COLUMN: Think Again – A tale of two kings

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/12/2022 (1235 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

“When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him” (Matthew 2:3 ESV).

King Herod was not pleased. That’s because when the Magi from the east came to Jerusalem, they wanted to know where the king of the Jews had been born.

This question displeased Herod because he considered himself to be the king of the Jews. Appointed by Rome as king more than 30 years earlier, Herod did not like it when anyone challenged his authority. Over the years, Herod had ruthlessly executed anyone he considered a threat, including his own wife, several sons, and other relatives.

Thus, when these Magi showed up looking for the king of the Jews, Herod conspired to wipe out his competition. Secretly pretending to be interested in worshipping the newborn baby, Herod asked the Magi to report back to him when they found out his location. His plan was to murder the baby and eliminate this threat to his kingdom.

However, after the Magi found Jesus, they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod. In a fit of rage, Herod then ordered his soldiers to murder every boy in Bethlehem under the age of two. Only by fleeing to Egypt were Mary and Joseph able to avoid Herod’s soldiers.

It’s safe to say that Herod was a king obsessed with power. Never satisfied or content, Herod did everything he could to hold on to power. Ironically, he wanted to be popular with his subjects, but steadily lost favour as he descended into madness.

According to the historian Josephus, when Herod neared his own death, he ordered his son Archelaus to execute a large number of distinguished Jewish nobles the moment he died. This was so that there would be at least some public displays of grief coinciding with Herod’s death. Fortunately, Archelaus never carried out his father’s command.

What a contrast to Herod we find in the king who was born that first Christmas day. Unlike Herod, Jesus did not hunger for power, nor did he put his own needs first. In fact, the Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 2:7 that Jesus “made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”

Jesus was a king who was not concerned about the trappings of power. As Jesus himself stated in Matthew 20:28, “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” At one point, Jesus even washed the feet of his disciples, something typically done only by lowly servants. Simply put, Jesus exemplified humility throughout his entire life.

In many ways, we can look at the Christmas story as a tale of two kings. On the one hand, we have Herod, the king who grasped at power and ruthlessly executed anyone who got in his way. In the end, Herod died a horribly painful death from chronic kidney disease that was made even worse by maggot-infested gangrene of his genitals. It was a truly awful way to die.

However, what makes Herod’s death even more pathetic was the fact that there was nothing redeeming about it. In many ways, one could say that Herod got exactly what he deserved.

As for Jesus, while he too suffered an excruciating death, his death on the cross made salvation possible. In fact, Jesus willingly laid down his life so that we could be reconciled to God (Romans 5:10).

King Herod and King Jesus were two very different kings. There should be no question which one of them is worthy of our worship today.

Michael Zwaagstra is a high school teacher and a Steinbach city councillor. He can be reached at mzwaagstra@shaw.ca.