executed the moment he died. Thus, he guaranteed that there would be
mourning in Jerusalem.
That barbaric act was exceeded in cruelty only by his slaughter of "all the
male children who were in Bethlehem and surrounding areas, from two
years old and under". By that action he hoped to kill any threat to his throne
from the One the magi said had been born King of the Jews.
Why did Herod miss Christmas? Jealous fear. In case you think there are no
more Herods in this world, you need only read the daily newspaper.
humanity is depraved. There are Herods in every society. But there is a
greater lesson for all humanity.
Many people miss Christmas because of the same kind of fear Herod had.
Herod was afraid that someone else would take his throne. Today people
are fearful of giving up their own plans, priorities, values, and morals. They
don't want to come to Christ because He will cramp their style-He will lay
claim on their lives. That means they will have to alter the way they live. The
media tells people to do their own thing, master their own fate, and chart
their own destiny. The world is full of kings/queens who will not kneel before
Jesus Christ, so they miss Christmas just like Herod.
What about you? Have you said no to Jesus Christ because you are afraid
that He will want too much from you? Do you want to be the lord or lady of
your life and the king/queen of your little kingdom? That's tragic--His
kingdom is so much more glorious!
Once Herod learned from the wise men that a child would be born who
would be King of the Jews, he gathered "together all the chief priests and
scribes of the people, [and] began to inquire of them where the Christ was to
be born. And they said to him, 'In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been
written by the prophet, "And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no
means least among the leaders of Judah; for out of you shall come forth a
Ruler, who will shepherd My people Israel(Matthew 2:4-6). Herod called in
the experts.
The chief priests consisted of the high priest, the captain of the Temple
police, and the best of the other priests--those who had great administrative,
teaching, and leadership skills. For the most part the chief priests were
Sadducees. The scribes were primarily Pharisees. They were the linguists
and interpreters who understood the culture and history of the biblical data.
Those two groups knew where the Messiah was to be born because they
knew Micah had prophesied that "Bethlehem was to be His place of birth
(5:2). One thing the Jewish nation had been looking for, and still does to this
day, was the Messiah. They had been waiting for a deliverer throughout their
history, especially while under Roman oppression. However, these priests
and scribes were unwilling to travel the few miles to find out if this baby
might be the Messiah.
Why did they miss Christmas? Indifference. They didn't care. They had all
the facts, but they didn't need a Messiah. Why? Because they were self-
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