The Life of Christ

Satan masterminded this plot to kill Jesus, even as he tried to kill Moses as a young defenseless infant.

• This same strategy will later occur with the birth of the “male child” in Rev. 12:4.

Sadly, Josephus, the famous Jewish historian didn't even record this notorious act.

• It seems that it wasn't uncommon for Herod to do things like this.

• Herod was so ruthless that several of his own sons tried to kill him; instead, he had them executed.

• Upon Herod becoming king he also ordered the deaths of hundreds of the ruling class, including most of the Sanhedrin. He went on to confiscate their vast estates and whatever other wealth he could seize.

Regarding this massacre in Bethlehem, other writings record, that without even been aware of it, one of Herod’s own children was murdered in this fiasco.

• A saying arose in Israel: "It is better to be Herod's hog than his son," since Herod refused to eat pork.

• It is estimated that about 25 children were slain in Bethlehem.

• When Mary eventually returns back to Israel and learns of this, she will have to emotionally deal with this great loss. Jesus used to play with most of those kids. Mary knew all the mothers!

Mt. 2:17-18 Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying, “ A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH, WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING, RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN; AND SHE REFUSED TO BE COMFORTED, BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE. ”

Rachel, Israel's wife, was considered the mother of the nation of Israel.

• It was in Bethlehem (Ephrathah) that she died giving birth to Benjamin, where she was buried (Gen. 35:19).

• It’s as if the trauma of this event nearly two thousand years later is so severe that it figuratively wakes her from the sleep of death.

All efforts to comfort her are refused!

•

SECTION 19

Mt. 2:19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying,

Josephus has this to say about Herod's death, which happened in 4 B.C.

• Upon feeling his death approaching, the king arrested many of the beloved men of Israel.

• He then gave orders to his sister to have them all slain the moment he died, with the grim hope that the grief of their death would counteract the joy for his death.

• Fortunately, she never did carry out his sordid request.

33