Herod Had it Right

  • Mark Lauterbach
  • Dec 23, 2007
  • Series: Home page

The story of the slaughter of the innocents in Matthew 2 has always seemed to be a sad insertion into the beauty of the Christmas story.  Why would God include a record of of the egotistical king violent deeds, a king to whom everyone was a threat?

The answer is simple.  Herod got it right.  He understood the coming of Jesus.  

The coming of Jesus was a political act.  The words announcing his coming were revolutionary.  The angel told Mary that she would have a son who would reign on the throne of his father David forever.  The throne of  David was no a rule over a small territory.  The throne of David is the rule of the world. 

Mary got it. She said that God was going to depose kings and break the power of the rich.  She said this in the magnificat -- a thirteen year old Jewish girl speaking of the fall of Rome, talking like a revolutionary.

Christmas is a message of the voming of the reign of God. 

But the reign of God does not come with weapons and war -- it comes with sacrifice and mercy. The King of God's appointment wins his kingdom through sacrifice.

At Grace Church in San Diego we celebrate in King -- the Savior of all. He is the one we honor at Christmas.  Check out the sermon, Son of David.