Two Kings

If you read through the first two chapters of the Gospel of Matthew you come to see that the nativity story is a story of comparisons between two kings. This isn't a post about the Wise Men immortalized as the "Three Kings" of Christmas carol fame. This post is about two other guys--King Herod and King Jesus.

To better understand the story you really have to examine the surrounding historical background. The Maccabean revolt in the mid-second century BCE thrust the Jewish Hasmonean dynasty into political power after centuries of foreign oppression. To read up on the history of the revolt and the roots of Hanukkah read 1 & 2 Maccabees. Both books are available on the internet. The story they tell is truly epic--imagine Braveheart but with much more violence and heroism. Last night at sundown began the eight day Jewish celebration of Hanukkah. Hanukkah is a time that focuses on the amazing provision of God. After the Maccabeans reasserted control over Jerusalem and reinstituted temple worship they had to keep the menorah in the temple burning continuously. The problem is they only had oil enough to keep it burning for one day and new supplies would not be available for another eight days. Miraculously God kept the oil burning for eight days until a fresh supply arrived. The story of Hanukkah is the story of a God who is able to provide even in the face of limited resources. In our current economic times Hanukkah is a very relevant and hopeful story to ruminate upon.

Anyway, let me get back to my original story... the Hasmoneans weren't fully legitimate in the eyes of the Jews, not being from the royal line of David. They nonetheless did bring a certain degree of autonomy to Israel, at least for a while. After about one hundred years of rule an internal power struggle took place within the dynasty between two royal brothers. Both sides sought out the support of a Roman named Pompey. Pompey eventually chose sides and used the occasion to assert Roman control over Palestine. Rome was content with leaving local indigenous political leaders in figure-head positions over its various regions, so long as Rome was the ultimate authority. The Hasmonean line of "kings" continued with the approval of Caesar and the Roman Senate.

Herod the Great is a fascinating historical figure. He was an effective ruler, excellent politician, intelligent, powerful, cruel, and incredibly insecure. If the legitimacy of the Hasmoneans was in question, Herod's authority was even further disputed. Herod wasn't even of the Hasmonean line, let alone the line of David. What Herod lacked in pedigree he made up for by cunning and opportunism. He took as one of his ten wives a Hasmonean princess, to increase his royal claims. Educated in Rome, Herod was able to cozy up to Octavius, attaining the approval of the Senate for his title. He was extremely efficient in maintaining regional control, working well with Rome, bringing safety to trade routes, and engaging in ambitious building projects. A wise politician, he built the city of Caesarea to curry favor with Rome, simultaneously expanding the Jerusalem temple to curry favor with the Jews. Throughout his life he feared a loss of power, killing one of his wives as well as three of his sons in order to secure his hold on power.

Herod's feelings of insecurity make sense in light of the expectations of Israel regarding her Messianic hopes. The Messiah was to come out of the line of David to reestablish the authority of the kingdom of Israel. In the years leading up to the birth of Jesus, under the oppression of Rome, Israel eagerly hoped for an imminent arrival of the Messiah. Herod, being a Jew, was very aware of the hopes of Israel. He was also quite aware of the fact that he was not the Messiah. So when rumors of the birth of the Messiah reached Herod he felt compelled to take drastic measures to secure his throne.

What Herod did next represented a new level of evil. Hearing that the child Messiah had been born in Bethlehem he ordered that all babies under the age of two living in the region be killed. This is what is known as the Massacre of the Innocents. Jesus only survived by escaping to Egypt after Joseph was warned of the danger by an angel.

Herod, the illegitimate king, is starkly contrasted by Jesus. Herod never felt secure in his identity. Jesus was so secure that He never felt a need to prove Himself. Herod constantly tried to bring glory to himself and his rule. Jesus constantly pointed away from Himself to His Father as the one worthy of worship. Herod would victimize anyone to serve his selfish needs. Jesus allowed Himself to be the ultimate victim to serve the needs of others. Herod sought out the support of the powerful. Jesus was a man of the common people. Herod was the quintessential earthly king. Jesus was an earthly failure, and the ideal heavenly king.

The powerful king of Israel feared the poor, baby Jesus. Due to the intense contrast Jesus represented perhaps Herod had good reason to fear. In Jesus we see that earthly authority had been confronted. This Christmas season let us pray that God would show us how relevant the nativity story still is to our world today.