Matthew 2:3-4,7-8,16-18

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

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I don’t know whether you have ever noticed that there are two main characters in the birth narrative of the second chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel. There is Herod and there is Jesus. All the rest — wise men, Mary, Joseph and the angels — are very much in the background. In fact Herod is mentioned no fewer than ten times and Jesus (or the child) nine times in only 23 verses.

It is to Herod that the wise men go, to enquire about the birth of the future King of the Jews. It is Herod who summons the chief priests and scribes for advice concerning this birth. It is Herod who asks the Wise Men to return and confirm the birth, after their visit to Bethlehem. It is Herod who later decides to kill all the Bethlehem children under two years of age when the Wise Men did not return. And it is after the death of Herod, that Joseph decides to take Jesus and his mother Mary, back to his homeland and settle in Nazareth.

But who was Herod , and why did he get such a bad press in the Christmas story?

Herod was the client king of Rome – who ruled Palestine between 40 BC and 4 BC. He was succeeded by his son , Herod Antipas, who ruled when Jesus was crucified.

Herod was commonly called the Great for several reasons.

1. He was a great peacemaker in Palestine.

2. He was a great builder of an amphitheater and a harbor which brought prosperity to the region.

3. He was great in regards to his generosity. In times of financial difficulty, he melted down his own gold plates on order to buy corn for his staving people.

Yet, despite his great generosity, he does not get a good press in the Christmas Story.

Unfortunately, he was a very insecure person, and as a consequence, became insanely suspicious of other people who he felt might threaten him. For instance, shortly after being appointed, he completely annihilated the entire Sanhedrin, and later some 300 court officials.

His suspicions caused one of his wives and her mother, his eldest son and two other sons to be killed. And then there is the twist to the story that Herod had planned, to ensure that he was mourned at the time of his death, that a number of people should be killed so the sound of tears would fill the city.

It is amazing that Herod could have felt so threatened by a helpless infant! And yet he did, and he is not alone. Throughout the centuries people have felt threatened by the helpless child, and his followers.

Herod did not succeed in killing Jesus for he was taken to Egypt for protection. Herod’s son did not succeed either, for Jesus rose victorious on Easter Day. 

King Herod died in 4 BC, Jesus lives forever.

– Rev. Terry Ranson (submitted by Mr. John Moore)