Read: Matthew 2:13-23, Revelation 3:14-22
There has been a common trend in the last decade or so to write complexity into the motivations of villains in cinema, television, and literature. Gone are the days of simple conflicts between good and evil, arch-nemesis who simply mirror each other’s complexities, or evil masterminds bent on world domination. Whole series have been built around the attraction people have toward the anti-hero.
You might find this trend troubling, and there are certainly good reasons to be concerned, but these characterizations reveal to us the blurred lines of separation between us and them. We can relate to them, and that should cause us to think long and hard about our own motivations for why we sin, knowing that it is evil.
It is easy for us to separate ourselves from the bad guys of the Bible, but I think it is important to linger on these stories a little bit longer. As we examine the atrocities of Herod, we shouldn’t be so quick to draw a distinction between us and him. There but for the grace of God, go I.
Fulfilling Prophecy
As we read through the details in the latter half of Matthew 2, we are posed with the question of what all of these details have to do with the greater story. First, it is describing to us the fulfillment of prophecy, that Jesus was uniquely the answer to everything proclaimed in the Old Testament about the Messiah. Matthew is making a concerted effort to show us, and his fellow Jews in particular, that only Jesus could be the one to fulfill what the Scriptures predicted.
The Messiah was supposed to be born in Bethlehem, come out of Egypt, and be known as one from Nazareth. That is not any easy set of circumstances to orchestrate. But, this reveals another aspect to this text: the undisputable providence of God to fulfill His promises. God worked through the presiding government of Rome to require a census of the empire to move Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem just in time for Jesus to be born. He showed Joseph in a dream of the threat of Herod so that he would take Jesus to Egypt. And God used Joseph’s discernment to direct him to take Jesus to Nazareth. All of this to fulfill a convoluted scenario that didn’t make sense to those who penned the prophecies in the Old Testament.
But there is a third reason why this is so significant. First century Jews would have been far more interested in the geography of each of these places. Western Christians, not so much. Bethlehem represented the lowliness of Jesus. He wasn’t born in the capitol city like a king should have been born. Egypt represented the years that the people of Israel spent in slavery and captivity. Nazareth represented the darkest parts of Israel’s history and defiance against God. More on that in chapter 4. To the early Jewish readers of Matthew’s Gospel, these geographical points revealed the greater humility of Christ and the way that He connected with God’s chosen people, reliving their lowest and darkest periods of history.
In principle, this narrative shows us that God has a plan, that He is working all things out for a greater purpose than we can understand, and that Christ can relate to the way that we feel when our world seems unstable. In part, this answers the question of why God would allow us to be in certain circumstances that don’t make sense to us. Sometimes God will cause what seems to be an unrelated event to move us from where we are to where we are supposed to be.
Revealing Good vs. Evil
But there is another reason for this text, one that is probably a little more obvious. It is depicting the universal struggle between good and evil.
The actions of Herod are horrendous. There is no greater form of evil than to slaughter innocent children. It is an action that is morally debased and categorically aligned to such evils as the holocausts and countless other genocides. It is an evil that still exists to this day. It should disgust us and make us feel sick when we read it.
This reveals a cosmic battle that has been going on between God and satan throughout the ages. There is nothing that the devil will not do to thwart the plan of God from unfolding. We will be introduced to the devil in Chapter 4, but know this, he is behind the actions of Herod. He knows the implications of what Jesus is going to accomplish, and he is doing everything he can to prevent the redemption of mankind.
Evoking a Reaction
But there is a much deeper layer to this story. We can look at Herod and see plainly the evil behind his actions. He is contrasted with the worship of the Magi from the east. They worshipped Jesus and received Him as their king, even though they were outsiders to the covenant. Herod, fearing that his power would be taken away from him, sought to kill the Messiah. But both of them responded in a way that understood the implications of what Jesus had come to accomplish.
We certainly don’t see ourselves in Herod’s actions. They repulse us, as they should. But how closely do we see ourselves in the Magi? What have we actually sacrificed to come and worship Jesus? Are we overjoyed to begin another week with a worship service? Do we begin our days by filling our heart and mind with Scripture before we stuff our belly with food or check up on our social media presence? What offerings have we brought to lay at Jesus’ feet? Have they cost us anything?
The reality is that we are somewhere in the middle of these two contrasting responses to Jesus. The scribes and religious leaders knew the Scriptures and did nothing, the people in Jerusalem heard the announcement that the Messiah had come and didn’t respond. At the end of the third chapter in Revelation, the last of the seven churches is described as being lukewarm, neither hot nor cold. They were not moved by the gospel. It didn’t evoke a response.
You might find yourself somewhere right of center and think that you’re okay. That is the most dangerous place to be. At least the reality of Jesus evoked a response in Herod. He knew what was at stake. So did the Magi. If you knew what Jesus demanded of you, you too would respond in one of those extremes.
When is the last time the gospel really affected you? What happens to you when you worship, read God’s Word, or pray? Has Jesus become so familiar that you have grown accustomed to His teaching so that it no longer moves you? We hear the gospel so often that it can become like white noise in the background. We don’t pay attention to it anymore but we would be greatly affected if it all of a sudden stopped.
These questions are important because Jesus ought to evoke an extreme response in us. Jesus did not come so that we could live quiet lives to ourselves. He came to save us from our sins. He came to establish Himself as the King of kings and Lord of lords. He wants full authority over our lives. We have to surrender our throne to Him. And therein lies the reality of the gospel. Will we lay down our life? Will we take up our cross and follow Christ? Will we deny ourselves, die to self, offer ourselves as a living sacrifice so that we can truly live? Or will we remain unmoved by Jesus? God forbid it.
Adam Miller is the president and host of Songtime Radio and serves as the pastor of South Chatham Community Church. This article is a condensed version of one of his sermons.