TV Program CURRENT EPISODE Ignoring the Star 2007-12-16 PRODUCTION #: 1118 SPEAKER: Shawn Boonstra If we are really honest, we have to admit it s pretty easy to hate someone like King Herod. I mean, after all, he did try to kill baby Jesus, and in the process he murdered every baby in the neighborhood of Bethlehem. Now, in some people s books that kind of puts him up there with the likes of Hitler or Stalin. But what would happen if you found a little bit of yourself in the story of Herod? Not possible? Well, hang in there, because I m going to come back and show you exactly what I mean. The name of Herod has become one of the most despised names in history and it is easy to see why. He does have the distinction, after all, of trying to kill the infant Jesus, and that one act, which was fairly typical for him, has made his name a household word for the last 20 centuries. But the interesting thing about Herod is that his existence is not just a historical fact some kind of horrible footnote to the Christmas story. Herod the Great, only one of the Herods mentioned in the Bible, is mentioned for a reason. Generally speaking, if God gives space to someone in the Bible, particularly someone wicked, there is a good reason for it. In the case of Herod, I can think of several. Let s take a look at the story as it s found in Matthew 2, beginning in verse 1. The Bible says (Matthew 2:1): Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him. Now, let s stop right there for a moment and ask a couple of questions. Why in the world, after centuries of desperate waiting, why would the whole city of Jerusalem now be troubled by the announcement that the Messiah might have come? Well, to understand that, you ve got to understand a little bit about Herod the Great. To put it mildly, he was not a very nice man and he was known for murdering those who posed a threat to his position in the Roman Empire. Even his own family members weren t immune to his murderous jealousy. And some of them had paid the ultimate price when he suspected them of plotting to seize his throne. Anything that might be considered a threat to Herod s power could become really bad news for the whole city. So when the wise men from the east suddenly showed up looking for the Messiah, the whole city held its breath, because a common misunderstanding of the role of the Messiah in those days said that Christ would overthrow the Roman Empire when he came. And of course, if the Roman Empire was gone, Herod s job would be gone too, and that meant the king wasn t going to be happy with the news. Now, I don t have biblical proof for this, but I strongly suspect that some of the priests and religious rulers in Herod s day were deliberately downplaying the prophecies of the Bible, because they were terrified of Herod and didn t want to look as if they were eager for a Messiah to come. Historically speaking, we know that a lot of people were aware-from the prophecies of the Bible-that the Messiah should be coming any minute. But if you were in their shoes, with a murderous, jealous king on the throne, how much would you be saying? I mean, at least publicly. All of a sudden, a mysterious group of strangers rides into town, announcing the birth of the King of the Jews. You just had to know that meant trouble. They were right. Now, before I go any further, I do have another question. Who exactly were these wise men from the east? A popular legend said there were three of them, and in some traditions, we ve even given them names: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. But the Bible doesn t say there were three men. It simply mentions three gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. And because of that, we just kind of assume there were three men. But, you know, the bigger question is this: How in the world did these foreigners know that the Messiah had finally come? Well, the best we can tell is that they were familiar with the famous messianic prophecy given by the prophet Balaam found in Numbers, chapter 24 (Numbers 24:17):
messianic prophecy given by the prophet Balaam found in Numbers, chapter 24 (Numbers 24:17): I see Him, but not now. I behold him, but not near. A star shall come out of Jacob, a scepter shall rise out of Israel. As far as we can tell, when the wise men saw a new star in the sky, they knew the time had come, and the King of the Jews had been born, but that still leaves another unanswered question. Where in the world did they get a copy of that prophecy? Well, the English Bible calls them wise men, but the original Greek language calls them magoi, a name reserved for the most educated classes of the ancient east. Today, we get the word magician from this ancient title, and some people still refer to the wise men as magi. They were the philosophers and scientists of the ancient world. They were the university professors. So it s entirely possible that in their quest for knowledge they had been studying copies of the Hebrew Scriptures along with the other world religions. But you know, we should also remember that the nation of Israel had spent 70 years in Babylonian captivity, and during that time Daniel the prophet had been counted among the magi or the wise men of the Babylonian empire. Is it possible that Daniel s example and his own startling prophecies of a coming Messiah would actually name dates that were about to happen? Were those things a catalyst that led to the wise men s visit hundreds of years later? No matter what it was that tipped them off, we can t deny the fact that foreigners seemed to have been the best informed and most excited about the Messiah s arrival. And that brings the story of Matthew 2 right into our lives today. I mean, because here we are, sitting in the most prosperous region on earth, with ready access to the Word of God. And it seems like the ones who get most excited about Jesus live somewhere else. A little while ago, I was visiting a country where the gospel is just starting to take root, and I couldn t help but notice that some 25,000 people turned out for a meeting to hear the good news about Christ. They were willing to travel for hours on the back of a truck, every single night, night after night, after night, just to hear a few words from the Bible. They couldn t get enough of the story of Jesus, in part because they had never had access to that story before. Now, in one place we dedicated a brand new church building, and at the end of the dedication service, the local pastor asked if anyone in the congregation was willing to help furnish that empty church. One by one, hands shot up all over the congregation as people pledged sums of money that I know for some of them represented a month s wages or more. And then all of a sudden, part of the congregation just got up and left. Now, being from the West, I was pretty sure the pastor had offended them by asking for an offering. But I couldn t have been more wrong. A few minutes later, a stream of people came back through the doors of the building carrying fixtures they had ripped out of their own houses to present as gifts to the church. Things like the only electric light they owned, the only clock they owned from right off their bedroom shelf. Or the only four chairs that their family had. To be honest, I was stunned by the willingness of those people who had nothing of their own, to express their desire to follow Jesus. But you know, here in the West where we have access to the Bible and we ve had it for generations, people treat the minister like they are doing him a favor just by showing up for church. And, you know, it makes me wonder if we are any better equipped to meet Jesus than Herod was 2,000 years ago. Take a close look at Matthew, chapter 2, and I think you are going to see it. Those who were most favored by God and were in possession of the prophecies were the ones who ignored them. Their favored status as the people of God had become nothing more than a source of pride. They wanted all the benefits of being called the people of God, but at the same time they didn t want God interfering in their lives. And just like them, you and I sit in a position of great favor. We have prestige, advantage, and power in the so-called Christian West. We have more than anybody else, and we have more ready access to the prophecies of the Bible. But here s the important question: What if the Jesus of the Bible the real Jesus not one that we ve recreated in our own image, what if the real Jesus suddenly stepped into our midst? Would we do any better than the ancient city of Jerusalem, or would we be put out by the simple demands Jesus makes in our lives? Let s stop to think about this. One of the reasons we had so much trouble the first time around when Jesus came is because we didn t expect Jesus to look like he did. By confusing prophecies of his first and
Jesus came is because we didn t expect Jesus to look like he did. By confusing prophecies of his first and his Second Coming, we got this idea that the Messiah would come to overthrow the Romans and build a worldly kingdom. And because of that confusion, sometimes even those who were closest to Jesus didn t always understand what he was doing. Now, here in North America, we ve recreated the Son of God in so many different molds that it s becoming hard to tell who the real Jesus is. Some people see Jesus as a devoted capitalist, whose primary objective is to preach the good news of personal success. Others see him as a social activist, whose primary objective is to overthrow establishments and free the oppressed classes of humanity from tyrannical oppression. The problem is that we all have a preset idea of what Jesus should look like, and that tends to blind us to who he really is. Now, I know I m going to step on a few toes when I say this, because one or two people have sent me letters in the past when I ve made this next observation. But there s something else we can learn from the story of Herod that s really important for 21st century North Americans to study. I want you to look at this. Let s ask a difficult question. Does the story of Herod have anything to teach us when it comes to figuring out where the lines between church and state should be drawn? In fact, let me ask a more pointed question. Is the responsibility and primary role of the church on earth to seize the reins of government and establish a Christian empire? Now, before you say yes, think about it very carefully. I think you ll notice in the pages of the Bible that a lot of the trouble started when people expected Jesus to build a worldly kingdom. Take a close look at John, chapter 6, and you ll find this heartbreaking story where Jesus lays out the purpose of His ministry, and when He finished speaking, a lot of His disciples just walked away. Why? It s because His mission didn t match their preconceived notions of what the Messianic kingdom should look like. If you study the Bible carefully, you ll notice that Jesus refused political government or power. His primary focus was on a kingdom in heaven, not a kingdom on earth. And, in fact, when he found himself in the worldly court of Pilate, the Roman governor, he spoke these words found in John 18. Listen to this (John 18:36): Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now my kingdom is not from here. So what am I saying? Are Christians supposed to sit on the sidelines, idly twiddling their thumbs, while the nations of the West plunge themselves deeper and deeper into godlessness? No, of course not. But let s think about this very carefully. There is a fine line we cross when we move from praying and preaching to actually legislating our beliefs and making them compulsory for other people. I ll be honest. I do think the moral condition of our western nation is getting worse than embarrassing. There is no question we ve lost our grip on the moral foundations that once made us strong. But as our frustration as Christians builds over moral decline in the West, it s easy to lose sight of the biblical role Jesus gave the church. Our job is to lead sinners to the foot of the cross, not to mobilize the vote. And when we slip across the line from preaching Christ to the lost, to promoting candidates at election time, well, maybe we need to look at Herod very closely. Herod ignored the prophecies of the Bible in favor of his own political agenda. He was so drunk with his own power that he couldn t see or think clearly anymore. When the wise men announced the arrival of Jesus, he actually consulted the scriptures in order to plan his next move. Here s what it says (Matthew 2:4-6): And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea. For thus it is written by the prophecy, but you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judea, are not the least among the rulers of Judea, for out of you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people, Israel. There s just no question. Herod knew what the Bible taught, but instead of being amazed at how faithfully prophecy had been fulfilled, he was more worried about his own grip on power. He believed
faithfully prophecy had been fulfilled, he was more worried about his own grip on power. He believed the Bible enough to know that the child from Bethlehem was the long-awaited Messiah. But still he thought he could change the course of prophetic history to preserve his own ambition. He was willing to rob the world, to plunder the holy cradle of God s Son, to preserve his hold on political power. So, let me ask you an important question. Is it possible that modern Christianity, particularly in the West, has been doing something almost exactly the same? Has the Christian pulpit become a cradle from Bethlehem? Have we replaced the simple preaching of Christ with our own political ambitions and with a Jesus who fits our own agenda? Has the clear sound of the gospel message been replaced with thinly veiled political campaigns? Now again, I want to be really clear. I m not saying Christians should stay out of office or refrain from voting. In fact, I wish more Christians would take their civic responsibility seriously and participate in the running of this country. Of course our voices should be heard, and of course we should be praying for our leadership. But at the same time, I would plead with Christians everywhere to keep the pulpit a sacred place, somewhere that wise men and wise women of the 21st century can still come and meet the real Son of God. Listen. Here is why we need to be careful. Let me get right down to brass tacks. In the Book of Revelation, there is a startling prophecy that describes what Herod tried to do to Christ. It says this in Revelation, chapter 12 (Revelation 12:1-2): Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with a moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. Now, this is a picture of God s people, described as a woman waiting for the Messiah to come. Let s continue in verse 3 (Revelation 12:3-4): And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. As you read this prophecy, you just can t miss what s going on. We are told in no uncertain terms in verse 9 that the dragon represents the devil, and he was waiting to destroy Jesus the very day He was born. In other words, Herod s attempt to kill the Son of God was utterly and completely motivated by the devil himself. So, we know who it is that actually pushed to have Jesus killed. We ve identified the source of jealous pride that made Herod willing to kill every child in the city. And up to this point, nobody is surprised that the devil had control of Herod s life. What is surprising is the next prophecy, found in Revelation, chapter 13, where it says this (Revelation 13:1-2): Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns and ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast, which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. This is a prophecy of a global political and religious power that seizes control of the civilized world. In the rest of the chapter we are told that the whole world wonders after this beast and worships him. This is the only reference you ll find in the Bible to a world wide religious kingdom that exists before the Second Coming of Christ, and this world wide kingdom is built by the same dragon that used the Roman empire and king Herod to try and kill the Son of God. Now, that s kind of a sobering thought. Before we jump on a bandwagon to build the kingdom of heaven on earth, we really need to examine our motives. As a Christian church, we ve got to admit that we ve made some pretty serious mistakes in the past. During the Dark Ages, so-called Christians put as many as 50 million people to death for matters of conscience. If you look at history, you ll discover that we made a lot of great arguments for doing that, too. We told ourselves that we were saving their souls, even if it cost their lives.
Before you and I try to grab the reins of power, we need to ask some questions. Who had the reins of Herod s heart, and who had the reins of the church s heart when we murdered so many innocent people? I submit to you that the preaching of Christ would have done more for the world than burning people at the stake. The demonstration of Christ s love among his people would have done more than all the dungeons and stretching racks. The preaching of the Bible, which for so many years was unavailable to people, would have been more effective than seizing people s assets or burning down their houses. There s a remarkable prophecy in Daniel, chapter 2 that predicts the coming of Christ s kingdom. And if I can leave you with just one thought today, it would be this: Daniel 2:34 says that the kingdom of Christ is a rock cut out without human hands. That means you and I won t build it God does. Our job as Christians is the same as it was 2,000 years ago. We ve been asked to preach Christ and preach that Christ was crucified. Our job is to populate the kingdom of heaven, not to build it. And I don t know about you, but I can t think of a better way to save our nation for God than to use our pulpits to bring this nation to the foot of the cross, because after all, that s where hearts are really changed. John Huss was burned at the stake because of his religious convictions. Which, in light of what the scriptures say, turned out to have been right. Those who burned him at the stake, however, were convinced they were doing God a favor when they killed him. In their opinion, they were rooting out heresy and preserving the nation. A public execution, they thought, would stop other people from following Huss s example. He never complained. He accepted his fate and he put his life in God s hands. Let me ask you, which person does history remember best? Do they remember the executioner, or is it the man whose personal life was transformed by God? Who sparked revival and reformation among God s people? The ones who pushed their point with law, or the one who gave his life for Jesus? That s something to think about, isn t it? Are you worried about the moral condition of the western world? I am too. So right now, why don t we pray together about it and look for solutions in the places God has already given them. Let s bow our heads. PRAYER: Heavenly Father, as we look at our nation, our heart is breaking. This isn t the same place it was just a generation ago. And our country has become, it seems, desperately wicked. We long to see your revival. We long to have people come to Christ. So, we ask that you would fill our lives with the fire of the Holy Spirit, and fill our pulpits with the preaching of Jesus so that many will be ready for the kingdom when Jesus comes. We ask it in His name, Amen. The words of this book really do change lives. They touch hearts. They show us Jesus, and this week I d encourage you to spend a little more time studying the Bible. I ve got a lot of tools that you can use to help you with that at www.itiswritten.com. You might want to check that out this week. And remember, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Scriptures Used in Ignoring the Star Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him. Matthew 2:1 I see Him, but not now. I behold him, but not near. A star shall come out of Jacob, a scepter shall rise out of Israel. Numbers 24:17 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now my kingdom is not from here. John 18:36 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.
out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel. Matthew 2:4-6 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with a moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. Revelation 12:1-2 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. Revelation 12:3-4 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns and ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast, which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. Revelation 13:1-2 Keywords: Shawn Boonstra It Is Written Box O Thousand Oaks, CA 91359 USA Tel: (805) 433-0210 Fax: (805) 433-0218 Copyright 2010, It Is Written International Television. All rights reserved. Webmaster