Gathering 210: “They were there: Herod, Roman King of Judea” // Service of Worship // Rev. Tony Minear, Ph.D.

At the very least, Jesus' birth shook the status quo, but could a tiny baby really be the catalyst for the murder of all the infants in Bethlehem? Herod the Great, Roman King of Judea, most certainly initiated the massacre in an attempt to get rid of the baby Jesus. But where was God in all of this and what do we do with this anything but rated “G” origin story? Could a truly good God permit such terrorism, saving one innocent and leaving all others to die? Could God not have spared them all?  

It’s the second Sunday in Advent, and we continue our look at four key figures in the life of Jesus in our worship sermon series: "They were there..." Join us as Pastor Tony Minear, Ph.D. explores the dark side of Jesus’ birth story and King Herod’s fight to preserve the Roman empire from a tiny baby. Sounds absurd, right? Yet scholars have struggled with its historical accurateness preferring instead to view it as a mythical story full of truths that can be applied today. No matter how you interpret the story, listen and discover two ways to reconcile the seemingly absence of God and what you can do to move forward with life.  

Recorded live at Beatitudes Church in Phoenix, AZ on 12/05/21  

Preaching: Rev. Tony Minear, Ph.D.  

Scripture: Matt 2: 13-23 

Scripture Reader: Janelle Tapphorn  

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