Herod

It's plain to see why Herod is considered the bad guy in the
Christmas story. When the wise men from the east arrived in
Jerusalem, asking where they could find the newborn king of the
Jews, Herod could have decided to go to Bethlehem with them to
sincerely bow before the prophesied Messiah. If Herod had
done that, we might be singing carols about the gifts of gold,
frankincense, myrrh, and a gift that Herod gave.

Earlier in his reign, Herod had sponsored the expansion of the
Temple in Jerusalem, hoping that his citizens would consider him
devout. He would have achieved that goal if only he had
welcomed the Messiah with honor and humility. But instead,
when Herod learned that the king of the Jews had been born, he
was filled with one desire: to seek the young child to destroy
him.

The wise men from the east apparently did not have any difficulty
honoring the newborn King of the Jews. According to the
traditional description of their backgrounds, these wise men
served in the courts of kings as astrologer-advisors. As
representatives of the kings who sent them, when they bowed
before the baby Jesus they acknowledged that here was a king
with whom they desired an alliance.

Herod, in comparison, was a downright villain. But Herod, in comparison, faced a far greater

challenge. The wise men, after their diplomatic mission was accomplished, could leave the newborn

king of the Jews and return to their own country. The newborn king posed no threat to the authority

of the kings of the nations to the east of Judea. But for Herod the situation was different: he was

the king of the Jews. For the wise men, the discovery that a new king had been born in Judea implied

that they had a potential ally. For Herod, the discovery that a new king had been born in Judea meant

that he had a rival.

When the kingdom of heaven invades our lives, we face the same challenge: God is not calling us to merely visit His
kingdom. He is calling us to hand over our kingdoms to Him. He is commanding us to surrender and acknowledge
Him as the King of kings. God is invading what we like to think of as our territory, our domain. But it really never
has been ours. Herod was allowed to use the title "king," but although he was in charge of Judea, the Roman
Emperor was in charge of him. Likewise, although some individuals constantly indulge in the illusion that they are
the independent kings and queens of their lives, if they reject the kingdom of heaven they will discover that they are
merely stewards with temporary power -- pawns of the prince of this age.

Herod accomplished several things that benefited many people, but he is remembered today mainly because he
ordered the murder of the baby boys of Bethlehem - all because he refused to relinquish his kingdom. Before we
categorize Herod as a hopeless villain, we should each ask, "What about me?" Are we willing to sacrifice our
kingdoms, whether small or great, when God invades? Are we content to visit His kingdom, offer a token gift, and
then return to our comfortable kingdoms? Or are we determined to abdicate and to cast our crowns at His feet?
What a different Christmas story it would have been if Herod had chosen to hand over his kingdom to the Messiah!
And what a difference it will make when we surrender our lives completely to serve the Ruler of heaven and earth.