At Christmas, we have an opportunity to consider these two kings and our own lives in the light of their contrasting reigns. Here’s your Christmas question: Which king are you following? No one deliberately follows Herod, of course. But we do follow Herod if we live for ourselves. Herod’s kingdom was build for his own glory and fame. Herod’s life was lived in selfish ambition. He did what it took to get what he wanted and to protect it from others. Is that your life, honestly?

Of all the characters in the story of the birth of Jesus, perhaps none is more sad and horrible than Herod the Great. Herod was, indeed, a great ruler by most human standards. He reigned over the whole land of Israel- Judea, Samaria, Galilee- and beyond, into parts of what is today Syria and Jordan. He was a magnificent builder, building the Temple in Jerusalem, which would be known as Herod’s Temple, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. He also built the port city of Caesarea Mariyima and the fortresses at Masada and Herodium. He was even a major financial supporter of the Olympic Games and may have saved them from shutting down.

Herod the Great was ambitious, ruthless and successful. ruling for over 30 years. He was also paranoid and calculating. He had three of his sons tried and executed for treason. He had his first wife tried and executed for adultery and his brother-in-law executed for conspiracy. Herod had reason to be paranoid, as several attempts were made to assassinate and replace him. In short, he was not a nice guy, but we all know that nice guys finish last in this world, right?

What a contrast to scheming, plotting, ambitious Herod is the other King of the Christmas story! When God decided to send His Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords, into the world, He selected a young virgin from Nazareth, an insignificant town in a despicable region, Galilee of the Gentiles. When it was time for Jesus to be born, God had them in an over-crowded house in tiny Bethlehem, where there was no room for them in the guest quarters, so they laid Jesus in the animals’ feeding trough.

But Jesus was a descendant of King David from the Tribe of Judah, in addition to being the Son of God. Herod the Great wasn’t even an Israelite, though he claimed the title “King of the Jews.” Herod knew his claim to the throne was illegitimate, of course, He was an Edomite and was propped up by the Romans, which is probably what made him so paranoid. It also explains why he was so eager to kill the newborn “King of the Jews” when the wise men came from the East looking for Him.

Jesus, knowing very well who He was, was humble and gentle, willingly submitting Himself to rejection, distrust, betrayal, injustice and death. He trusted God His Father and graciously submitted His human will to the will of His Father in heaven.

The religious rulers and political power-brokers in Jerusalem made it clear which side they chose. The High Priest in Jerusalem just before Jesus’ birth was Simon Son of Boethus. He arranged to have his daughter marry Herod the Great. Herod asked the Jerusalem scribes about the birthplace of the Messiah in response to the wise men’s inquiries. The scribes gave him the correct answer from Micah’s prophecy but made no attempt to go and find their long-awaited Messiah or to prevent his murder.

So instead of being welcomed by priests and scribes, experts in the Scriptures, King Jesus was welcomed by outcast shepherds and foreign star-gazers. This pattern would continue. While the motley mobs of unwashed multitudes crowded to hear Jesus and be touched by His hands, the power-people plotted to destroy this meddlesome Messiah.

Yet what has history shown about these two kings? King Herod’s reign ended suddenly with either suicide or a painful disease. His descendants would continue to reign in notorious infamy and suffer for opposing God. His son, Herod Antipas, had John the Baptist beheaded and allowed for the execution of Jesus- mocking Him, putting a royal robe on Him, and returning Him to Pilate to be executed. Herod the Great’s grandson, Herod Agrippa, had James put to death by the sword, the first Apostle to be martyred, He later died a gruesome death, being struck down by God and eaten by worms. (see Acts 12)

The great accomplishments of Herod the Great didn’t last either. His magnificent Temple was demolished less than 100 years after it was built, in 70 AD. His fortress as Masada became the site of a brutal massacre of Jews as they made their last stand in their rebellion against Rome in 74 AD. He is known to history as the man who slaughtered the babies in Bethlehem.

But King Jesus overcame death and hell and reigns forever. He triumphed over betrayal and injustice and became the King served by more people in more nations over more years than any other king in history. He split time in half by His birth and split Hades wide open by His death. He confounded Herod’s attempt to kill Him as an infant, confounded Satan’s attempts to deceive Him as an adult and confounded the religious rulers’ attempts to get rid of Him on the cross.

At Christmas, we have an opportunity to consider these two kings and our own lives in the light of their contrasting reigns. Here’s your Christmas question: Which king are you following?

No one deliberately follows Herod, of course. But we do follow Herod if we live for ourselves. Herod’s kingdom was build for his own glory and fame. Herod’s life was lived in selfish ambition. He did what it took to get what he wanted and to protect it from others. Is that your life, honestly?

Or will you follow King Jesus instead? Will you find your security in God, humble yourself and live to please your Heavenly Father? Will you join the shabby shepherds and the foreigners from afar and worship the Newborn King, bowing the knee to recognize His spectacular superiority? Are your eyes on your Christmas wish list or on the King whose birth brought light and whose death delivered life to all who worship Him?

O come let us adore Him. O come let us adore Him! O Come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord! 

Jason A. Van Bemmel is a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America. This article appeared on his blog Ponderings of a Pilgrim Pastor and is used with permission.