By Tina Miranda
Deacon

…and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

Matthew 2:4

Herod needed to know. So he called together the people who were “in the know” to tell him what they knew. What’s interesting here is that Herod knew they would know. And because he knew they would know … he should’ve known better.  

Herod was up to no good. He was fishing for information about the Messiah in an effort to get ahead of any potential threat this one-who-has-been-born-king-of-the-Jews might pose to his power and position as King of Judea (as appointed by the Roman Senate). To obtain this information, he called together the “chief priests and teachers of the law” to ask where the Messiah was to be born because he knew that somewhere in the Jewish scriptures there were prophecies about the Christ. But Herod was so wrapped up in ascertaining what they knew that he didn’t stop to contemplate the implications of how they knew.  

The chief priests and teachers of the law knew what they knew because the word of the Lord came to the prophets of Israel and those prophecies were recorded. They knew what they knew because God spoke it. Herod knew enough to believe the scriptures would reveal the truth about where the Messiah was to be born but apparently not enough to understand the full significance of what it meant for God to speak. “For he spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” (Psalm 33:9). Perhaps if he knew that God’s word would always accomplish what He desired and achieve the purpose for which He sent it (Isaiah 55:11), Herod might have realized the futility of his plot to preserve his kingdom and that God’s promise “to set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 2:44) would not be thwarted.

Although perhaps we should cut Herod some slack. After all, how was he to know that to accomplish God’s purpose, the Word would become flesh—the Creator would humble Himself to dwell among His creation? That the King Herod feared would actually lay down His life to save the ones who sought to take it? That everlasting life would come out of His death? That power and authority would result from submission and apparent defeat? Who would contemplate such a kingdom? Herod didn’t know. 

But we do. And we get to celebrate this Advent season knowing that His word—the Word—is true … and unstoppable.  

Jesus, we thank you for the truth and power of your unstoppable Word. We pray for the peace that comes with knowing your Kingdom will reign forever and ever.
Amen.