A Christmas Story

This message takes us on a fascinating journey through the Christmas story from an unexpected vantage point: the eyes of King Herod the Great. By examining Matthew chapter 2 through this lens, we discover something profound about legacy and what truly matters in life. Herod was a man of tremendous achievements—he transformed Jerusalem with magnificent buildings, brought economic prosperity, established peace, and even rebuilt the Temple on a grander scale than Solomon's. He wanted desperately to be loved and remembered as the greatest king in Jewish history. Yet despite all his accomplishments, Herod is remembered for only one thing: his violent response to the birth of Jesus, the true King of the Jews. This sobering reality challenges us to examine our own lives. We can accumulate achievements, build impressive careers, and gain recognition, but ultimately we will be remembered by one response alone—our eternal response to Jesus Christ. The Christmas story, when stripped of its sanitized presentation, reveals that God's redemptive plan unfolds amid the messiness of human politics, corruption, and emotion. Even in a fallen world filled with imperfect leaders and systems, God's purposes prevail. As we celebrate this season, the question confronts each of us personally: What is our response to Jesus? Will we accept the greatest love ever offered, or will we, like Herod, allow pride and self-interest to blind us to the Savior standing before us?