Welcome to Tim Men of Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life and the time it takes to get to work.

I'm Keith Simon. I'm Tanya Wilmais. And I'm Patrick Miller.

Right now we're in the middle of our Christmas series. But starting in January, we're

getting back to the basics. We're going to go through the first books of the Bible

and of course we're going to start in the first book

the book of Genesis. Invite a friend to join you on the journey. It all starts

January 1st. You're familiar with the Grinch who stole Christmas?

Well, Herod is the king who tried to kill Christmas.

The very sad, very heartbreaking story is told in Matthew chapter 2.

If you've been listening to our Christmas Devotional series, you've already heard some stories about

Herod's ego, his lust for power, and his willingness to kill people.

He had been given the title King of the Jews by the Roman Senate, and he was willing to do whatever was necessary to keep that position.

He killed his wife, sons, brother-in-law, mother-in-law, and many, many more people.

You see, above everything else, Herod the Great was a killer.

That was his nature.

He killed out of spite and he killed this day in power.

Human life meant nothing to him. The great historian Josephus called him barbaric.

The Magi were astrologers from the East who came looking for the one who had been born King of the Jews and they weren't referring to Herod.

They were looking for Jesus, but the idea that he had a rival that drove Herod into a rage.

So Herod told the Magi to go worship Jesus and then stop by on their way out of town and tell him where Jesus was so he could go worship him too.

Then Herod called the priests and scribes together and asked them about the prophecies concerning the Messiah, which means king.

The priest told them that the prophets say that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem.

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