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Now, here's today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory. Hi, this is Robert Jeffers, and I'm glad to study God's Word with you every day on this Bible teaching program on today's edition of Pathway to Victory. Herod was always looking to stamp out his opposition, but perhaps his most monstrous act is the one that Matthew records, when, as an act of paranoia, he had all of the Hebrew children two years of age and under slaughtered in order to exterminate this Messiah that the Magi had informed him about. Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor Dr. Robert Jeffers.
You're likely very familiar with the story of the baby Jesus born in a manger. But how about the story of two kings? Today on Pathway to Victory. Dr. Robert Jeffress takes an unconventional approach to the traditional Christmas story by contrasting two very different rulers.
But first, let's take a minute to hear some important ministry updates. Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. As your radio pastor, I commend you for demonstrating a curiosity about the Bible. The fact that you're listening to Pathway to Victory provides good evidence that you're longing to learn more about God's Word. But listening to a radio program should complement your time with God.
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But right now, it's time to turn in our Bibles to Matthew chapter 2. I titled my message, A Portrait of Two Kings. I probably shouldn't admit this, but I'm going to. One of my favorite television programs is the classic. Sitcom Seinfeld.
Now, for those of you who are not familiar with Seinfeld, one of the key characters in Seinfeld is a middle-aged guy named George. And George is a loser in every sense of the word. He can't hold a job. He lives with his parents. He's always striking out with women.
And in one episode, George is tired of his mediocre existence, so he decides that he's going to start doing exactly the opposite of everything he's done up to that point. After all, his life hasn't been going so well. Why not start doing the opposite? And that's what he does. When he goes to the delicatessen, instead of ordering tuna on wheat, he orders chicken salad on white.
When a girl flirts with him, instead of being timid and embarrassed, he flirts back in response. When he's in a meeting, instead of being quiet like he usually does, he speaks out. And amazingly, by doing what is opposite, George starts experiencing all kinds of success in his work and with women and other parts of his life.
Now there's no evidence in the show that George is a Christian. But George certainly exhibits a Christian principle in his actions. And that is the key to success and significance in life. is doing opposite of what comes naturally. I mean, isn't that what Jesus said?
Jesus said: he who wishes to save his life shall what? lose it. And he who loses his life shall save it. Or when it comes to your enemies, Jesus said, the world says... Hate your enemies, but I say, Love your enemies.
Perhaps the greatest example of doing what is opposite our natural inclination is found in Matthew 20, verses 26 and 27, in which Jesus said, Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant. And whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Isn't it interesting that Jesus doesn't condemn those who want success and significance in life? Jesus says there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, God is the one who placed that desire in our hearts to be successful and significant.
Jesus said, There's nothing wrong with that, but if you really want that, you need to go against the grain of your natural inclination. For example, do you want material success in life? The world says, hold on to what you have. God says, let go of what you have. Do you fear what your opposition might do to you?
The world says, crush your opposition. Jesus says, love your opposition. Do you want to climb to the top of your organization where you work? The world says, rule over other people. Jesus says, serve other people.
Do you desire to have eternal life? The world says you better work for it. You have to work for your salvation. God says, no, you receive salvation as a gift. The surest way to fail in life is to follow your natural inclination.
The way to succeed in your life is to do what is opposite of what comes naturally. Today we're going to see an illustration of that truth. As we look at a portrait of two very different kings. One king embraced the world's philosophy for success. And he experienced humiliation.
The other king embraced God's formula for success, and he experienced exaltation. If you have your Bibles today, turn to Matthew chapter 2. Verse 1.
Now, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king. This is the first king mentioned in the passage. Behold, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem.
Now who were these magi? They were scholars from the East. They were prevalent in the Medo-Persian Empire. They were well learned in science as well as in religion. In fact, you could not become a king in Persia or Babylon without having gone through the school of the Magis.
The Bible says they came from the east, they came from Persia. That's modern-day Iran, is where they came from. And they came to seek out the Christ child. By the way, do you remember the first time we talk about the Magi? One of the first times is in the Old Testament.
in the book of Daniel. Remember how Nebuchadnezzar had the troubling dreams that he could not interpret?
So he called for the wise men, the learned men in his court, to interpret the dreams. Those men were the Magi. They were well versed in science and in religion. And when these magi could not interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dream, that's when he sent for Daniel. And he had Daniel to interpret the dream.
And when Daniel successfully interpreted the dream, the book of Daniel says Nebuchadnezzar. put him in charge of the Magi.
So, for hundreds of years, the Magi who followed. Repeated what Daniel had taught those Magi. It was Daniel who taught the Magi in Nebuchadnezzar's court about the scriptures that foretold of a coming Messiah. And that's why the Magi passed it down from generation to generation. For 500 years, they passed down what Daniel had said about the coming of the Magi.
That explains why the Magi were interested in knowing about this Christ. Look at verse 2. They came to Jerusalem saying, Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? Wait a minute, that was the title of Herod. He was the king of the Jews.
But they said, Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and we have come to worship him. We don't know a lot about this star. It may have been a comet. It may have been a planet.
It may have been the Shekinah glory of God that led them there. The same Shekinah glory that appeared to the shepherds on the hill.
Now, notice Herod's response when he got words of the inquiry by the Magi. Verse 3: And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all of Jerusalem with him. That word trouble literally means stirred up. It means agitated. We'll see in a moment why Herod was so agitated.
He was on shaky political ground. He was agitated about a rival king being born. He was agitated. But it also says all Jerusalem with him. Why were they agitated?
It wasn't that they were agitated about the news of Christ. They were agitated... Because Herod was agitated. You see, there was a maxim of the day that said: if the king ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. They knew they were going to feel the wrath of Herod for his agitation.
And so Herod was very disturbed about this. And so he asked his scribes, the religious leaders of the day, the Jews, the Sadducees, probably. They said, he says, what is this about some king being born? And they said, well, Herod that has prophesied in Micah 5, 2. Written hundreds of years before the fact that Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
Some of us got to go to Bethlehem. And it's not much of a city today, and it was certainly nothing in Herod's day. In fact, there were less than a thousand who lived in Bethlehem. But of all the places in the earth where Messiah could be born, Micah pinpointed it hundreds of years before the fact to Bethlehem.
So they tell Herod, the scriptures say he's gonna be born in Bethlehem.
Now, can I stop here and point out something that to me is so amazing? These religious leaders, they knew what the scripture says. They knew that the Messiah had been born in Bethlehem, and yet they were so indifferent about it. that they wouldn't walk a couple of miles to see the Son of God. It's not that they were ignorant about Christ.
They knew what the scriptures said. They were just indifferent to the message of Christ. You see to them The news that the angel proclaimed. Behold, born to you this day in the city of David a Savior. To them that was a yawner.
A Savior. You see, the news of a Savior is really no news at all if you don't feel like you need a Savior. Their attitude It's like many people today, even religious people, who say, well, a Savior. I don't need a Savior. Saved from what?
I think of the word of Ted Turner, a few years ago, the cable mogul, who said, Christianity. is a religion for losers. If having a couple of drinks and a couple of girlfriends will send you to hell, so be it. That's the attitude of most people. I'm not that bad.
I don't need a Savior. And that's why the religious leaders weren't willing to walk two miles to see the Savior. And that's why he said in verse 8 to the wise men, oh, go find him and come back and tell me where he is, so that I may too come and worship him. Right. Look at verse 9.
And having heard the king, they went their way, and lo, the star which they had seen in the east went on before them until it came and stood over where the child was. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And they came into the house, and they saw the child with Mary his mother. Will you underline that word? They came into the house.
I don't want to burst your Christmas bubble, but. The Magi did not come to the manger. They weren't there. This is several months later. Mary and Joseph were in a house.
So the Magi weren't there, Santa Claus wasn't there. There were some people at the manger, but it wasn't that group, okay? They came into the house. And they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and they worshiped them. Is that what the text says?
No, they didn't fall down and worship them, Mary and Jesus. They fell down and they worshiped him. Yeah. They worship Jesus.
Now, Mary was an extraordinary girl, a teenager. Who allowed herself to be used by God, who believed the promises of God. We ought to admire Mary. We ought to revere her, but we are never to worship her. They came and they worshiped him.
And opening their treasures, they presented to him gifts of gold to celebrate his deity. and frankincense celebrating his purity. And Merr. What was Murray was an oil that was used. to prepare a body for burial after it had died.
What a strange gift to bring a baby. That would be like. Going to a baby shower today and bringing a little casket as a gift for the baby. I mean, talk about bad taste. Why would you do that?
Why did they do this? Because they recognized who this baby was. He was a baby born to die. Look at verse 12. They worshiped Christ.
Verse 12 says, And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their own country by another way. Matthew's purpose in this chapter is to show that Jesus is the Messiah. How do we know he's the Messiah? Three ways, Matthew says. First of all, by all of the fulfilled prophecies, four of which Matthew says I just mentioned.
Secondly, by the Magi's response. Here you've got these Gentiles, heathen from another country, who recognize who Jesus really is. But a third evidence of the deity of Christ, oddly enough, is Herod's response to the birth of Christ. I mean, think about it. Why should a powerful monarch like Herod get all riled up?
about the birth of a baby in Bethlehem. I mean, it makes no sense when you think about it. By the way, it really doesn't make any sense today when you think about it that people get so angry about the Christmas message. They try to stamp out the singing of carols, the display of the Nativity scene, saying Merry Christmas. I mean, how do you explain such a response?
If all of this were simply a fable, why would people even care? The fact that there's such anger toward the message of Christ, and people try to do to try to stamp out the Christian message today, to me, that's one of the greatest proofs of the credibility, the authenticity of the Christmas message. The war on Christmas, you've heard me say on television, it's very real, but it's nothing new. It began 2,000 years ago with Herod. Herod's unusual response to the coming of Christ.
certainly authenticates the gospel. But I want to go a little bit different direction for the final minutes that we have. Herod's response also illustrates The world's philosophy of how you obtain success in life. I want you to think about Herod for a moment and how he responded. Through his life, and especially at the birth of Christ.
And I want you to think about three phrases that I think sum up. Herod's philosophy of success in life, the world's philosophy of success in life. I just jotted these down this week, jot them down with you. Philosophy number one, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. That was King Herod.
Who was this King Herod? To me, this is fascinating in history. King Herod, Herod, we call him Herod the Great, was the son of a man named Antipater. Antipater had been appointed by Julius Caesar to be the governor of all of Judea. And because of the special things Antipater had done for the Roman Empire, when he died, the Roman Senate voted to confirm his son Herod as the king of the Jews, the king of Judea.
Now, Herod was not a Jew himself, he was an Edomite. And for that reason, he always felt like he was an outsider. He always felt like his. Reign was tenuous. And so he was always trying to do things to curry favor with people in order to gain their respect and their followership.
For example, by the time he came to the throne as the king of the Jews, there was another emperor named Caesar Augustus. And in order to gain Caesar's favor, Herod built a beautiful portside city called Caesarea by the sea. He tried to gain favor with the citizens by building racetracks and theaters. He even tried to gain the favor of the Jewish people himself by launching a great rebuilding project of their temple. And that began in 19 BC, and it was the temple that Jesus would worship in.
His whole purpose in doing that is not because he really cared about these people, it was for his own glorification. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. But sometimes the Mr. Nice Guy routine didn't work. And so Herod had another philosophy that guided his life.
The phrase, don't get mad. What is it? get even. And that was Herod. You see, Herod's father, Antipater, had been killed by his political enemies.
So Herod knew you had to stamp out any kind of rebellion quickly. Historians tell us that one evening, Herod had invited all of his political enemies to dinner. And so all of his enemies arrived for dinner, and they were greeted by Herod's hitmen, who killed them immediately. The historians tell us that night the king slept well. And yet, Herod also realized that revenge alone wouldn't do it.
Sometimes you had to be on the offense. And that led to his third philosophy: do unto others before they do unto you. Herod was always looking to stamp out his opposition. For example, he was fearful that his. Brother-in-law Aristobulius, who was the high priest, was plotting an attack against him, so he had him killed.
And then, for good measure, he had his sister killed. And then he had one of his wives killed. And then he had his mother-in-law killed. We understand the last one. But the others, I mean, they were horrendous acts.
When Herod felt like his two elder sons were plotting against them, he had them executed as well. Realizing how hated he was among the Jewish people. Herod realized that when he died, the people would be rejoicing. He couldn't stand that idea. And so he ordered his officials to round up all of the leading citizens of Jerusalem and have them imprisoned.
And then he gave the instruction, when I die, I want you to kill them immediately as well. Why? He said, when I die, I want the residents of Jerusalem weeping, even if they're not weeping for me. That was Herod the Great. But perhaps his most monstrous act is the one that Matthew records, when, as an act of paranoia, he had all of the Hebrew children two years of age and under slaughtered in order to exterminate this Messiah that the Magi had informed him about.
Look at verse 16. Then, when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the Magi. He became very enraged, and he sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its environs, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the Magi. We read this without realizing the horror of this. Can you imagine being a parent with an infant?
In the middle of the night, having your door kicked down, Roman soldiers entering, taking a spear and thrusting it through the heart of your newborn child. That was King Herod. You know, as evil as Herod is. If we're honest. We have to admit, there's something of the spirit of King Herod.
in all of us. I mean, we all have dreams and goals in life. What's our natural inclination? It's to mow down anyone who stands in the way of our dreams. We all want to get to the top, and we think the way you claw your way to the top is over the bodies of other people.
We think the way to be successful is to rule over other people, to put our desires before other people. That was the spirit of Herod. Uh But contrast Herod's formula for success. with that of another king who is found in this passage. The real king of the Jews.
King Jesus. The Christmas season begins in earnest this weekend, and nothing is more important than celebrating the life and ministry of Jesus. I'm especially compelled to deliver this special holiday series because I know God will use these messages to draw men and women all across our country to His Son. Not a day passes that we don't hear from someone who has an encounter with the Savior because of something they've heard on Pathway to Victory. And these sacred moments are the direct result of listeners just like you who invest in this ministry.
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and it's printed in a larger font so that it's easy to read. Paul said to the Romans, The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
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Call 866-999-2965 or visit ptv.org. And when your gift is $100 or more, we'll also send you Celebrate the Savior. That's a DVD video and MP3 format audio disc set featuring the best Christmas teaching messages by Dr. Robert Jeffers. Don't forget now your donation to Pathway to Victory today will have twice the impact That's because of our now is the time matching challenge.
so contact us right away with your special year-end gift. You can give by calling 866-999-2965 or go online to ptv.org. If you'd like to send your donation by mail, write to P.O. Box 223-609-Dallas, Texas 75222. That's P.O.
Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. I'm David J. Mullins. Join us again Wednesday to hear the conclusion of the message called A Portrait of Two Kings, right here on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr.
Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. You made it to the end of today's podcast from Pathway to Victory, and we're so glad you're here. Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible. And right now, your special year-end gift will be matched and therefore doubled in impact thanks to the Now-Is-The Time matching challenge. Take advantage of this opportunity to double your impact before the deadline on December 31st.
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