Today, we continue in our theme of Immanuel—God with us in celebration. Yesterday, we looked at the life of Joseph. Today, we’ll focus at the villain of the Christmas story.

He is a character in the story that you won’t find in anyone’s manger scene or in the painted depictions of peaceful Bethlehem, but his violent presence was definitely on full display in those days—the king called Herod.

Herod was 33 years old when he came into power through his friendship with the Roman Emperor, Marcus Antonius. In just 3 years, he crushed all opposition and then ruled with an iron fist for over 30 years. Ironically, Herod was known as “The King of the Jews,” since the areas he ruled were the home of the Jewish people. He was wealthy, intelligent, and highly gifted in administration, architecture, and design. … Now for the dark side—He was an egomaniacal dictator who often had fits of rage and paranoia, to the point of killing his wife, two sons, and other close family members who he suspected of disloyalty. Herod resented the Jews and during his reign had literally hundreds of Jewish leaders executed when he perceived them as a threat. … Does any of this sound at all familiar when we think of more modern history? … He also taxed the Jewish people into poverty and kept them there.

Jesus was born in the final months of Herod’s reign. Herod found out about the Messiah from the Magi—or the three astronomers—who journeyed from afar to worship the Christ child. After this report, Herod’s only goal was to destroy Him, who he perceived to threaten his throne. From the time the Magi first saw the star until the time he ordered the Bethlehem murders, Herod calculated—just to be safe—all male children 2 years old and under must die.

In the big picture and spiritual realm, Satan knew all the Scriptures, saw the star, heard all the buzz, but didn’t know The Plan, so he made sure he had a pawn in the palm of his hand to try and stop God from saving us. This mass killing of Israel’s baby boys was a foreshadowing of the One Baby, who would not have his life taken by a cruel ruler, but rather would give His life for a loving King. We can look at Herod and shake our heads over the ego, pride, paranoia, and the depths of depravity to which he sunk. But the bottom line is the reason Jesus came at all is because we are all Herod’s. We have Herod motives, Herod moments, and make Herod moves to keep our own kingdom strong to hide the weaknesses. But the Baby born in the City of David provides us with His presence and power to overcome all evil. Including our own. There is no Herod that Jesus cannot defeat!

(Matthew 2:19-20 NLT)

When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”

Let’s pray together: “Lord, thank You that there is no evil in this world that You cannot overcome, that You have not overcome. Thank You that I can surrender the worst of me to trade for the best of You. As above, so below.”