The star shining in the east, shepherds, wise men, angels—and the slaughter of the innocents. One of these does not seem to belong in our Christmas celebrations. Why does Herod appear in the Christmas story? Why does God allow such seemingly senseless tragedy? This Sunday, we will study Matthew 2:1–23 and take a closer look at the life of Herod. As we consider his actions—and the actions of all who oppose the purposes of God—we will see how even the darkness of this story causes us to long for the righteous justice of our Lord.
