“Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?”  Matt. 2:2

No one is ever born a king.

You usually have to start out as a prince and work your way up.

Herod was the second son of a high ranking government official who appointed his twenty-something boy to be governor of Galilee. Herod was promoted to “tetrarch” (leader of 1/4 of a kingdom) by Marc Antony. After three years of conflict and political maneuvering, Herod and his army captured Jerusalem and the Roman Senate gave him the title “King of the Jews”.  He gave himself the title “King Herod the Great”.

Herod was a man who knew the right people,

aligned himself with the powerful party,

and fought for his place of rank.

And now, a tiny little baby

born to a poor carpenter

and his teenage wife

was being called

a king?