The Christmas Story and the Self Identified King of the Jews

The magi arrived with a question. "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?" Hearing the inquiry, Herod and an entire city were troubled. Why? And, Why does it matter today?

Knowing their king would bring reason to celebrate, the Jewish people endured under oppression watching and waiting for the promise, their king, Zechariah 9:9. Herod brought no rejoicing. Still, he claimed the title, "King of the Jews" and played the part.

Having a "complicated" lineage, Herod could simply not qualify as the fulfillment of prophecy, Jeremiah 23:5. On his mother's side, which is what mattered in ancient genealogies, Herod was Arabic. Descending, on his father's side from both Idumeans, (heirs of Edom), and Israel, any claim to a Jewish throne was a stretch.

Lifestyle created other problems for the king. He would dress the part. He would play around the edges of what he imagined it was to own the role he coveted. He could not be what the position required and would not submit to what the law demanded. One of Herod's first acts, after ascending the throne, was to replace rightful priests who challenged his assertions, with families more likely to be loyal to himself. He cancelled those who objected to his claims. This explains a great deal about the state of temple life when Jesus arrived.

Determined to prove everyone wrong, Herod the Great clung to his self professed status. Emphasizing his connections to Judaism, Herod married Mariamne, a Jewish princess. Eventually, jealous rage and paranoia would drive him to murder their sons out of fear they would take his crown. Herod's Jewish bride would not fair any better. Blood flowed in the streets as the tyrant clung to his identity.

Then, wisemen appeared. A question was asked. A city was troubled. Words they had waited for filled them with fear. Announcing the realization of prophecy exposed the truth. Herod was not born to be king of the Jews. Suddenly, everyone was in danger. As Herod despised the reality challenging his delusion, violent rage seized the king. It culminated in the death of innocents.

Herod was not alone. Antiochus self identified as "Epiphanes" meaning god incarnate. The pharaohs made the same claim. Even Adam and Eve attempted to redefine themselves as gods. Today, students attempt to step into the shoes of God, as they reimagine themselves as more than a different gender or species. These wounded souls assert themselves as the authority over the one who created them and knew who they truly were before they were born, Jeremiah 1:5, Psalm 193:13. There is nothing new under the sun. The pattern exists. When the Lord offers peace and freedom, the enemy inspires people to reject who God created them to be.

Thankfully, there is one who was born King of the Jews, Matthew 2:2. The Prince of Peace was born in Bethlehem, Isaiah 9:6-7. God, who made us, came to be with us,

Matthew 1:22-23, Isaiah 7:14. He became flesh and dwelt among us, John 1:14. Unlike Herod, who shed the blood of all who questioned him, Jesus, the one born King of the Jews, shed His blood for everyone who has ever who questioned him, Romans 5:8, Ephesians 1:7, 2:13. That is the real Christmas story and that is Worth Remembering