Amelia Church of Christ - Christian Church in Amelia, OH near Cincinnati in Clermont County

Welcome to the last week of our Christmas series called Ghosts. Ebenezer Scrooge was visited on Christmas Eve by three ghosts: the Ghost of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come (or Christmas Future).

But Scrooge isn’t the only one that has been haunted by these ghosts. Those very same ghosts haunt many of us in our lives.

In the first week of this series, we talked about the ghost of our past. For many of us, we have allowed the guilt of our past to completely negate our future. We forget that God called a group of Magi, whose past was littered with sin, to be among the first people to worship Jesus. God doesn’t care about your past. Your past doesn’t make a dime’s worth of difference to Him. The blood of Jesus can cover your past completely. Jesus can forgive your past totally.

Then last week, we talked about the ghost of our present. Many of us look at the state of our lives in the present and become convinced that there is no way we can do anything significant for God. Remember that God used a little, hick town called Bethlehem to give people Jesus. He didn’t choose the huge cities with economic and military might. He chose little, insignificant Bethlehem to forever change the course of history. And He can use you, too. No matter how small and insignificant you think you are, God can use you. He doesn’t look at who you are. He looks at who you will become.

Which brings us to today. We’re going to wrap up the series by talking about the ghost of our future.

In the story by Charles Dickens, the Ghost of Christmas Future was the most ominous of the three. Jacob Marley told Scrooge that this ghost was more mercurial than the others. The Ghost of Christmas Future was more erratic and unpredictable than the others.

And when this last ghost finally showed up, Scrooge told him, “I fear you more than any specter I have seen.”

For a whole lot of us, the future is a frightening thought. It is a ghost that haunts us. Uncertainty and fear hang like a cloud over our future.

And then, when you add Jesus to the mix, your future becomes even more uncertain.

Now, don’t misunderstand…when Jesus comes into your life, your eternal future is certain. And it is incredible. Absolutely amazing.

But Jesus doesn’t offer that same future security in this life. In many ways, he can take what seemed to be a very secure future and throw it into total disarray.

That’s not how we like to think of Jesus, but it’s true. In fact, that’s exactly what happened in Matthew 2.

Throughout this series, we’ve been exploring Matthew’s account of the Christmas story. We’ve looked at some of the main characters that took part in this drama. Today, we’re going to wrap up by talking about the most unlikely character in the whole story…King Herod.

Let’s pray and then we’ll get back into the story.

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’ ”

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

“A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” (Matthew 2:1-18, NIV)

This is the ugly side of the Christmas story that doesn’t get much attention. We don’t talk about Herod very much, and it’s pretty obvious why. The jealousy and brutality of Herod don’t fit very well into the lyrics of a Christmas carol. Hallmark can’t use it on a Christmas card. It doesn’t jive with wrapping presents or baking cookies. And it certainly doesn’t fit too well with the whole “peace on earth, goodwill to men” thing. But the truth is that Herod represents a side of the story that we can’t ignore.

We can’t ignore it because it’s historical fact. It actually happened. It really is part of the story of what happened when Jesus came to earth. It’s a historical fact, so we can’t just sweep it under the rug.

But we also shouldn’t ignore Herod because there is a truth in his part of the story that can have a huge impact on our lives.

Now, before we go back and start unpacking the truth about Herod from Matthew 2, we need to know a little background info about him.

Herod was known as Herod the Great (even though there was absolutely nothing great about this scumbag). Herod’s father was Antipater. You’ve never heard of him, but you have heard of his friend: Julius Caesar. Antipater helped Caesar conquer Egypt, and his reward was a position of authority of Judea, Samaria, and Galilee. If you’ve ever read the New Testament, those names sound very familiar. Antipater was ruling over the lands where the Jewish people lived.

Later, Antipater appointed his sons to rule under him. Herod received authority over Galilee when he was 26 years old. After Antipater died, Herod was appointed as king.

Herod’s reign was marked by incredible architectural achievements. The bigger the project, the better. All so Herod could prove his power and his ability.

Herod’s reign was also brutal. He was prone to uncontrolled fits of rage that carried disastrous results. Herod actually murdered his wife’s two brothers. Then he murdered his own wife and two of his own sons. Then, five days before his own death, Herod murdered a third son.

This is not a good guy that we’re talking about here. He was an egotistical, murderous tyrant.

Now that we’ve sketched our Herod’s bio, let’s go back and listen to what Matthew tells us in his gospel.

Matthew 2, starting in verse 1. “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.” (Matthew 2:1-3, NIV)

Matthew tells us plainly that Herod was “disturbed” when he heard about the birth of Jesus. The Greek word that is translated “disturbed” literally means extreme agitation and fearfulness.

Later in the story, after Herod realized that the Magi had performed a little shuck-and-jive on him, he was infuriated. And his reaction is unthinkable.

In Matthew 2:16, the Bible tells us, “When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.” (Matthew 2:16, NIV)

This murder of young boys became known as the Massacre of the Innocents. If you really want to be disturbed, go home and do a Google image search for Massacre of the Innocents. The ancient artwork depicting this event is some of the most disturbing art that I have ever seen. I couldn’t put it on our screen, but go home and Google it. It will rip your heart out.

Walter Russell Mead said, “People complain about the commercialization of Christmas; maybe we should think more about the way our culture sentimentalizes and trivializes this event. The holiday isn’t about a red-nosed reindeer’s quest for social acceptance; it is about streets red with the blood of slaughtered innocents while the Holy Family flees into exile.”

Now, why in the world would a man in Herod’s position…a man with absolute, unrivaled authority…why would that man be threatened by a little baby? The answer is found right in the beginning of Matthew 2.

Matthew tells us that “Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:1b-2a, NIV)

Let me show you why that question is so significant. In 30 B.C., Augustus Caesar gave Herod a new, official title. That title was, “King of the Jews.”

That’s called an “aha” moment. Herod’s complete overreaction to the birth of this little baby all of a sudden makes sense. Herod was the undisputed king of the Jews, and had been for about 25 years. Now, all of a sudden, these strangers show up and announce that a new King of the Jews had been born. And all of a sudden, Herod’s reaction is completely explained. It is not excused, but it is explained.

Quite simply, Jesus was a threat to Herod’s future.

In Herod’s mind, there could only be one King of the Jews. The presence of another king threatened everything about his future.

And isn’t that the problem a lot of us run into. We want to be the king or the queen of our own lives. The presence of another king is a huge threat to our future.

The ghost of our future that haunts us can really be summed in one word: uncertainty. That’s why the future haunts us. Because it is so uncertain.

And so, in an effort to make our future more certain, we take control of everything. We take control of our finances. We take control of our career. We take control of our relationships. We take control of our health. We take control of everything that we can possibly get our hands on.

And it’s right there that we find the problem with Jesus. Jesus doesn’t call us to take control. He calls us to give Him control.

That’s why Jesus was such a threat to Herod, even though He was such a young child. He threatened Herod’s control.

And that’s why Jesus is such a threat to us. Because He demands that we relinquish control in our lives. He wants us to allow Him to sit on the ruling throne of our lives, which means giving Him complete control.

Go back and look at what Herod said to the Magi in Matthew 2. In verses 7-8, the Bible says, “Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” (Matthew 2:7-8, NIV)

Obviously this was all a lie. Herod claimed that he wanted to worship Jesus, but it was all fake.

There is fake worship that happens in this room every week. A lot of us come here to “worship,” but it’s not really genuine because Jesus isn’t really in control of our lives. You can’t really worship Jesus if you haven’t fully submitted to Jesus.

In Luke 16, Jesus Himself said, “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” (Luke 16:13a, NIV)

Jesus said that we can’t serve two masters. That means that I can’t serve both Jesus and myself. Jesus and I can’t be co-masters of my life. It’s not a two-for-one deal. It’s a one-or-the-other deal.

Jesus was an incredible threat to Herod because Jesus was going to demand something from him. Herod would have to sacrifice something that was important to him.

And don’t think for one minute that Jesus doesn’t ask something from us. He asks for that one precious thing that Herod wouldn’t give up: control.

It’s a scary thing to give up control. It takes everything that we thought we knew about the future and throws it out the window.

You thought you knew what you were going to do with your life, but Jesus is calling you to do something else.

You thought you found the person that you would marry, but Jesus is calling you to break off that relationship.

You were in complete control of your finances, but now Jesus is calling you to live with generosity.

You were very comfortable in your religious traditions, but now Jesus is challenging every tradition that you hold sacred.

Your goal was a nice, safe, suburban life, but Jesus is calling you to do something risky. Something that is not at all safe.

You thought Christmas was just a holiday, but now you are discovering that Jesus came into this world, not just to be your Savior, but also to be your Lord. To be the one who calls the shots in your life. To sit on the ruling throne in your life, in your family’s life, in everything.

All of a sudden, we see why this small child turned a king’s life upside down. Because that’s what Jesus does. He can ruin your life in the very best way.

If you feel like your future is certain and secure, then you probably haven’t fully submitted to Jesus. When you look at people in Scripture who were fully sold out to God, they lived in constant uncertainty. Living in the unknown was normal for them.

A life that is controlled by God will be an unpredictable life.

In John 3, Jesus said, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8, NIV)

The wind is unpredictable. It can change speeds, change directions, etc. The only constant with wind is change.

And Jesus said, “That’s how it is with everyone who is born on the Spirit. That’s what life is like for everyone who truly sells out to God. That’s how a person who is really following Jesus lives their lives.”

And for a control freak like me, that is terrifying. This is not my favorite verse in the Bible. Not by a long shot. I want to know where I’m going. How much it’s going to cost. How I’m going to get there. And when I will arrive.

When I’m on a long drive, I’m constantly checking my GPS. I want to know exactly how I’m going to get to my destination. I also constantly look at the estimated arrival time on my GPS. I want to know exactly when I will get there.

That’s not what following Jesus is like. Jesus can take you on huge detours. There are seasons when Jesus seems to completely derail your life. There are times when following Jesus just makes no sense. It’s too risky. It’s too uncertain. It seems to throw your entire future into jeopardy

When Ebenezer Scrooge met the Ghost of Christmas Future, he told that ghost, “I fear you more than any specter I have seen. But as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared to bear you company, and do it with a thankful heart. Will you not speak to me?”

That’s what we have to remember about our future. When Jesus is in control of our lives, our future will be uncertain and unsafe. But we also know that Jesus works for our good. His ultimate mission is life change. Scrooge knew that, after the visit of this ghost, he would never be the same. When you truly encounter Jesus, you will be forever changed.

In Jeremiah 31, the Bible says very simply, “So there is hope for your future,” declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 31:17a, NIV)

A future that is uncertain doesn’t mean a future without hope. That’s the paradox of following Jesus. It can be a roller coaster ride of uncertainty, and yet we can fully trust in the hope that only comes from God.

Mark Batterson said, “Here is a lesson I'm learning. When you are spiritually immature, you find the greatest peace when you're in comfortable circumstances.

Here's the bottom line: we ought to be most peaceful in circumstances that require divine intervention. Why? Because all the pressure is off of us. There is nothing we can do about it.

Are you at peace? Is it because you are comfortable? Or is it because you're in a situation that requires a miracle? All of us want a miracle, but most of us don't want to be in situations that necessitate one! I think spiritual maturity manifests itself as peace in impossible circumstances because of an unconditional and uncircumstantial trust in God.”

We have done a terrible disservice to the story of Christmas. We have romanticized it. In our attempt to keep it sacred, we have made it safe. And it was anything but safe.

It wasn’t safe for Mary. It wasn’t safe for Joseph. And, as we’ve seen today, it wasn’t safe for Herod.

The story isn’t the beautiful pageant that we’ve created in music and in art. It was dirty. It was dangerous. It was scandalous. It was murderous.

But it is through that ugly, dangerous scene that God’s plan came into focus. Jesus came. He left the perfection of heaven for the mess of this world. He traded a throne for a manger. He traded pleasure for pain when He died in our place on a cross.

There is nothing safe about the story. But through that dangerous, scandalous story, we find hope. Not safety or security or certainty. But hope. Hope that, even in the craziest circumstances of life, God will never leave us.

I don’t necessarily know what you’re facing right now, but I can almost guarantee that in some area of your life, your future doesn’t look like you thought it would. Things don’t seem to be stacking up the way you planned, and that makes the future a very scary ghost to face.

Here’s what the Christmas story holds for you…your future is not safe and secure, but God is still in control. Herod tried to take control by killing all those babies in an attempt to murder Jesus. But God was one step ahead of Him. Not even a king could derail His plans.

That’s the hope that we possess. No matter how crazy or unpredictable or unplanned our future may be, God is still one step ahead. He is not surprised. He is not frightened. He lives outside of time. He’s already seen your future.

The promise He gives you is not a promise of safety or security. It’s His presence. However frightening your future may look, you have a God who will walk through it with you every step of the way. That’s the hope that the people of God live with. And that’s why we can live with joy even when the future looks incredibly uncertain.

And it gets even better than that. Our hope is not confined to this life. We also have hope that, when our ride in this ridiculous world is over, a much better world awaits us. A world where we will live in the presence of God for all eternity.

Don’t make the mistake that Herod made. Herod was so hungry for control of his life and his temporary crown that he rejected a crown that will last for all eternity. No amount of temporary control is worth sacrificing your eternity. No amount of certainty in this life is worth putting your eternity in jeopardy.

Your eternal hope is in Jesus. Now, it will be a crazy ride from here to eternity. There really aren’t any guarantees except that when the ride is over and you see Jesus face to face for the first time, it will all be worth it. And that is your hope, church. That is your ultimate future. You will get to see the One who gave up everything for you face to face.

In 2 Corinthians 4, the Bible says, “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, NLT)

Your past may be broken. Your present may be painful. And your future may be uncertain. But it all pales in comparison to what awaits you on the other side of eternity. When you see Jesus…when you experience the glorious perfection of your eternal life…it will all be worth it. Every struggle, every trial, every moment of pain, every instance of uncertainty, it will all be worth it.

That’s what Christmas is about. That’s why Christ came. To tell us that it will be worth it. One day, everything you have ever endured or will ever endure, will be absolutely, positively worth it because you will see Jesus face to face.

Mike Edmisten

Tags: Christmas, eternity, future, Ghosts, Herod, hope, Matthew 2