Throughout this sermon series we are looking at characters that are typically overlooked in the Christmas story, and what their stories can teach us. This week, we’re looking at Herod’s story. When approached by the wise men, regarding where Jesus was, Herod acted out of his selfishness and pride. He makes several mistakes along the way, that separate him from God. By taking a look at this portion of God’s Word we can learn how to avoid Herod’s mistakes:

1. Realize we are to worship God, not ourselves
Matt. 2:1-3, Lev. 26:1, 1 John 5:21, Col. 3:5, 1 Cor. 10:14

2. Let God’s Word affect your life
Matt. 2:4-6, Col. 3:16, Luke 11:27-28, James 1:22

3. Realize, you cannot thwart God’s plan
Matt. 2:7-18, Job 42:2, Prov. 19:21, Eph. 1:11, Ps. 103:19

4. Realize, God often works very differently than we think He will
Matt. 2:19-23, John 1:46, 7:40-44, Is. 55:8-9, Rom. 8:28

Reflection Questions

1. Have you ever studied this part of God’s Word before? Did anything stand out? Did anything from Joseph’s story surprise you?

2. Herod was not open to God’s leading in this passage. He let his pride and selfishness get in the way of him coming to faith. Of the 4 takeaways that we learned about Herod story, which one(s) do you do well, and which one(s) do you need to work on?

3. Looking at your answer from question #2, what practical steps do you need to improve?

4. What is your biggest take away from this message? What did God teach you? Do you feel led to put anything into action? If so, what, and what practical step(s) do you need to take to be obedient to what God has led you to do? Who can keep you accountable to accomplishing this?