Herod Missed Christmas; Will You? (Matthew 2:1-8)
Gary McManus, 12/10/2017Part of the Christmas series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
December 10, 2017 Matthew 2:1-8 (p. 956 / p.966)
Don't Miss Christmas AGAIN THIS YEAR!
Operation Christmas child seeks to insure that
Children will not miss Christmas.
What about adults?
Many in this country do not know Jesus.
Pastor doesn’t want ANYONE to miss Christmas.
This season at DCC. . .those who missed Christmas
In the Bible: some of the Jewish priests, some of the
Pharisees, and King Herod.
Also, folks who ALMOST missed Christmas.
Finally, they celebrated Christmas:
Zechariah, John the Baptizer’s father and Joseph,
husband of Mary.
Herod the Great. . .all evil? Pure evil?
No. Human.
There was another side of Herod the Great.
Does anyone care?
Jesus did. The Apostle Paul cared.
See Romans 9:3-4, Romans 10:1,
Romans 10:17-18
The news of Jesus’ birth was the moment
Of crisis for Herod the Great.
Herod even betrays that he knows
the correct and true response. . .
Matthew 2:8:
But Herod wanted Jesus. . .dead.
Herod does not seek God for a relationship.
Herod’s OTHER relationships are MORE
important to him; more vital and more worldly.
And so Herod will, as Jesus said, gain his whole
world. . .but Herod will lose his own soul.
(Matthew 10:39, Matthew 16:25-26)
There would be no “profit” for Herod much
longer after Jesus.
Within 70 years after Jesus’ birth, Herod’s
wonderful Temple would be torn down by
the Romans. (Matthew 24:2, Mark 13:2)
Herod MISSED Christmas.
Herod missed Christmas when God had
planned for Herod to RECEIVE Christmas.
Herod would never call upon the name
of his Lord. Herod would never enter the
Kingdom of God.
Before Jesus was a young man, Herod would
be dead. Herod would be dead—forever.
What were the angels’ words to the shepherds. . .
Luke 2:10-11.
No angels were sent to Herod’s palace.
Herod received Magi with the news.
Herod would lose his soul. . .
and everything else that went with it.
Won’t you receive YOUR Savior?
Won’t you receive and rejoice?
Amen.
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