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King Herod in the Christmas Story (Matthew 2:13-23)

King Herod in the Christmas Story (Matthew 2:13-23). The Christmas season. “Joy to the Word!!” Christmas was over five days ago? there are twelve days to Christmas in our Christian calendar, and the season of Christmas continues today.

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King Herod in the Christmas Story (Matthew 2:13-23)

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  1. King Herod in the Christmas Story(Matthew 2:13-23)

  2. The Christmas season • “Joy to the Word!!” • Christmas was over five days ago? • there are twelve days to Christmas in our Christian calendar, and the season of Christmas continues today. • We can still say to one another, “Merry Christmas!”

  3. The King Herod and Christmas • Herod tried to kill the baby Jesus because he was told that Jesus was born to become the king of the Jews. • The baby Jesus was rescued from the massacre because of the angel in Joseph’s dream. • Yet, Herod’s order was to kill all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under. • “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” (v. 18).

  4. Christmas cards: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and one earth peace among those whom he favors” (Lk. 2:14). • But no Christmas card has this verse from Matthew on the front: “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning.” • But Matthews recorded this painful truth as a part of the Christmas story, and he always shares this tragedy with us whenever the Christmas season comes. • The first Christmas was not about only celebration, but it was an evil king with power and soldiers with swords in the streets; mothers clutching their babies, hiding in the closet, trying not to breath too loudly, and begging their infants not to cry.

  5. True story of Christmas • We want to leave Herod out of Christmas because we think we are supposed to keep the hardships and troubles of the real world away from Christmas. • But if we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that this horrible story can experience in our ordinary lives: sadness, sorrow, pain, death. • Tragedy is always here in our lives and in our world even though we only focus on celebrating the good news of the Christmas story.

  6. The story of king Herod– our world is not beautiful but sinful and we are not safe and we are also sinful in it. • Herod is still a part of the whole picture in the Christmas story. • The whole story is: • 1) God loves the world of suffering and sin. • 2) God sends his only Son Jesus. • 3) He sacrifices his life on a cross to defeat the power of sin, evil, and death. • 4) His death carries us to Easter and brings us forgiveness and new life. • we can always bring our laments, hopes, and yearning to God, especially in difficult times of tragedy or suffering.

  7. The good news in Christmas • God comes to the worst place and the most painful circumstance to share our suffering, to care for us in the midst of tragedy. • Christ is our Savior and he is always with us because he is our Emmanuel, “God-with-us.” • This holy season of Christmas and New Year is the promise that God is present in our everyday lives working for hope, peace, joy, and love. • the light shines even in the darkness.

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