Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, 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. 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. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 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. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
Matthew 1:7-12
In this part of the Christmas story in the book of Matthew, we find a different reaction to Christmas that we are used to seeing. Usually, people respond positively to Christmas, even people who do not know the Lord Jesus. But there are those who hate Christmas, people who hate everything it is and everything for which it stands.
Herod was one of those people. He thought that he was the “king of the Jews.” Hearing of another “King of the Jews” made him nervous, and even filled him with a jealous rage. He went so far as to issue a commandment that all of the male children in the area were to be killed, not sparing any. It is a horrible thought to contemplate – hating the coming of Jesus so much that he was willing to kill many, many innocent babies.
Today, there are those who want to rule their own lives. They do not want to submit to Jesus. And those people, like Herod, hate the thought of Christmas. They might not mind the presents and the lights and the festivities of Christmas, but they hate the true meaning of it. Let us pray for those “Herods” around us this Christmas season, that they would come to know the Saviour – the true meaning of Christmas!
Justified Freely 