"Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the
tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming
on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." - Matthew 24:30
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Today's Sermon is a Post-Advent Sermon about pretty much everything...
Let's begin with Herod...
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Biography of Herod:
King Herod was born in 73/74 BCE (in an unknown location). He was the client king of the Roman Governate of Judea. He was described as a "madman who murdered his own family, a great many rabbis, and jews" and also was prepared to commit any crime to make sure nothing came between him and power.
Herod was a power hog but as a client king, he was still subordinate to the Emperor of the Roman Mandate. That's if you didn't know.
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Back in Herod's days as the king, he ruled the land like a madman, and no matter how much power he got, he never thought it was enough. When he heard about Jesus, he was really angry about it and disturbed. When the wise men came to Herod to seek the new king, he wasn't there, but Herod sent them to Bethlehem saying: "When you have found the child... notify me because I shall worship him as well."
Turns out, Herod wasn't out to worship Jesus, he was out to destroy him after the wise men were warned in a dream not to return to Herod. This is what started the massacre of the innocents. Apparently according to scholars, only 2 innocents were killed. Many reject the notion that Herod did that. But wait, I totally believe in the bible, he did more damage then people think. He was out to "kill Christmas"
King Herod was known as "The Great"... I don't know what was so great about him. He enslaved people to build stadiums and expand his rule. According to legend, one of the stadiums he built could fit over 380,000 people in it.
Was Herod real? Yes, a coin was found with Herod etched on it and it was confirmed in the 17th century by scholars in England. Also the remains of a broken sarcophagus was found as well.
So what do the Grinch, Herod, and Scrooge have in common? They all hated Christmas except the Grinch and Scrooge eventually started to like the holiday because of all the good that came out of it in the end. Herod never wanted it to exist.
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Herod nearly killed Christmas... had it happened? Christmas would've never existed and the world would be full of sin and hatred. My word.
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A "Herod": A brutal dictator who usurps power, expands "the kingdom", oppresses people, kills his own, and murders for the "thrill of it."
There are modern age and definitely past "Herods" in this world: Hitler, Qaddafi, Mao, Tito, Stroessner, Il-Sung, Jong-il, Jong-un, Stalin, Pot, Amin, Pinochet, Duvalier and Son, Hussein, and Charles Taylor. The death count exceeds well over 65,000,000 (That's as much as World War II)
These are just a few of the examples of the "Herods" of the world.
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How about the three wise men? Their names were
Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar. All 3 were scholars from the East of
Israel and had gifts for Jesus upon their arrival. A Greek manuscript
that was found confirmed the names of the three wise men (the manuscript
was dated in the 500s).
The question is: Were they real?
Yes,
apparently John of Hildesheim found the 3 tombs of the 3 kings, finding
the True Cross and other relics. He brought them to Queen Helen in the
early 15th century.
The commemoration of the magi come on Jan. 6 as the epiphany of the Lord begins.
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As we close Advent and prepare to go into Christmas, we all realize that there is a "Herod" out there in the world trying to brutalize and oppress the people they rule. Had Herod found Jesus and killed him, there would be no Christmas.
Christmas is here to stay and it's the all important time of the liturgical year.
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Christmas is a time of giving, sharing, being with members of our family, singing carols, being happy, and rejoicing for the birth of our savior.
We pause to take time out to rejoice with our families, eat good food, laugh, recharge, give gifts, and enjoy the day/night.
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The Christmas Eve service is one of my favorite services next to the Easter Sunday service. We have 3 services (5:30 - Kids 'n Fam, 7:30 - Contemporary Service, and then the Candlelight Service, aka the "All-Star Game" of services which begins at 10:30 and runs to midnight)
It is one of the most popular services that helps the church run into the green because everyone is pretty much in a giving mood.
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Well folks, I'm ready? Are you? LET US REJOICE! AS OUR SAVIOR ARRIVES SOON!!!!!
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