April 21
Herod
Now after Jesus was born…Herod the king heard this, he was troubled… Matthew 2:1-3 (NKJV)
Yesterday, we saw how Anna beheld Jesus as an infant and proclaimed He would be the Redeemer of Israel. But not everyone was so enthusiastic about this Babe’s birth. Herod, the ruler over the region where Jesus spent the first few months of his earthly existence, saw Jesus as a threat instead of a blessing, and conspired to kill Him.
The reason is very simple. Herod wanted to keep his position of power. But the news that another King had been born set his mind spinning: “What does this mean for me? Are the people going to follow Him instead? How can I keep from losing the throne I worked so hard to attain?”
Before we typecast Herod as the bad guy, we need to ask ourselves the searching question, “Do we ever view Jesus as a threat?”
At first, most of us probably shrug off such a notion. But dig deeper into your heart. Are there ever any instances where Christ’s authority clashes with your own agenda? Does His desire to have total control in your life ever threaten what you want for your life?
That brings things a bit closer to home, and although Herod’s example is an extreme one, if we’re honest we can probably relate to the same dynamic that drove him. When our will and prerogative isn’t surrendered to the Lord, we’re going to be threatened by Him. A relationship, a habit, a grudge…there are a lot of things we may want to cling to that He wants to remove.
If there’s something in us that’s threatened by Christ’s authoritative presence in our lives, it’s a sure sign something is wrong with it. Rather than resist and reject, we need to surrender and submit. Otherwise, we fail to learn the lesson from Herod’s example. Jesus should never threaten us, and if He does, the problem lies in us…not in Him.
Think About It…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
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