Weekly Devo: The Journey to Bethlehem - The Powerful.

Read: Matthew 2: 1-12

What a journey for those who resist change! As we are in the Christmas season, the tradition of Christmas seems daunting and overwhelming. It is a journey for sure. There are many packages to buy and wrap with many more activities to keep us going from work parties to family get-togethers. Travel certainly takes its toll as we are rushing about, trying to meet all the obligations that are pressed upon us. 

In last weeks‘s message that I posted as an article on the Facebook of Lancaster Wesleyan, I highlighted the journey that Mary and Joseph were on. There are road to Bethlehem was met with times of confusion that challenge both their calling and their commitment to obey God‘s plan for their lives.  You might’ve missed it, but nevertheless, we need to understand that they had to overcome and even find the courage to do the impossible. While their journey was difficult, resolved was needed yet, the certainty of what was coming next meant that they had to have faith in God, through his messengers.

Listen to worship and message here. 

This week we’re going to focus on the nemesis of the story of Christmas. They are certainly our skeptics that are very prevalent when it comes to the gospel story of Jesus. But today this is not just about skeptics for those who are wavering between two ideas. This is about a nemesis who sought to destroy God‘s plan for mankind.
We all certainly have skeptics in doubters in our midst. But few of us have those who want to destroy the plans that we have. Every story must have its villains.

There are always skeptics at every story. Men are negative as if to hold out, resisting change. We see them everywhere. You remain positive while they find reasons to be negative. You celebrate while they maintain skepticism.
Yet beyond this are the enemies of our soul. Look at all the Christmas stories that we have that have been written over the vast hundreds of years. Each of these dramas are highlighted by the enemy. It brings tension to the story in order to draw out the characteristics of each participant.

Let me give you an overview:
We see it in the story of a Christmas Carol. Ebenezer Scrooge is that villain. In more modern times we might even see that it is t\The Grinch, he sets out to steal Christmas from those in Whoville. Of course, in Santa Claus, not a real character, of course – it is Jack Frost. In Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer, also not a real character – you find that it is the abominable snowman. In more real life episodes you find these characters who want to destroy the plans of others. In the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, you see it as the cranky old bank executive/owner - the greedy Mr. Henry Potter. 

Each of these villains seek after the vulnerable in order to take advantage so that they may steal, rob, and destroy. Who does that sound like?  

Every good story has an evil villain. It is the opposite of the good and virtuous.
In spiritual terms, we know that to be the devil. While we don’t blame everything on him, we do realize that life is just that way. There is that preverbal wrench thrown in our way. It is the challenges that we face. But let me be clear, the evil nemesis is not a victim, but instead, a predator. 

Everybody knows the Wizard of Oz story. Of course it’s not a Christmas story, yet, we know that the wicked witch wants to destroy the opportunity that Dorothy and her friends have as they make their journey to the land of Oz. In today’s version, “Wicked“ tells us that the reason that the wicked witch is the way she is because she is a victim. Made to think differently and almost with empathy for the one who is doing evil. 

In newer and more modern stories of Christmas, we are seeing a trend that is quite disturbing. Although I’m not trying to analyze movies I’m helping to set up the context for which we will study today – Herod the Great!

The Bible tells us that there were many who did not see the beauty of the birth of Christ yet alone sacrifice of this great birth of a King. 

Locals who had no room for Jesus. 

• Leaders that resisted and were even jealous of this Jesus as a baby. 

• Those loathing the birth of Christ goes beyond the manger!

Today we look at the most evil villains, Herod, the Great.

Who was he? Why did he act the way he did? What was it about the baby Jesus that was so threatening to him?
The first thing that we see is that he is filled with deception. What does he ask? He wants to know the location of this. Christ Child, the king of the Jews, pretending that he would want to worship him.

We need to understand that there are several different people of the line of Herod the Great. We also need to understand the background of the political and geographic context to which we experience this part of scripture.

We can study the tradition and early church historians to come to know that there are several things we know because of tradition - not biblical.  We have to ask, were there only 3 wisemen?  How far east did they travel?  Were they connected to King Herod as fellow traders?  

Herod was known as a builder. We have many of the buildings of Jesus‘s Day that remained for hundreds and thousands of years. We see that he contributed to the temple of Jerusalem inscribing his very name into that construction. He imposed a great deal of tax on the people so that he could build more of these large buildings that would represent his powering control.

We can also learn that there are several people names Herod in the Bible at the time of Jesus.  This was Herod the Great who saw that an alliance with Rome and the Jewish (religious) leaders meant that he was political. He helped in the funding and construction of the Temple that they worshipped in Jerusalem. 

There were also pagan temples and an olympic area for the sport of killing and violence. Herod was know as a master builder.  He was known for the hatred of the people.  He was known for enslavement of the people to appease Rome. He considered himself a KING. 

He was Jealous of any other power including the birth of a Christ-child known as KING.  He wanted to destroy anything or anyone who stood in the way of his power!

This particular “King – like” figure is ultimately self-serving. But it goes beyond just jealousy and rage. The dynamics of the region was setting up for greater threat to his power. You see today we’re talking about the powerful. Those individuals that hold seemingly all the control and they treat others as subordinates and even serfdom (thus word was made popular by The Road to Serfdom by F. A. Heyek). He even has his family killed to protect his power!  It is a surprise that he has any children left to serve as protectors of his name.

We have to understand that there was tension within the region between that which was Rome imposing their way in the region, as well as those other factions from the east, who were also imposing their way. It’s at the turn of the Old Testament to the New Testament that we find these types of battles, throwing boundaries back-and-forth. We don’t have time to get into the details, but just so that we understand that Herod thrived on this type of conflict. He was trying to appeal to the powers of Rome so that he could make the most of his own powerful kingdom.

Let me be clear:

— he was no victim.
— he ruled with an iron fist.
— he took hold of power of the people, but most especially those of the religious elite. 

The enemy seeks to destroy.
   There is an enemy of your soul.  It is Satan. He wants to destroy you because in doing so it hurts God. His power is real but not in the same way that God’s might is stronger through Christ in your life. We can become the villain as well because of your rebellion and rejection of the Word of God. 
The powerful are everywhere!

   There are powerful people and influences everywhere. When I was a child, I was easily influenced. When I was a teenager, I didn’t want to miss out of being involved or accepted. When I was an adult, the powerful temptations impacted my choices and actions. As I grow in Christ, the influence of the Word of God, prayer, and spiritual habits form my worldview and help me to know how to become influential to those around me. We cannot run and hide - We have to recognize that this is a spiritual thing.
The mighty search for the vulnerable.

   The mighty look for victims. The mighty need to be bullies. What happens when you stand up to the bully?  You find out that they are not a much in control as you were made to feel. We should be strong enough to defend ourselves against those negative influences in our lives. 

The enemy wants to destroy your testimony.
   The enemy isn’t interested in taking your stuff. It is not that the enemy needs more stuff, except for the trophies that he can display! It is not interested in taking away your health. The enemy is not interested in taking your loved ones. Although he will do this to a degree, yet, the enemy does this so that you will give up your testimony. If he can defeat you it is by removing your good reputation, diminish your name, take away the trust that others have in you. It is your testimony in Christ that the enemy wants to damage. 

The Giants are meant to fall for God‘s glory.
   As you have giants in your life, God wants to help you defeat them. It is for His Glory that the giants are destroyed. They are those temptations you have yielded to and those negative things that happen to you that the enemy will use to destroy you. Giants were meant to fall. 

Mary and Joseph received a calling that required obedience. They set-out on a journey that was unknown to them with challenges that meant with their full dependence was on God.
Today, we are recognizing both rejection and rebellion and this journey of Herod the Great 

Rejection: 
Those who reject Christ are condemned to wander in bitterness, carelessness, hate, and hopelessness....

Rebellion:
Those in rebellion can always be saves. It starts with humility and mercy....

Although we are all subject to send, depravity is our greatest nemesis. Satan wants to destroy us, but we tend to even destroy ourselves. We do this because we reject God and we rebel against his plan. Though subtle, indifference and inactivity can produce the same results of a worldly perspective.

Let me caution you. Even though we’re talking about Herod, knowing that he cooked up a recipe for disaster, the enemy wants to do the same in us. How does he do it? I think there are several ways and here are the ingredients you might want to avoid:

Jealousy: Simple jealousy can be boiled down in self with a dash of anger and loss of control until fully mixed with…. 
Bitterness: A stewing over ingredients of self pity and control that is stirred until full mixed with…
Hate: Deeply baked until dark and fully cooked 365 days and eventually destroys friendship, family values, and love.

What do you see when the dish is cook and served?  

A recipe for DISASTER.

It is a dish best served COLD. 

It is a dish that can easily be DIVISIVE. 

It is a meal that leaves you wanting more - control and anger with cravings that never satisfy. 

Our sin will ultimately destroy ourselves. While damaging and injuring others, it is our own transgressions that lead to our own destruction. You need to be careful, if we don’t become the villains that we so often seek to destroy.

Unfortunately, our celebration of Christmas has been hijacked by commercialization. What was intended to be understanding of the gift exchange has turned into a huge commercialization for stuff; society is materialistic and it appeals to our most basic - a primitive want for more. 

So I show you this number. 45 billion. This is how much is lost because of shoplifting. Unfortunately, 29% of shoplifting is by employees. It is what goes out the back door.

I show you this number because it helps give recognition to the problem with sin. Unfortunately, many never get enough, and it becomes a craving for more. The result? A loss of freedom as we become bound by the chains that we have created for ourselves. Just Iike Ebenezer‘s partner, Jacob Marley who is represented by the chains of greed and selfishness that he made each link, by link, by link. We too can become bound and imprisoned by these chains.

We can break the cycle. We can be set free. We could find a means of grace through Jesus Christ. 45 billion gifts that have been stolen. But ,what is the good news?
The good news is that there is one single, solitary gift that has been given to us, which will set the captives free. It is a gift. It is free. It is free to every soul willing to receive it. It is not earned, deserved, owned by us, nor given because of power. It is a gift that we receive humbly because it is a unmerited grace given freely to all who receive it, and whose hearts are filled with gratitude because of the precious price that was paid for this gift!

Have you received this gift?
Let me pause for a few moments to ask you to consider letting everything else go for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let me ask you if you have not only received this gift but what if I told you you must let everything else go and fully embrace this gift with open arms and an open heart For the sake of the gospel.

Like Scrooge, we must fully embrace this new life that has been given to us. We can’t ride the fence or behalf hearted or hope that something better comes along. We must realize the price that was paid. When we look at the baby in the manger, we must see The Christ on the cross who died for our sin. What did Scrooge say, “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep in all they year.” 
Why suspicious? Why skeptics? Why doubt?

In a couple weeks, we will be looking at the kings/Wiseman from the east. You may not remember this but nowhere in the scripture. Does it tell us that they were three Wiseman. We only get that because of the three gifts that were given. But there’s a significance to those three gifts.

The realization that we must acknowledge. You cannot look at the baby in the manger without seeing the Cross that he was to bear. Consider this, Jesus was born and a borrowed cradle, a stall or a manger, a barn. We also recognize that when he died, he was buried in a borrowed tomb. The God of the universe came as a child, most vulnerable and owned nothing. As he gave of himself on the cross for us, he was put into a tool that was also borrowed.

 

In our agreed, we want to be owners. We want to take possession of things and call it our own, but, the savior of our soul did not take for himself, but gave of himself for you and me. 

For now, however, read with me the scripture and Matthew 2:10 which reads: “When they saw the star, they were filled with joy.”