact remains

There are those empty chairs in our homes

Those unused or slightly used baby blankets and cribs

Those feelings of rejection and hurt from friends or family members who are at odds with us

Those feeling of loneliness and pain of being alone at this time

Loss of jobs, income, homes, all types of things come in like Herod the Great into our personal Christmases and leave us feeling violated, broken, comfortless, weeping. - because of those or those thing - “that are not.”

Oh I know it’s Sunday morning - its almost Christmas - we are supposed to be talking about positive and happy things.

this is tough stuff - but its real stuff

“Good news of great joy did not remove God’s people from the fallen world. Hope is not a trite thing. For true hope to exist it must possess the guts to go head-to-head with what threatens it.”

And grief, loss, and pain, are things that threaten our hope.

But I am here to tell you - that Keeping Herod in our Christmas story - does not mean he defines or gets to tell the story.

We have a Narrator who even in times of the greatest gut wrenching pain and hurt - can still bring healing - He is the one in control of the story

Oh He’s powerful enough to stop the bad stuff from happening - but his grace and mercy allows people to make many of their own moral choices - and others must endure the consequences of those choices and decisions with them -

Here even the very Son of God was impacted by this terrible choice of Herod the great - and were it not for the intervention of God -the story might have taken another turn.

We need to keep Herod in our Nativity narrative if we are going to embrace the type of hope that the Christ of Christmas brings.

Because it wasn’t just a hope for back then - it is a hope for now -

Those poor families in Bethlehem never saw the Baby Jesus coming, and they never saw the wrath of Herod coming

And you may never see the grief and pain that sneaks up you at this time of year in time to prepare for it either -

but can I tell you we have a Christ - who long ago outgrew the manger, who couldn’t be kept on a cross, or bound in a tomb but he experienced all of the loss, pain, sorrow, agony, lonliness, rejection, dream crushing, heart breaking, drama inducing stuff that you have experienced and he knows how to help us in our grief.

One of the most touching stories in the earthly ministry of Christ is when he stands at the tomb of his friend Lazarus and he weeps

The Lord of Glory, the one who had all power in heaven and earth at his command, the one who overpowers death, who in a few moments would give the command and death would have to let its grip go of a man who it had held for four days and he stands there and the tears flow down his cheek.

Sometimes its not the wise words someone shares with you that brings the most help - its when they sit with you in your pit and just cry with you.

The one who remained long after King Herod met his demise is still living and is still standing at the helm of our hurts and pains and weeping with us.

The Christ of Christmas becomes the Christ of comfort

Don’t get lost this year in trying to find the perfect, and beauty, and only joy - let the pain of Christmas enter your heart and weep along with those who weep.

Don’t push the grief aside - don’t block it from your memory - don’t put numbness in our Nativity narrative -

It is only in our pain - that healing can come and be effective - That is why Herod needs to be in our Christmas story - so the Christ in his healing power is allowed to bring his healing power to broken, the weeping, the comfortless.