INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION TO MISSING CHRISTMAS
James Montgomery Boice was the pastor of the Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia from 1968 until his death in 2000. He also was on the Bible Study Hour on radio for about 30 years. And in his spare time, he wrote a considerable number of books. One of the books that he wrote was “The Christ of Christmas”. In that book Boice writes “one tragedy of the first Christmas is that so many came close to Christmas yet missed it all”.
And that statement by Boise gave birth to my sermon series “They Missed the First Christmas”. And last week, we looked at the innkeeper who was too busy doing life which included earning a living that he had no time for Christmas. And then we looked at the innkeeper’s guests who were so focused on their own little world that they didn’t try to accommodate the pregnant young girl in their room. And so, they too missed the First Christmas.
And ever since the missed opportunities of that first Christmas, we have been missing opportunities to celebrate the birth of Christ ever since. We have made the celebration of Christ’s birth into so many holiday traditions, eating feasts, shopping hype, and social gatherings that many miss the real Christmas. Immanuel- Christ with us! So, we have gone back to that first century to see what caused them to miss the first Christmas in the hope that we can learn from their mistakes.
Today, we look at King Herod and why he missed the First Christmas. If you have your Bibles turn with me to Matthew 2:1-8.
2 SCRIPTURE
QUOTE
Matthew 2:1-8 (NKJV)
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,
2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ “
7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”
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3 One
I WANT US TO THINK HOW HARD IT WAS FOR HEROD TO MISS THE FIRST CHRISTMAS; BUT HE STILL DID.
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,
2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
How could Herod have missed the First Christmas? Afterall, he had wise men from the East who basically invited him to the event when they asked him “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews”?
Herod could not use the argument Israel is a big place, I don’t have the time to travel all over Israel looking for this Christ child, you call the King of the Jews. Herod called in the religious leaders, and they pinpointed exactly where Jesus could be found. He could go right to Christ child; he did not have to be inconvenienced by searching high and low for this child. And I am afraid in our day and time, people don’t want to be inconvenienced. We tell ourselves I got cooking to do, the kids got presents to open, I got to clean up around the house because soon family and friends will be arriving for the holiday feast. God just does not fit into the schedule, and those who think that way miss Christmas because they don’t want to be inconvenienced.
Herod could not use the argument that it is too far to travel from Jerusalem to Bethlehem because it is only a distance of 5.52 miles. He called for the religious leaders to tell him where this Savior is to be born, and they came back with Bethlehem of Judea. Just 5.52 miles from his palace in Jerusalem. But think about where we live in Pike County MS, we have twenty-nine (29) Southern Baptist Church in our county. Probably nobody is more than five (5) miles away from a church yet on Christmas morning, many won’t travel those five (5) miles to a church to celebrate the birth of Christ with other Christians. Why Herod personally didn’t travel the 5.52 miles to see this child, I don’t know. But I don’t know why most people in Pike County don’t travel less than five (5) miles to worship Christ the King on Christmas day.
Herod could not use the argument that I am more important than the Christ child because, I am the highest-ranking Roman authority in all the land. Oh, Herod was important, He was indeed powerful and ruled Israel with an iron fist. But Herod was a man just like you and me, and so, He needed a Savior just like us. But He didn’t see it that way. And today, I am afraid many people don’t see it that way either. They don’t see that that they need a Savior and as result they miss Christmas. They think that their life is good just the way it is without Christ.
4 TWO
HEROD MISSED THE FIRST CHRISTMAS BECAUSE HE FEARED THE CHRIST CHILD WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING.
Matthew 2: 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”
We know the story. When Herod told the wise men to bring back word to him, so that he also could worship the king of the Jews, he lied. He had no intention of going to worship Jesus. He saw Jesus as a threat. And what did Herod do with those he felt threats to his throne. He killed them. History tells that Herod killed one of his wives, her brother who was the High priest and two of his eldest sons because he saw them as threats to his throne, threats to change everything. So, when the wise men announced there was one born who is King of the Jews, Herod resorted to his normal pattern of dealing with those who challenged him, and he issued a decree to kill all male children two years and younger. Why would an aging King be worried about an infant boy? There is only one reason: Herod felt Jesus would change everything.
Herod not only missed Christmas: he wanted to destroy Christmas. He passed up an opportunity to meet and come to know King Jesus-because of his fear that Jesus would change everything. I’m sorry to say there are Herod types in our world even today. There are people who won’t allow Jesus in because He may interfere with their career, their position, their power, their ambition, their plans, their family, or their lifestyle. They’re not about to let someone else be king over their lives. They see Jesus as a threat, just as Herod did and so they miss Christmas just like Herod did.
There are people who are afraid that if I let Jesus into my heart everything about my life is going to change and I am happy with my life the way it is. I like doing all the stuff I do, and I don’t want Jesus changing it. So, the solution is simple: don’t let Jesus in. I must raise my hand; I was one of those type of people. There were things I didn’t want Jesus touching about my life, because I liked those things just the way they are.
Herod missed the first Christmas because He feared everything would change; and people today miss Christmas because they, like Herod are afraid that everything will change.
But let me tell you what I discovered when I accepted Christ as my Savior and made Him Lord of my Life, I don’t mind the change. The change I once resisted; I now freely accept. And if you accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you wouldn’t mind the change either.
5 Three
THE FIRST CHRISTMAS COULD HAVE CHANGED HEROD, BUT HE DID NOT LET IT.
I know that First Christmas, Immanuel in the world to save us from our sins, could have changed Herod, but he didn’t let it. I know this because he went to his grave still killing innocent people. As he was nearing death, actually it turned out to be five days before his death, Herod killed all his descendants who might have laid claim to the throne. And right before his death he all the distinguished citizens of Jerusalem put in prison and commanded that they be slaughtered the moment he died. Herod said “these people will not weep when I die, and I want them weeping, even if they weep over someone else.
The First Christmas and subsequent Christmases did nothing for Herod. And today, Christmas after Christmas come and go and for many it does nothing. Are you going to let this Christmas by and not allow it to draw you closer to the Savior? Let us pray!
