First Attempt on Jesus’s Life

First Attempt on Jesus’s Life

Herod the Great, the Herod during the time of Jesus’ birth, ruled sections of the holy land from about 37 B.C. to 4 B.C. He ruled under the auspices of the Roman senate and emperors but had freedom to lead as he wished.

Herod the Great was a tyrant king, he guarded his reign and power with the sword. Therefore, every known threat to his rule was met with suppression. He brutally crushed every uprising against him. A person’s family origin, status, and position did not matter. When Herod’s own family express interest to succeed him, they issued their death sentences.

Herod did not exempt his own family from his termination policy. For, he ordered the murder of his favourite wife, Mariamne. Her mistake was her political ambition. His excuse was to accuse her of sleeping with his sister’s, Salome, husband.

He also ordered the death of Mariamne’s teenage brother, Aristobulus. Herod the Great had appointed the seventeen-year-old youth, Aristobulus, as high priest. On the first occasion in performing his duty as priest, Aristobulus received overwhelming accolades from the people. Herod the Great became jealous. No one should receive more or as much recognition as he. He ordered Aristobulus death. Aristobulus drowned.

Two of Herod the Great sons were Alexander and Aristobulus. He heard rumors that they wanted to rule. He ordered his own sons’ death by strangling.

Herod the Great destroyed foes, families, and friends; whomever he deemed to be a threat to his power.

Therefore, it was no surprise, when he ordered the slaughter of every boy baby under two years old living in Bethlehem. For, he heard about the birth of a baby king.

The magi of Matthew 2 innocently went to Herod and inquired from him where the king of the Jews was born. They went to king Herod because they assumed that a king would be born in the palace as the son of the current king.

When Herod heard the wise men question, “where is he that is born king of the Jews?” He felt threatened. The Bible said, 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him (Matthew 2:3). The Jewish leaders knew, heard, and felt Herod’s anger. They gave him the information he sought.

Herod was calm and cooperative to the magi. He gave them the information. “in Bethlehem of Judea.” He gave no hint of his consternation. He wanted the wise men to return to him with the exact location of the Jewish baby king.

After the magi found Jesus, God instructed them not to return to Herod the Great but to leave Palestine by another route.

When Herod the Great realized the wise men were not returning to him, he ordered the massacre of all baby boys under the age of two in Bethlehem. For Herod, a baby king is as dangerous as an adult king. He tolerated no threat to his leadership.

His fear of challenge and his grasp on power were sufficient reasons to kill babies. He was intolerant of threats and arrogant in protecting his throne and keeping his political power.

So, Herod the Great was the first human being to try and persecute the incarnate Jesus. And he tried to persecute Jesus for political reasons. Guess his thoughts were, “no king of Judea but me,” and “no successor to me but to whom I would bequeath my throne.”

His malice against Jesus, whom he did not know, was drenched with fear and power.

God, however, delivered baby Jesus from the slaughter of babies in Bethlehem. For, Jesus had a mission to fulfil beyond infancy. God had directed Joseph to take baby Jesus and his mother to Egypt.

Michael Bunsie