King Herod the Great: The Original Grinch Who Tried to Steal Christmas
Christmas Portraits • Sermon • Submitted
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· 186 viewsThis sermon presents a portrait of King Herod. It presents his reaction to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ and calls for people to examine their won attitudes toward Christ.
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Matthew 2:1–18 (NLT)
1 Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking,
2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”
3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.
4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’ ”
7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared.
8 Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”
9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.
10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!
11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.
13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother,
15 and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”
16 Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance.
17 Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “A cry was heard in Ramah— weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.”
INTRODUCTION:
Most of us are at least somewhat familiar with the Christmas story. We may not be familiar with all of the characters in the Gospel accounts of the Birthday story of Jesus. The bible presents all of the characters- the good and the bad, the godly and the evil. This morning, we are going to look at the original grinch who tried to steal Christmas- King Herod. We look at these characters in order to facilitate self-examination. You and I need to ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes and to do His work of conviction in our hearts.
Notice some facts about King Herod: The Original Grinch Who Tried to Steal Christmas.
I- Herod allowed the good news about the Messiah’s birth to become a threat instead of a blessing. (Matthew 2:1-3)
I- Herod allowed the good news about the Messiah’s birth to become a threat instead of a blessing. (Matthew 2:1-3)
1 Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking,
2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”
3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.
A- The news about the birth of Jesus is to be a source of joy.
A- The news about the birth of Jesus is to be a source of joy.
(Luke 2:8-14)
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.
9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified,
10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.
11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!
12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
1- The news was to be a source of joy for all people everywhere.
a. God had sent the Savior of the world.
2- The Angels rejoiced over the news about the Savior’s birth!
3- The shepherds rejoiced over the news and went to see the Savior.
(Luke 2:15-17)
15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.
17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.
4- The wise men rejoiced over his birth. (Matthew 2:10)
10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!
B- The good news of Jesus does not bring joy to everyone.
B- The good news of Jesus does not bring joy to everyone.
1- It does not bring joy to those who choose sin instead of salvation.
a. Herod desired his power over salvation. (Matthew 2:3)
3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.
(1) If Herod were a true devotee of the Judaism of Scripture, he should have rejoiced greatly, but he does not. Instead, he views the new child as a mortal threat.
(2) “Disturbed” (ἐταραχθη) is too weak a translation of his reaction; “in turmoil” or even “terrified” would be more accurate.
(3) “All Jerusalem” probably refers primarily to the religious leaders of Israel who dominated the city, many of whom were also personally installed by Herod.
b. The real meaning and message of Christmas (the birth of the Savior) is not well-received by people who would rather follow their own darkened hearts.
1- Many in our contemporary world do their best to exclude the true meaning of Christmas from its celebration.
a. They keep all of the trappings of Christmas:
“Holiday” music
gift-giving
parties & feasting
b. They remove the things that reflect the reason for Christmas.
Nativity scenes
Christ-specific songs
the gospel message
c. Why?
Because the Good News of Christ is convicting.
(John 1:11-12)
11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.
12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.
(John 3:19-20)
19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.
20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.
(Romans 1:18-22)
18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.
20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.
22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.
II- Herod accepted incomplete information about the Messiah’s birth. (Matthew 2:3b-8)
II- Herod accepted incomplete information about the Messiah’s birth. (Matthew 2:3b-8)
4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’ ”
7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared.
8 Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”
A- Some people only want to hear and acknowledge part of the truth.
A- Some people only want to hear and acknowledge part of the truth.
1- Herod limited his knowledge of the Messiah’s birth to the place it was to occur.
(Matthew 2:4)
4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
a. Notice that he did not ask for any additional information.
b. He could have sought a fuller understanding.
Why did the Savior come?
What does this mean for me?
How can I have my life transformed by the Savior?
B- Seeking only second-hand knowledge of the Savior will not help you.
B- Seeking only second-hand knowledge of the Savior will not help you.
1- Herod sought only second-hand knowledge from religious teachers, when he should have been personally knowledgable about the coming Messiah.
a. Herod was born in the late 70s b.c.e. into an aristocratic Idumean family that had converted to Judaism a half century earlier, in the reign of John Hyrcanus I.
Herod considered himself a Jew but also a Roman and a Hellenist and was considered a Jew by his contemporaries
He showed sensitivity to Jewish sensibilities in the reconstruction of the temple and avoided images in Judaea, though not in other places.
He showed sensitivity to Jewish sensibilities in the reconstruction of the temple and avoided images in Judaea, though not in other places.
b. Herod demonstrated that he was basically ignorant of the Messianic teachings of the OT scriptures. He had obviously not devoted himself to study of the OT scriptures.
2- Herod sought only second-hand knowledge from the Wise men, instead of seeking to find the savior for himself.
3- Seeking second-hand knowledge from teachers and preachers cannot take the place of a growing, personal walk with God and study of His Word.
(2 Timothy 2:15)
15 Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.
4- The faith and earnest seeking of other people will do you no good.
(John 3:5,7)
35 The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands.
7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’
III- Herod acted inappropriately to the news of the Messiah’s birth. (Matthew 2:9-18)
III- Herod acted inappropriately to the news of the Messiah’s birth. (Matthew 2:9-18)
9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.
10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!
11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.
13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother,
15 and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”
16 Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance.
17 Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “A cry was heard in Ramah— weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.”
A- Choosing the pursuit of a lie, rather than acceptance of the truth. (Matthew 2:8-12)
A- Choosing the pursuit of a lie, rather than acceptance of the truth. (Matthew 2:8-12)
1- Herod attempted to deceive the wise men into helping him in his rebellion against God.
a. Herod’s desire was really to destroy the Christ child.
(1) He saw Jesus as a threat to his own position and power.
(2) Herod had killed rivals to his power:
His favorite wife (Mariamne)
four of his own sons (Aristobulus and Alexander, Antipater and another son)
the brother and mother of Mariamne (Aristobulus, Alexandra)
and Mariamne’s grandfather John Hyrcanus.
B- Continuing in perpetration of sin instead of following the pathway of repentance and faith. (Matthew 2:13-18)
B- Continuing in perpetration of sin instead of following the pathway of repentance and faith. (Matthew 2:13-18)
1- Perhaps the most well-known murder-spree of innocents in recorded history is recorded in Matthew 2:16.
16 Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance.
2- What are you going to do with the Good News of the Savior, Jesus Christ?
a. Are you going to continue to choose to pursue Satan’s lie or accept the truth about yourself and the Savior?
(John 10:10)
10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
b. Are you going to choose to continue in your rebellion against God or will you choose the pathway of repentance and faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ for you?
(John 1:11-12)
11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.
12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.
Conclusion:
Notes
2:3 He was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him (ἐταραχθη και πασα Ἰεροσολυμα μετʼ αὐτου [etarachthē kai pāsa Ierosoluma met’ autou]). Those familiar with the story of Herod the Great in Josephus can well understand the meaning of these words. Herod in his rage over his family rivalries and jealousies put to death the two sons of Mariamne (Aristobulus and Alexander), Mariamne herself, and Antipater, another son and once his heir, besides the brother and mother of Mariamne (Aristobulus, Alexandra) and her grandfather John Hyrcanus. He had made will after will and was now in a fatal illness and fury over the question of the Magi. He showed his excitement and the whole city was upset because the people knew only too well what he could do when in a rage over the disturbance of his plans. “The foreigner and usurper feared a rival, and the tyrant feared the rival would be welcome” (Bruce). Herod was a hated Idumaean.
A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), Mt 2:3.
3–4. Herod’s concern is understandable: as an Edomite (cf. Mal. 1:4) and a Roman appointee, he was vulnerable to the claims of a king of the true Davidic dynasty. His later years were plagued by the fear of rivals. The phrase chief priests and scribes suggests an ad hoc gathering, not a formal meeting of the Sanhedrin, with which Herod was on bad terms, and which would also include lay elders. The concern of all Jerusalem, while it could well be based on unhappy experience of what Herod might be driven to by fear of a rival, probably also points forward to Jerusalem’s later rejection of the true ‘king of the Jews’ (e.g. 23:37, and see below, on 28:7).
R. T. France, Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 1, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 88.
He was troubled; perplexed, agitated (ἐταράχθη). Fully in accordance with his jealous and suspicion character. For he had already slain, as actual or possible candidates for the throne, five of the Maccabean princes and princesses, including his favourite wife Mariamne (thus extirpating the direct line) and also his two sons by Mariamne. Josephus (‘Ant.,’ 17:2. 4; cf. Holtzmann) mentions a prediction of the Pharisees towards the end of Herod’s life, that “God had decreed that Herod’s government should cease, and his posterity should be deprived of it.” This seems to have a Messianic reference, though used at the time for an intrigue in favour of Pheroras, Herod’s brother. And all Jerusalem. The feminine (here only, πᾶσα Ἰεροσόλυμα) points to a Hebrew source. The reason for the inhabitants of Jerusalem feeling troubled is generally explained, by their fear, which was in fact only too well justified by experience, that the news would excite Herod to fresh crimes. It is also possible that many would shrink from the changes which the coming of Messiah could not but bring. Present ease, though only comparative, is with the unbelieving preferable to possibilities of the highest blessedness. Ch. 21:10 affords both a parallel and a contrast. With him. In this respect Jerusalem was one with Herod (John 1:11).
H. D. M. Spence-Jones, ed., St. Matthew, vol. 1, The Pulpit Commentary (London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1909), 32.