In The Days Of Herod

While we think of Christmas as a happy time, the years around the birth of Christ were anything but happy for the people of Israel. They had known a brief period of freedom following the revolt of the Maccabees, but then the Romans moved in and placed the land under the rule of Herod the Great. The wicked and bloodthirsty king was no friend to the Jewish people. He ruled the land with an iron fist and had anyone who opposed him put to death.

At the same time, the true worship of God was under attack from within as well. The Pharisees were focused only on the outward elements of the law, missing the matters of the heart, while the Sadducees brought in Greek and Roman philosophy and downplayed what the Bible actually taught. This is the background of the beginning of the Christmas story.

Yet in that time of darkness, as the nation lay under foreign rule and many had turned away from following God, there were still people like Zacharias and Elisabeth who served and obeyed and followed God with their whole hearts. 

It is an undeniable fact that our world is getting darker—more like the days of Herod—but that does not mean that we cannot still be faithful in serving the Lord. When God chose parents for John the Baptist, who would announce the coming Messiah, He found a couple who did not yield to what those around them were doing.

Today’s Discipleship Principle: The culture around us cannot force us to go against God—we can do right no matter what.