Challenged:
Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The Lord
answered his prayer and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. The babies jostled each other
within her, and she said, “why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the
Lord. The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within
you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve
the younger.” Genesis 25:21-23
1) SERMON INTRO-HEROD
This may seem like a strange scripture to begin a advent season message with but
there is a reason to my madness. You see, the 2 babies that Rebekah carried would be
Jacob and Esau. Jacob’s descendants became the Israelites, and Esau’s, who would be
renamed Edom after selling his birthright, were the Edomites. OK why is this important?
Well the Israelites and the Edomites would become enemies, fighting many battles against
each other. And the person in the Christmas story we will be looking at today was a
Edomite. That person is Herod the Great
2) HISTROY-ANTIPATER/2 SONS
Now just a quick history lesson about Herod the great. Herod the great’s father
was Antipater, and he was installed by Julius Caesar as procurator of Judea. Around 47
BC Antipater appointed his 2 sons to ruling positions, Herod, or Herod the great as he
was known because he was 1st born, became the governor of Judea. Herod became
known for being a ruthless fighter, a cunning negotiator and a subtle diplomat. He also
established himself as a great builder. Undertaking such projects as Masada, the
rebuilding of the temple and the Herodiun. He was a loyal friend and ally of Rome and
was later appointed King of Judea and put in direct control of the Jews.
3) HERODIUN
One of the Greatest Structures Herod built was the Herodiun, which he named after
himself. This massive palace fortress was built about 5 miles from Bethlehem. At the time
it was the 3rd largest palace fortress in the world. It consisted of a upper and lower palace
which comprised about 45 acres. There were 2 walls in this circular fortress about 15’
apart and in between these walls were the rooms for his servants and staff. There were 4
towers on each side of the fortress with the one on the east wall rising over 100 feet above
the palace. The entire complex was comprised of over 100 acres and included a
swimming pool surrounded by a colonnade and garden with exotic plants and large
enough that Herod or his guests could sail or row small boats in it. 100 marble steps led
up to the palace and marble stones adorned the palace inside and out.
4) SYMBOL OF HERODIUN- TYRANNY
This palace/fortress could be seen for miles and symbolized the greatness and power of
Herod. As great as Herod was, his great accomplishments were eclipsed by his vicious
tyranny and paranoia. He had murdered his own wife and killed all male infants who
might have been legal heirs to his throne. Herod used the sword and the cross as powerful
deterrents to keep the Jews in line. And as we read he killed all male children 2 and under
to rid himself of the messiah.
5) SETTING FOR BIRTH
So here we have the setting for the birth of a baby in a manager. The first verse of Matthew chapter 2 sets the scene. “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem during the time of King
Herod.” To the Jew living during this time period, Esau and Edom were symbols for evil
and Herod represented the power and might of the greatest descendent of Esau. So here
we have a king ruling over the Jews who was the epitome of evil and this palace/fortress,
this Herodiun, casting a shadow over the entire area, including a little town called
Bethlehem.
6) PROPHESEY
The Jewish people were familiar with the scriptures and the prophecies concerning
the messiah. One of these prophecies comes from Numbers 24:17-18 and reads “A star
will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of
Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth. Edom will be conquered; Seir, his enemy, will
be conquered, but Israel will grow strong.” This prophecy foretold that the Messiah
would conquer the Edomites, yet at this time the greatest Edomite yet was king over
them.
7) CIRCUMSTANCES-SHEPHERDS
It must have been a difficult time for the Jews, they had been conquered by the Romans
and one of their greatest enemies was king over them. The evil and sin of the world was
all around them and so far none of the prophecies concerning the messiah had come to
pass. And then a baby is born, born in a lowly manger. And the first people to hear the
news are shepherds. The bible tells us that the shepherds hurried to see the baby that the
angels had told them about and spread the news concerning what had been told to them.
Yet, for the shepherds and those they told, this must have been difficult news to them.
The prophecies had said that the messiah would rule over the Edomites, yet the angels
were announcing the birth of the messiah in the shadow of the Herodiun. A symbol of the
evil and power of Herod, the greatest Edomite to ever live.
8) CHALLANGE
These shepherds and others who heard the news were being challenged. They were
challenged to believe that what they saw, a small baby born in a barn, was more powerful
than the evil that surrounded them, more powerful than all of Herod’s palaces, soldiers,
and his influence. They were asked to have faith in God that this small child was king over
all and not Herod. They were asked to believe that the birth of this little baby boy meant
that evil had not won, and that God was in control, despite what they saw all around
them. This took tremendous faith. Wherever they looked, they saw the influence of Herod
and Rome. They could see the palace, the Herodiun, from the manager. Everyday they
saw the soldiers and felt the oppression of being ruled by Rome and by Herod. Evil
seemed to surround them everywhere they turned. How could this vulnerable baby be
greater than all of that. And yet this is exactly what he was. This baby was king of kings
and Lord of lords. In him, there would be and is victory over the evil of the world.
9) OUR CHALLANGE
We face the same challenge that these shepherds faced. In the face of all the evil
that surrounds us. With all the sin and evil of this world, the criminals, the entertainment
industry, pornography, political power, drugs, terrorists, we need to believe that Christ is
King and that he is in control. We need to believe that our Lord and Savior rules over all
and that He is in power. We have the book right here, we know how it ends, WE WIN!
Christ is victorious. We need not fear the evil that surrounds us for Jesus reigns. His
power and his might are greater than anything the world can put together. We must put
our faith in Christ kingship. As followers of Jesus we must believe and be committed to
Him. Two thousand years ago 12 rag tag fishermen, tax collectors and everyday people
put their faith in God and aligned themselves with the greatest power in the universe and
they turned the world upside down.
Often, the world seems to be overwhelming. The problems we encounter seem so
big and so in control. The evil that exists seems to be so strong and we wonder how we
can ever fight it and make a difference. But when we commit ourselves to the King of
kings, when we tap into the power of the resurrected Christ. We can make a difference.
We need to have the faith that the little baby, born in a manger is greater than the world.
We need to remember that no matter how bleak and dim, how evil the world around us
seems to be, the devil is not in control. We have to believe that if we are to make a
difference in this world.
Herod left behind his towers and palaces, he left behind the marble stones and
monuments. Today they are in ruins, serving only as a reminder of the past of what was.
Jesus, as far as we know didn’t even leave behind a stone that he may have overturned.
We don’t know exactly where he was born where he grew up or where he died. Yet his
glory and his power and his majesty live on. He has left behind “living stones”, And his
kingdom will reign forever and ever.
