Christmas | Herod - The Man Who Tried to Kill Christmas: Christmas in a Minor Key - Part 1

Send us Fan MailHEROD: THE MAN WHO TRIED TO KILL CHRISTMASChristmas in a Minor Key – Part 1Springcreek Church | Senior Pastor Keith StewartDecember 4, 2022Herod is the Scrooge of the original Christmas story but whose heart never grows. He’s the man who tried to kill Christmas. If you really want to understand what Christmas is all about, you need to understand why the story of Herod is included in the Christmas story. SERIES: Christmas in a Minor KeyChristmas is a time we associate with happiness, fond memories, enjoyable time with friends &families, & lots of presents around the tree. In many ways, how we do Christmas now is the complete opposite of everything that first Christmas was; it was shrouded in darkness, a time of hardship and plagued by scandal from the first mention of Mary’s pregnancy. In truth, Christmas is joyous because of what it represents and dark because of the reality of the world into which Jesus was born. In church, we often only tell the Christmas story in one way - the happy, festive, joyous way. But for people who are struggling, facing loss, or lacking in supportive families, Christmas becomes just another reminder of everything they lack. The original Christmas story is a message of hope for all people in all circumstances. Re-discover the real Christmas story in all its gritty, beautiful reality.DISCUSSION1.) We gravitate toward the main characters in a story while ignoring the role minor characters play. What other Bible stories can you think of where minor characters play an important function and help us see & understand things we might otherwise neglect? Who are some of the Bible villains and what do we learn from their inclusion in Scripture?2.) Herod had a Messiah complex. Being called the King of the Jews was a Messianic title but not conferred upon him by the Jewish people. It was Rome that dubbed him by that name. Couple his Messiah complex with his paranoia and it was a sure recipe for constant suspicion, brutality & murder. Though none of us will likely ever sink to Herod’s level, sometimes seeing sin expressed in its most egregious form can illuminate those same sins in their milder forms in us. Sometimes we can see something of ourselves in even the worst of people. How are you like Herod? How have his sins (even in less developed form) been issues you’ve struggled with as well?3.) The murder of the children of Bethlehem is both an egregious evil and a stark statement about the reality of the rejection of Christ from the moment He set foot on this planet. What other examples of Christ’s rejection do you see in Scripture? Why was this important to include in the gospel record? How is Christ still being rejected today?4.) All of Herod’s greatest accomplishments now lie in ruins. What can we learn from that?5.) All of Christ’s accomplishments continue to multiply and give birth to all sorts of amazing ministries & institutions dedicated to improving the lives of people all over the world. What can we learn from that?6.) How are the Herods of the world different from Jesus Christ? What are you personally doing to ensure that your own legacy is one that looks more like Christ than Herod?https://www.springcreekchurch.org/#realspringcreekchurch #christmasinaminorkey #christmas #herod