A. One of the saddest stories in the New Testament was the massacre of the innocents recorded in Matthew 2:16-18

  1. It related the killing of innocent children by King Herod of Judea who wanted to stay in power

  2. Why were they killed?.What was the significance/ relevance of their deaths?

Let us know the truth, John 8:32

  B. The study will be divided as follows:

   1. Who was Herod? What drove him to kill the innocent children of Bethlehem in Judea? 

   2. God's protection on the child Jesus and His parents. Satan's scheme to kill Jesus

   3. Lessons to learn/ apply to our present and future lives as Christians

Discussion

  A. Who was Herod? What drove him to kill the innocent children of Bethlehem?

   1.He was King of Judea when Jesus was born in 4 BC or 1 AD

   2. Son of Antipater, an Edomite or Idumeaen, an Arab who descended from Ishmael, son of Abraham by Hagar, from the Semitic race ( Shem, son of Noah)

   3. According to Josephus, he had five wives: Mariamne I, Doris, Mariamne II, Malthace, Cleopatra and five more

   4. A cruel king, he had his first wife executed, his two sons Aristobulos and Alexander and even the king before him

   5. Despite his cruelty, he was a good administrator for he rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem; made aqueducts; built fortresses, cities and palaces

   6. The prophesies about the coming Jewish Messiah posed a threat to his kingship

   7. His insecurity was increased at the coming of the Wise Men who were searching for the " King of the Jews"

 B. God's Protection to the child Jesus and His parents

  1. The wise men were divinely warned in a dream not to return to Herod after visiting the child Jesus in Bethlehem, Matthew 2:12

  2. Joseph was advised by an angel to flee to Egypt for Herod would seek and kill the child Jesus, Matthew 2:13-14

   a. fulfillment of Hosea 11:1" son called from Egypt"

   b. stayed in Egypt till Herod died of " chronic kidney disease and gangrene on his genitals" at age 69

  3. Why did God protect the Child Jesus?  To assure mankind of a Savior of the world, John 3:16

  4. God protected the Child Jesus from His birth until He had fulfilled His mission

   a. Revelation 12:3-5 gave an account of Satan's scheme to kill the child Jesus

   b. although written in symbols, it revealed Satan's attempt to deprive humanity of a spiritual Savior even before His human birth

 C. Lessons to Learn and Apply as Christians today and in the future

  1. Tyrants ( then and now) would use violence ( massacre) to stay in power as exemplified by Herod, the Great (?)

    - similar incident occurred in Egypt when the Pharoah ordered the killing of male children to curb the rapid population growth of the " enslaved Hebrews!" Exodus 1:8- 2:4

  2. Abortion is the modern way of killing the" unborn children" who have precious souls in God's sight

  3.Spiritually, when we do not teach our children God's words, it is a form of spiritual massacre

   - " Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it," Proverbs 22:6

   4. When we do NOT preach the pure New  Testament gospel of Christ, we too are contributing to the " spiritual massacre" of spiritual unborn children of God."

 Conclusion

  A. Christ is inviting everyone to come to Him

   1. Believe, confess, repent and be baptized, Mark 16,:16; Matthew 10:32; Acts 2:38

   2. Come to Christ now as this is the day of salvation, 2 Corinthians 6:2

   3. Come to Christ as He promises rest for our souls, Matthew 11:28-30