My Favorite Christmas Story

We all know the song, “O Little Town of Bethlehem”. But “in the days of King Herod” (Matt.2:1) stood something very big, less than 3 miles southeast of Bethlehem. On a 200 foot high hill, King Herod built his magnificent royal palace – the Herodium. A marvel of the ancient world, Herod’s home stood 7 stories tall, surrounded by massive walls and ornate colonnades. Inside were exotic gardens, marble pools, elaborate dinning halls, and dozens of rooms for his family and servants.

The shadow of the Great Herodium palace, cast by the morning sun, fell upon the little town of Bethlehem. And into this scene entered the wise men from the east. From their perspective, the star they followed now stood above them. How easily it would have been to assume the star pointed to the Herodium. No doubt one of Herod’s wives had given birth to a son who would naturally be the next king. Who could question King Herod’s supremacy and power over the land?

But the wise men knew the Biblical prophecy, “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel, His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.” Yet, being wise, they perhaps knew of another prophecy even older than Micah’s.

“A star shall come forth from Jacob, and a scepter shall rise from Israel, and shall crush through the forehead of Moab… and Edom shall be a possession… the One from Jacob shall have dominion” (Numbers 24:15-19 and Obediah 8-10). The Jews believed that someday, a descendent of Jacob would be more powerful and rule over the descendants of Esau, the father of the Edomites.

The first chapter of the New Testament shows us that Jesus was a descendent of Jacob. The mighty King Herod, undisputed ruler over the Jews, was from Idamea, the main city of Edom. King Herod was an Edomite. Yet, how could a baby born in a barn ever be more powerful than a son of King Herod, whose ruthless power and massive building projects were known throughout the world?

The wise men stood at a crossroad. To the left, the glorious Herodium and all the power it showcased. To the right, in the Herodium’s shadow, a dirty barn, a poor family, and a baby in a manger. Their decision showed how wise, indeed, they were.

Each day, we stand at a crossroad. To our left, the lure of Hollywood, the power of culture, the pressure of peers, the promise of pleasure, and the temptation of wealth. To our right, a carpenter King who promises nothing but hardship and suffering in this world in exchange for a love and purpose that the world cannot understand.

Today, if we stand on the southeast side of Bethlehem, we can see a barren hilltop. The incredible Herodium palace, along with King Herod’s other opulent building projects, have long been looted, razed, and destroyed, pounded into dust and blown away by the wind. They are gone. And the only thing you probably remember about Herod is that he killed babies from Bethlehem on that first Christmas.

But what of the baby in the manger? He never built a house or sat on an earthly throne. But look what He left behind! From the jungles of Brazil to the mountains of India, from remote areas in the Philippines to prisons in China, men and women are giving their lives to the babe from Bethlehem.

This month, would you remember to give to the Lotty Moon Christmas Offering? This is our lifeline that keeps us here so we can tell others about the story of the man from Galilee. And remember, no matter how strong the world’s temptations, no matter how powerful the grip of evil, no matter how painful the trials of life, Jesus is still the King!

So, the Christmas story begins with the profound statement: “In the days of King Herod, Jesus was born.”