Herod’s Fearful Heart
When he sees Jesus coming onto the scene, Herod the Christmas villain begins to get very paranoid. We read this in Matthew 2:1-3: "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.' When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed and all Jerusalem with him."
He was disturbed! Or as the King James Version says, he was troubled.
Of course he was! Because he was the ruler, he was the king, and here were rumours of a new King of the Jews being born. Herod was threatened immediately! Fear took over him, as he considered a greater King than him.
The Villain's Need for Control
Every villain wants to be at the top don't they? They want to have all the power, all the authority, all the say. And it's a fearful thing, for a villain, to allow somebody else to take the throne.
But it's not just villains who feel this way! I think this is true for most people. Jesus actually presents a kind of threat in their lives, not a physical threat, but He comes to take over. He comes to be King of your heart.
For many people, that's very scary.
Maybe that's you today. Maybe you know that Jesus is God, and yet the thought of actually surrendering to Him, the thought of giving up your power and control, the thought of giving Him your life and your desires is quite frightening! Because you know what it's going to cost. You know that He's going to want your all. You know that He's going to send you into the world with a new purpose and that's going to take you out of your comfort zone.
Don't Fear Surrendering to the King
Are you, just like Herod, disturbed at the thought of a new King in your life? Fearful of the claims He will have when He takes the throne?
We all sit as "Herods" on the throne of our own lives, and when we hear that another King wants to take over our hearts and our lives, we resist.
I want to say to you today, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid to give Jesus your all. Don't be afraid to surrender your life to this King. Don't be afraid to hop off the throne and put Jesus there in His rightful place!
You see, this King can do something that no Herod can do. He brings peace. He brings joy. He brings hope. He brings love. He brings mercy. He brings a sense of purpose in this life that nobody else can bring.
Oh, don't make the mistake Herod did! Don't be afraid to surrender your life to Him. Don't become hostile to this God who cares for you so much. Don't cling to your own control...
Give yourself to Him. Bow down to Him, worship Him, surrender to Him.
Because it's only through Jesus that your joy will be complete, and you'll find life in all its fullness.
Herod was threatened by Jesus, thinking he was going to lose this throne. We all need to step off of the throne of our hearts to make room for Jesus – but it’s not easy!