--HEROD'S FORMULA FOR SUCCESS~~

-"Then when Herod saw that
he had been tricked by the
magi, he became enraged."
--(Matthew 2:16)--

--Matthew's purpose in his Gospel is to show that Jesus is the Messiah. How do we know He is the Messiah? One evidence is all the fulfilled prophecies. Another evidence is the magi's response. A third evidence of the deity of Christ is Herod's response to the birth of Christ. Think about it: Why would a powerful king like Herod get so upset about the birth of a baby in Bethlehem? Herod's unusual response to the birth of Christ authenticates the Gospel.

Herod's response to the news of Jesus's birth also illustrates the world's philosophy of how to obtain success in life: "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." King Herod--called Herod the great--was the son of Antipater. Antipater had been appointed by Julius Caesar as the governor of Judea. When Antipater died, the Roman Senate voted his son Herod as king of the Jews, or the king of Judea. Herod was not a Jew; He was an Edomite. For that reason, he felt like an outsider. So he did things to try to curry favor with people.

For example, to gain Caesar's favor, Herod built a beautiful portside city called Caesarea by the Sea. He tried to gain favor with the citizens by building racetracks and theaters. He even tried to gain the favor of the Jews by rebuilding their temple. Yet his purpose in doing those things was his own glorification.~~

--PTV/RJ