1 00:00:00,560 –> 00:00:07,440 I ought to tell you I think that I am the most under-appreciated leader in history. 2 00:00:07,440 –> 00:00:14,240 I always felt that, and I guess I always will. So I’m glad to have the opportunity to tell 3 00:00:14,240 –> 00:00:20,160 my story. Actually, I often wish there were more people I could share this with, 4 00:00:21,440 –> 00:00:26,559 but the truth is it’s actually very lonely where I am these days. 5 00:00:26,559 –> 00:00:32,799 The truth is, people are all bound up with themselves. Nobody has time or 6 00:00:32,799 –> 00:00:37,439 interest for anybody else. So thank you for the opportunity. 7 00:00:39,040 –> 00:00:42,480 By the way, I hear that your other visitors in past years, you know 8 00:00:42,480 –> 00:00:46,560 John and Simeon and Joseph, that they all spoke with a strange accent. 9 00:00:48,480 –> 00:00:52,799 And then that they told you that they got it by being in heaven for 2000 years. 10 00:00:53,279 –> 00:00:56,639 Well, I’ve not been there, so don’t ask me where I got mine. 11 00:00:58,799 –> 00:01:03,360 Most people don’t even know the great achievements of my life. 12 00:01:03,360 –> 00:01:05,839 And I have to tell you, I find that extraordinary. 13 00:01:05,839 –> 00:01:12,559 How can it be that so much of what I did accounts for so little today? 14 00:01:13,839 –> 00:01:20,000 Let me tell you about myself. Harrod was a common enough name in my time, 15 00:01:20,720 –> 00:01:24,160 rather like the name Smith is today, I suppose. 16 00:01:25,680 –> 00:01:29,040 Actually, there are three Harrods in your New Testament. 17 00:01:29,040 –> 00:01:30,800 There’s Harrod Agrippa. 18 00:01:30,800 –> 00:01:35,360 Now, that was the one that Paul almost persuaded to become a Christian. 19 00:01:35,360 –> 00:01:36,720 He was my grandson. 20 00:01:38,239 –> 00:01:40,320 Then there was Harrod Antipas. 21 00:01:40,320 –> 00:01:42,879 Luke, called him Harrod the Tetrarch. 22 00:01:43,440 –> 00:01:46,559 That’s my son, by a different wife, of course. 23 00:01:47,120 –> 00:01:50,080 He was the one who beheaded John the Baptist. 24 00:01:50,639 –> 00:01:53,440 And he also once had a meeting with Jesus. 25 00:01:54,639 –> 00:01:58,879 But I’m the one who was known as Harrod the Great. 26 00:01:59,680 –> 00:02:04,239 And, quite frankly, I see it as a title fully deserved. 27 00:02:05,360 –> 00:02:09,199 You see, the land of the Jews had been in chaos for centuries. 28 00:02:09,199 –> 00:02:14,399 Wars, assassinations, feuds between rival ruling families. 29 00:02:14,399 –> 00:02:16,880 The whole thing was a mess. 30 00:02:16,880 –> 00:02:21,119 Then, thankfully, the Roman empire rose. 31 00:02:21,759 –> 00:02:26,479 Rome wanted stability, and that was my door of opportunity. 32 00:02:27,520 –> 00:02:34,559 My father was appointed as procurator of Judea by 33 00:02:34,559 –> 00:02:37,759 no less than Julius Caesar himself. 34 00:02:38,639 –> 00:02:41,759 And when he was appointed, my father then appointed me 35 00:02:41,759 –> 00:02:44,559 as the governor of Galilee under him. 36 00:02:45,839 –> 00:02:48,960 Then, when Julius Caesar was assassinated, 37 00:02:48,960 –> 00:02:50,960 you’ve read about all that stuff of course, 38 00:02:50,960 –> 00:02:53,600 there was a great struggle for power in Rome. 39 00:02:54,479 –> 00:02:57,759 And in the end, it was Caesar Augustus 40 00:02:57,759 –> 00:02:59,759 who came out on top. 41 00:02:59,759 –> 00:03:03,440 Now that was good for me, because I was his 42 00:03:03,440 –> 00:03:04,880 personal friend. 43 00:03:05,759 –> 00:03:07,919 And to cut a long story short, 44 00:03:07,919 –> 00:03:11,039 the Roman Senate gave me the title 45 00:03:11,039 –> 00:03:12,880 King of the Jews. 46 00:03:12,880 –> 00:03:16,479 I was the first to be given that title by Rome. 47 00:03:16,479 –> 00:03:19,199 I was put in charge then of the whole area 48 00:03:19,199 –> 00:03:20,880 of Judea and beyond. 49 00:03:20,880 –> 00:03:23,679 In fact, you would have to go back 50 00:03:23,679 –> 00:03:26,320 a thousand years before my time, 51 00:03:26,320 –> 00:03:28,800 all the way back to the time of King Solomon 52 00:03:28,800 –> 00:03:30,639 to find the last Jewish King 53 00:03:30,639 –> 00:03:33,119 who ruled over such large territory. 54 00:03:34,559 –> 00:03:37,119 And I ruled for 33 years. 55 00:03:38,320 –> 00:03:40,160 And throughout that time, there was peace, 56 00:03:41,520 –> 00:03:42,720 and there was stability. 57 00:03:44,160 –> 00:03:46,559 Of course, it took a while to establish order. 58 00:03:47,360 –> 00:03:48,960 The first thing that I had to sort out 59 00:03:48,960 –> 00:03:50,639 was the religious leaders. 60 00:03:50,639 –> 00:03:53,119 I noticed by the way, just in my visit from your papers, 61 00:03:53,119 –> 00:03:55,679 you still have problems with religious extremists. 62 00:03:56,960 –> 00:03:58,559 Well, I found that a lot of trouble 63 00:03:58,559 –> 00:04:01,199 originated in the Temple so I dealt with it firmly. 64 00:04:02,320 –> 00:04:03,119 Here’s what I did. 65 00:04:04,399 –> 00:04:07,679 There were 72 priests in a ruling group 66 00:04:07,679 –> 00:04:09,199 called the Sanhedrin. 67 00:04:10,080 –> 00:04:13,119 I eliminated 45 of them. 68 00:04:13,119 –> 00:04:15,600 That focused the minds of the rest. 69 00:04:17,119 –> 00:04:19,920 Then I established a new inner circle 70 00:04:21,519 –> 00:04:23,519 called the Chief Priests. 71 00:04:23,519 –> 00:04:25,679 Now, you’ll have read about them in your New Testament. 72 00:04:26,880 –> 00:04:29,839 Did you know that’s one of my contributions to history? 73 00:04:29,839 –> 00:04:31,279 Well, there were no chief priests 74 00:04:31,279 –> 00:04:32,239 in the Old Testament. 75 00:04:32,239 –> 00:04:33,440 This was my idea. 76 00:04:34,480 –> 00:04:36,239 I established the Chief Priests, 77 00:04:36,239 –> 00:04:40,640 a tight inner group of past and potentially future high priests 78 00:04:40,640 –> 00:04:44,160 who would be an inner circle firmly under my control. 79 00:04:44,160 –> 00:04:49,279 In fact, I actually kept their robes under lock and key, 80 00:04:50,399 –> 00:04:52,000 and I did that for a reason. 81 00:04:52,000 –> 00:04:57,440 You see, I wanted religion to be the servant of the state. 82 00:04:59,200 –> 00:05:01,200 I have to tell you that the city of Jerusalem 83 00:05:01,200 –> 00:05:03,839 was transformed under my leadership. 84 00:05:04,799 –> 00:05:09,359 By the way, talking about cities, I love your city. 85 00:05:10,880 –> 00:05:14,320 That Sears tower is something else. 86 00:05:15,600 –> 00:05:18,880 Now, that is the kind of thing I would have done 87 00:05:18,880 –> 00:05:20,640 if I’d had the technology. 88 00:05:22,320 –> 00:05:26,320 I love architecture, and I love building on a grand scale. 89 00:05:26,320 –> 00:05:29,359 So in my time in Jerusalem, I put up theatres. 90 00:05:30,320 –> 00:05:34,000 I built a vast hippodrome where we were able 91 00:05:34,000 –> 00:05:36,079 to race horses and chariots. 92 00:05:37,279 –> 00:05:40,399 We held athletics meetings in the stadium. 93 00:05:40,399 –> 00:05:43,279 In fact, I instituted games in Jerusalem 94 00:05:43,279 –> 00:05:45,600 being held every five years. 95 00:05:45,600 –> 00:05:46,720 I was an athlete myself. 96 00:05:46,720 –> 00:05:48,160 Did you know that I was a wrestler? 97 00:05:51,359 –> 00:05:54,399 And after the athletes, we brought in gladiators, 98 00:05:54,399 –> 00:05:56,079 then we brought in wild animals, 99 00:05:56,079 –> 00:05:57,200 I tell ya, what a show! 100 00:05:57,359 –> 00:06:00,799 Then of course, there was my palace. 101 00:06:00,799 –> 00:06:05,119 That building was admired for its three towers 102 00:06:05,119 –> 00:06:07,279 built of white stone that glistened 103 00:06:07,279 –> 00:06:09,440 in the brilliant sun. 104 00:06:09,440 –> 00:06:11,119 It was magnificent. 105 00:06:11,119 –> 00:06:14,000 And all this building, of course, 106 00:06:14,000 –> 00:06:15,359 meant that there was full employment, 107 00:06:15,359 –> 00:06:18,000 and full employment along with peace and stability 108 00:06:18,000 –> 00:06:20,160 meant it was great for the economy. 109 00:06:20,160 –> 00:06:23,760 And you would think that after all these achievements, 110 00:06:23,760 –> 00:06:26,799 I would be the most admired king in history. 111 00:06:26,880 –> 00:06:27,920 Huh, some hope. 112 00:06:29,200 –> 00:06:31,920 I have never received the credit I deserve. 113 00:06:34,079 –> 00:06:37,519 Of course, a lot of it has to do with race. 114 00:06:39,040 –> 00:06:41,519 You see, I was an Arab, 115 00:06:43,200 –> 00:06:44,559 an Idumuyan, 116 00:06:45,839 –> 00:06:47,200 an Edomite. 117 00:06:48,959 –> 00:06:50,480 Somewhere back in history, 118 00:06:51,279 –> 00:06:55,760 our people, the Edomites were conquered by the Jews, 119 00:06:55,760 –> 00:06:59,279 forcibly circumcised, and from that time onward, 120 00:06:59,279 –> 00:07:02,640 subsequent generations adopted their religion. 121 00:07:02,640 –> 00:07:05,040 And so, I was a Jew by religion, 122 00:07:06,079 –> 00:07:07,760 but an Arab by race. 123 00:07:08,720 –> 00:07:11,440 I was also Greek by culture 124 00:07:11,440 –> 00:07:13,600 and I was Roman by sympathy. 125 00:07:13,600 –> 00:07:16,959 So I was quite a mixture, you might say. 126 00:07:18,320 –> 00:07:20,880 I was feared, I was respected, 127 00:07:22,320 –> 00:07:23,279 but never loved. 128 00:07:26,079 –> 00:07:27,440 But late in my reign, 129 00:07:27,440 –> 00:07:29,600 I came up with an idea that I thought 130 00:07:29,600 –> 00:07:31,920 had the potential to change all of that. 131 00:07:32,880 –> 00:07:35,760 You see, all of my new building projects 132 00:07:35,760 –> 00:07:39,920 made the temple look really rather shabby. 133 00:07:39,920 –> 00:07:41,760 And you have to understand that, 134 00:07:41,760 –> 00:07:42,720 for the Jewish people, 135 00:07:42,720 –> 00:07:44,959 the temple was the single most important building 136 00:07:44,959 –> 00:07:46,160 in their city. 137 00:07:46,160 –> 00:07:48,160 The original one was magnificent, 138 00:07:48,160 –> 00:07:49,519 built by Solomon. 139 00:07:49,519 –> 00:07:51,519 That was the pride of the city. 140 00:07:52,640 –> 00:07:54,880 But of course, after the city was destroyed 141 00:07:54,880 –> 00:07:57,679 and they came back from 70 years in exile, 142 00:07:57,679 –> 00:07:58,640 funds were tight, 143 00:07:58,640 –> 00:08:00,239 and so they were only able to put up 144 00:08:00,239 –> 00:08:02,239 something about half the size. 145 00:08:03,519 –> 00:08:06,079 Now, with all of my building redevelopment 146 00:08:06,079 –> 00:08:07,279 going on around, 147 00:08:07,279 –> 00:08:08,880 the temple was beginning to look 148 00:08:08,880 –> 00:08:10,640 rather down in the hill. 149 00:08:10,640 –> 00:08:12,559 And that’s when I had my idea. 150 00:08:12,559 –> 00:08:14,799 I decided that my legacy 151 00:08:16,000 –> 00:08:20,160 would be a new temple on a grand scale, 152 00:08:20,160 –> 00:08:23,839 even bigger than the one built by Solomon. 153 00:08:23,839 –> 00:08:27,519 It would be known as Herod’s temple. 154 00:08:28,480 –> 00:08:29,200 It would, of course, 155 00:08:29,200 –> 00:08:30,959 win the hearts and the minds of the people, 156 00:08:30,959 –> 00:08:32,159 and it would stand out 157 00:08:32,159 –> 00:08:35,679 as one of the lasting wonders of the world. 158 00:08:37,679 –> 00:08:39,440 But my greatest achievement, of course, 159 00:08:39,440 –> 00:08:41,200 was to keep the peace. 160 00:08:41,200 –> 00:08:43,280 As long as I was in Jerusalem, 161 00:08:43,280 –> 00:08:44,640 there was very little trouble. 162 00:08:45,919 –> 00:08:47,200 The Romans were happy, 163 00:08:48,239 –> 00:08:49,760 and so there were no soldiers, 164 00:08:51,119 –> 00:08:51,919 no taxes, 165 00:08:52,719 –> 00:08:54,400 no foreign administrators. 166 00:08:54,400 –> 00:08:55,760 Not in my day. 167 00:08:55,760 –> 00:08:59,359 I was the face of the Pax Romana, 168 00:09:00,239 –> 00:09:02,000 the Roman peace. 169 00:09:03,200 –> 00:09:04,640 I maintained order. 170 00:09:06,479 –> 00:09:08,000 But you know, as soon as I died, 171 00:09:09,359 –> 00:09:10,640 it all fell apart. 172 00:09:11,520 –> 00:09:13,919 My sons were hopeless! 173 00:09:15,039 –> 00:09:16,559 Didn’t have the first clue 174 00:09:16,559 –> 00:09:17,760 about running a kingdom. 175 00:09:19,119 –> 00:09:20,880 So it wasn’t long after I died 176 00:09:21,280 –> 00:09:24,159 before the Romans had to send in the army. 177 00:09:25,280 –> 00:09:27,599 And with the army came the taxes. 178 00:09:27,599 –> 00:09:30,719 And then the whole wretched system of tax collectors 179 00:09:30,719 –> 00:09:32,239 extorting from the Jewish people. 180 00:09:32,239 –> 00:09:33,280 You’ve read about all of that 181 00:09:33,280 –> 00:09:34,799 in your New Testament, of course. 182 00:09:34,799 –> 00:09:37,359 All of that happened after my time. 183 00:09:39,359 –> 00:09:43,119 And then they sent in another man, Pontius Pilate. 184 00:09:43,679 –> 00:09:45,280 What a weakling he was. 185 00:09:46,320 –> 00:09:48,719 Why they chose him, I haven’t the faintest idea? 186 00:09:48,719 –> 00:09:50,799 He couldn’t make a decision to save himself. 187 00:09:51,679 –> 00:09:55,440 And I know that the story you want to hear from me 188 00:09:56,400 –> 00:09:58,880 is what happened when Jesus was born. 189 00:10:00,640 –> 00:10:02,479 And isn’t that the strangest thing? 190 00:10:04,000 –> 00:10:06,880 That the one thing I am remembered for 191 00:10:06,880 –> 00:10:08,719 after all my achievements in life 192 00:10:08,719 –> 00:10:10,799 is my response to Jesus. 193 00:10:12,559 –> 00:10:14,239 As if that were more important 194 00:10:14,239 –> 00:10:17,119 than anything else I accomplished in all of my life. 195 00:10:17,440 –> 00:10:20,719 Anyway, it all started for me when I heard rumors 196 00:10:22,080 –> 00:10:24,400 that some foreigners had arrived in Jerusalem. 197 00:10:25,280 –> 00:10:27,119 It’s a big city, but I had my means 198 00:10:27,119 –> 00:10:29,280 of keeping my fingers on the pulse. 199 00:10:29,280 –> 00:10:30,880 Information is power. 200 00:10:30,880 –> 00:10:32,799 And I always had plenty of it. 201 00:10:33,919 –> 00:10:36,000 The foreigners were peddling some story 202 00:10:36,000 –> 00:10:38,799 about someone who was born king of the Jews. 203 00:10:38,799 –> 00:10:39,880 Well, of course, that was the title 204 00:10:39,880 –> 00:10:41,200 that the Romans had given to me, 205 00:10:41,200 –> 00:10:43,679 so I was not too well-pleased to hear that. 206 00:10:44,640 –> 00:10:46,559 The truth is that nobody in Jerusalem 207 00:10:46,559 –> 00:10:48,159 was pleased to hear that. 208 00:10:48,159 –> 00:10:50,000 These people had endured years 209 00:10:50,000 –> 00:10:52,000 of one leader after another 210 00:10:52,000 –> 00:10:53,760 claiming to have leadership 211 00:10:53,760 –> 00:10:55,280 and claiming to have authority, 212 00:10:55,280 –> 00:10:57,280 seizing power and the right to rule. 213 00:10:57,280 –> 00:10:59,119 Nobody wanted to go back 214 00:10:59,119 –> 00:11:00,960 to the instability of that. 215 00:11:00,960 –> 00:11:04,479 So, I knew that we had a problem brewing. 216 00:11:04,479 –> 00:11:05,679 And I was determined 217 00:11:05,679 –> 00:11:07,520 that I would deal with it decisively. 218 00:11:07,520 –> 00:11:10,559 There are always elements in society 219 00:11:11,440 –> 00:11:11,840 dissidents looking for some cause 220 00:11:11,840 –> 00:11:20,000 to champion and upset the status quo. 221 00:11:20,000 –> 00:11:20,719 And besides, 222 00:11:20,719 –> 00:11:23,840 I was suspicious about all of these foreigners. 223 00:11:25,280 –> 00:11:27,679 I mean, why would foreigners 224 00:11:27,679 –> 00:11:28,640 with royal blood 225 00:11:28,640 –> 00:11:29,919 be so interested 226 00:11:29,919 –> 00:11:32,960 in coming to meet with a child 227 00:11:32,960 –> 00:11:35,840 supposedly claiming to be a future king? 228 00:11:35,840 –> 00:11:38,479 It was all very suspicious to me. 229 00:11:38,479 –> 00:11:41,440 So my first move 230 00:11:41,440 –> 00:11:43,039 was to call together 231 00:11:43,039 –> 00:11:45,760 my inner circle of the chief priests 232 00:11:45,760 –> 00:11:47,520 together with the teachers of the law. 233 00:11:48,880 –> 00:11:50,479 The central point in our religion, 234 00:11:50,479 –> 00:11:51,520 you will know this well, 235 00:11:51,520 –> 00:11:53,679 is that God had promised a deliverer. 236 00:11:54,640 –> 00:11:57,359 The Old Testament is full of these promises 237 00:11:57,359 –> 00:11:59,840 about one who was known as the Messiah. 238 00:12:00,719 –> 00:12:02,200 This was the central 239 00:12:02,200 –> 00:12:04,159 hope of all people. 240 00:12:05,039 –> 00:12:06,640 So I called in the scholars 241 00:12:06,640 –> 00:12:07,919 and I asked them, 242 00:12:07,919 –> 00:12:10,559 where is Messiah to be born? 243 00:12:12,239 –> 00:12:13,520 You see, that’s how I think. 244 00:12:14,719 –> 00:12:17,760 Why study the Bible for yourself 245 00:12:17,760 –> 00:12:19,200 if you have professionals 246 00:12:19,200 –> 00:12:20,400 to do it for you? 247 00:12:20,400 –> 00:12:21,520 That’s what I say. 248 00:12:23,679 –> 00:12:25,119 They didn’t hesitate for a moment. 249 00:12:26,400 –> 00:12:28,239 Bethlehem in Judea, they said. 250 00:12:28,239 –> 00:12:30,479 And then they gave me chapter and verse. 251 00:12:31,599 –> 00:12:34,080 Apparently a prophet by the name of Micah 252 00:12:34,080 –> 00:12:36,880 had talked about this 800 years before. 253 00:12:36,880 –> 00:12:39,520 But you Bethlehem, in the land of Judea, 254 00:12:39,520 –> 00:12:41,039 you will by no means be the least. 255 00:12:41,039 –> 00:12:42,239 But out of you will come one 256 00:12:42,239 –> 00:12:43,919 who will shepherd my people Israel. 257 00:12:43,919 –> 00:12:47,440 So that was clear, we had a location. 258 00:12:49,520 –> 00:12:52,479 The next question was to get a fix on the time. 259 00:12:54,320 –> 00:12:56,400 So for that, I invited the foreigners 260 00:12:56,400 –> 00:12:57,919 over to the palace. 261 00:12:58,559 –> 00:13:00,640 I told them that I had heard these stories 262 00:13:00,640 –> 00:13:01,679 about a royal child 263 00:13:01,679 –> 00:13:03,200 and that I wanted to take them 264 00:13:03,200 –> 00:13:05,200 into my confidence in this matter. 265 00:13:06,080 –> 00:13:07,039 Obviously I said, 266 00:13:07,039 –> 00:13:08,400 if the Messiah has been born, 267 00:13:08,400 –> 00:13:09,359 he will have enemies. 268 00:13:10,239 –> 00:13:11,520 He will need to be protected 269 00:13:12,239 –> 00:13:14,400 and I am in a position to give this protection. 270 00:13:15,200 –> 00:13:17,119 So I said, I also need to find him 271 00:13:17,119 –> 00:13:18,559 and of course, if Messiah has come, 272 00:13:18,559 –> 00:13:20,159 I will want to worship him too. 273 00:13:21,280 –> 00:13:22,719 I gave them strict instructions 274 00:13:22,719 –> 00:13:24,000 to continue their search. 275 00:13:24,000 –> 00:13:25,840 After all, why should I bother to do it 276 00:13:25,840 –> 00:13:27,599 when they were already so enthusiastic. 277 00:13:28,400 –> 00:13:30,080 And I told them to report to me 278 00:13:30,080 –> 00:13:31,200 as soon as they found him. 279 00:13:31,919 –> 00:13:34,559 I emphasized the need for confidentiality 280 00:13:35,119 –> 00:13:36,559 and I sent them on their way. 281 00:13:36,559 –> 00:13:38,159 And then just as they were leaving, 282 00:13:38,159 –> 00:13:39,520 I said, oh, by the way, 283 00:13:41,359 –> 00:13:42,719 the star that you mentioned, 284 00:13:42,719 –> 00:13:44,239 when did you first see it? 285 00:13:44,960 –> 00:13:46,400 Well, they said it was about two years ago. 286 00:13:47,679 –> 00:13:48,479 And that gave me the bit of information 287 00:13:48,479 –> 00:13:50,640 that I really wanted 288 00:13:51,200 –> 00:13:51,760 from them. 289 00:13:52,479 –> 00:13:53,359 Two Years. 290 00:13:54,880 –> 00:13:57,359 See now I had a time, 291 00:13:57,359 –> 00:13:58,799 as well as a place. 292 00:13:58,799 –> 00:14:00,400 We were looking for a male child 293 00:14:01,119 –> 00:14:02,080 in Bethlehem 294 00:14:03,520 –> 00:14:05,840 under the age of two. 295 00:14:08,640 –> 00:14:10,479 I had our people watch for the foreigners 296 00:14:10,479 –> 00:14:11,280 when they came back 297 00:14:11,280 –> 00:14:12,960 on their journey home through Jerusalem. 298 00:14:14,080 –> 00:14:15,760 But time passed and they were never seen. 299 00:14:17,760 –> 00:14:18,320 Eventually, 300 00:14:18,320 –> 00:14:20,559 I realized that I had been double-crossed 301 00:14:20,559 –> 00:14:22,719 and that made me mad. 302 00:14:25,039 –> 00:14:26,320 I asked for an estimate 303 00:14:26,320 –> 00:14:27,520 as to how many children 304 00:14:27,520 –> 00:14:29,359 there would be under the age of two 305 00:14:29,359 –> 00:14:30,159 in Bethlehem. 306 00:14:31,039 –> 00:14:32,400 It was just a small town 307 00:14:32,960 –> 00:14:34,479 and I was told probably a dozen, 308 00:14:34,479 –> 00:14:36,159 maybe 20, 30 at the most. 309 00:14:37,599 –> 00:14:39,280 So I called in the security people. 310 00:14:40,559 –> 00:14:42,159 I told them there was a threat 311 00:14:42,159 –> 00:14:43,679 to national security 312 00:14:44,479 –> 00:14:47,679 through a child under the age of two in Bethlehem. 313 00:14:47,679 –> 00:14:50,320 I told them to deal with the problem 314 00:14:50,320 –> 00:14:53,599 which they did with their usual efficiency. 315 00:14:56,880 –> 00:14:58,400 and shortly after that 316 00:14:58,799 –> 00:15:00,719 I died. 317 00:15:03,919 –> 00:15:05,359 That was two thousand years ago. 318 00:15:08,000 –> 00:15:09,760 So I’ve had a lot of time to think 319 00:15:13,039 –> 00:15:15,520 and I see now that I missed 320 00:15:15,520 –> 00:15:17,679 some things that should have been obvious. 321 00:15:20,400 –> 00:15:22,239 I mean this business about the star, 322 00:15:22,239 –> 00:15:23,200 if it was true 323 00:15:24,400 –> 00:15:25,840 then God’s hand was in it. 324 00:15:25,840 –> 00:15:30,080 So in trying to rid the world of Jesus 325 00:15:30,080 –> 00:15:32,880 I was actually fighting God. 326 00:15:34,159 –> 00:15:35,919 The truth is, I still am. 327 00:15:37,679 –> 00:15:39,440 Not because I want to 328 00:15:39,440 –> 00:15:41,679 but because I cannot stop. 329 00:15:46,000 –> 00:15:48,000 And then if Jesus was really 330 00:15:48,000 –> 00:15:51,440 the Messiah promised in the scriptures 331 00:15:51,440 –> 00:15:53,359 why was I trying to destroy him anyway? 332 00:15:54,239 –> 00:15:56,640 Messiah is the light of all people, 333 00:15:56,640 –> 00:15:57,840 the hope of the world. 334 00:15:58,400 –> 00:16:00,080 Why was I fighting the one 335 00:16:00,080 –> 00:16:01,679 who could bring hope? 336 00:16:06,000 –> 00:16:07,359 Of course, my information on 337 00:16:07,359 –> 00:16:08,320 what happened since then 338 00:16:08,320 –> 00:16:09,760 is rather sketchy. 339 00:16:11,520 –> 00:16:13,039 So you probably know more 340 00:16:13,039 –> 00:16:14,960 about this than I do. 341 00:16:16,960 –> 00:16:19,359 But I have been told that he survived, 342 00:16:21,440 –> 00:16:22,799 that he was taken 343 00:16:23,520 –> 00:16:26,320 by his parents out of Bethlehem 344 00:16:26,320 –> 00:16:28,640 and hidden safely in Egypt. 345 00:16:28,640 –> 00:16:30,239 How they knew to take him 346 00:16:30,239 –> 00:16:32,080 out of Bethlehem at that time 347 00:16:32,080 –> 00:16:33,280 is quite beyond me. 348 00:16:35,679 –> 00:16:37,599 I have heard that 30 years later 349 00:16:37,599 –> 00:16:39,200 he began a public ministry, 350 00:16:40,479 –> 00:16:42,320 that he spoke as nobody else 351 00:16:42,320 –> 00:16:43,280 has ever spoken, 352 00:16:44,239 –> 00:16:45,760 that he performed miracles 353 00:16:45,760 –> 00:16:47,840 demonstrating the power of God 354 00:16:47,840 –> 00:16:50,239 touching this sorry world directly. 355 00:16:51,200 –> 00:16:52,719 Of course, our people, 356 00:16:53,760 –> 00:16:54,960 the Herodians, 357 00:16:56,320 –> 00:16:57,840 they worked together 358 00:16:58,640 –> 00:16:59,919 with the Pharisees 359 00:16:59,919 –> 00:17:02,479 to do what I had tried before. 360 00:17:04,160 –> 00:17:05,119 And, in the end, 361 00:17:06,400 –> 00:17:07,439 he was crucified. 362 00:17:10,400 –> 00:17:12,160 But then here’s the astonishing thing. 363 00:17:14,000 –> 00:17:15,040 He rose from the dead. 364 00:17:15,040 –> 00:17:16,319 He rose from the dead. 365 00:17:19,040 –> 00:17:21,040 Rumor down there has it that His name 366 00:17:21,040 –> 00:17:23,199 is being proclaimed all over the earth. 367 00:17:24,479 –> 00:17:25,920 And that those who believe in Him 368 00:17:25,920 –> 00:17:27,199 are finding forgiveness 369 00:17:27,199 –> 00:17:27,839 and hope 370 00:17:27,839 –> 00:17:28,479 and peace 371 00:17:28,479 –> 00:17:29,119 and joy. 372 00:17:31,359 –> 00:17:32,560 You know the strangest thing? 373 00:17:34,079 –> 00:17:36,000 In two thousand years down there, 374 00:17:36,000 –> 00:17:37,520 I have not yet met 375 00:17:37,520 –> 00:17:38,640 a single person 376 00:17:38,640 –> 00:17:40,160 who believes in Him. 377 00:17:41,760 –> 00:17:43,199 There’s a rumor 378 00:17:44,079 –> 00:17:45,920 that one day 379 00:17:45,920 –> 00:17:47,199 we will all see Him 380 00:17:47,199 –> 00:17:48,800 and be brought to an account. 381 00:17:50,319 –> 00:17:51,359 Though no one down there 382 00:17:51,359 –> 00:17:52,319 believes it yet. 383 00:17:55,680 –> 00:17:58,319 I also heard that before He was born 384 00:17:59,199 –> 00:18:01,280 an angel appeared to His mother 385 00:18:02,719 –> 00:18:03,199 and said, 386 00:18:07,800 –> 00:18:08,800 And that always sticks with me, 387 00:18:08,800 –> 00:18:10,239 of course, cause that was my name, 388 00:18:10,239 –> 00:18:12,319 Herod the great. 389 00:18:13,760 –> 00:18:16,800 The frustrating thing you know is that 390 00:18:18,079 –> 00:18:20,000 what I accomplish doesn’t seem 391 00:18:20,000 –> 00:18:23,280 that great now. 392 00:18:23,280 –> 00:18:25,119 You know, I died before the temple 393 00:18:25,119 –> 00:18:26,000 was even finished? 394 00:18:26,959 –> 00:18:28,719 Actually way before it was finished 395 00:18:28,719 –> 00:18:30,400 cause the work seemed to slow down 396 00:18:30,400 –> 00:18:31,199 after I died. 397 00:18:31,199 –> 00:18:35,040 You know it took them another 60 years 398 00:18:35,040 –> 00:18:37,280 to complete the temple after I died. 399 00:18:38,560 –> 00:18:39,839 I mean, you think you have problems 400 00:18:39,839 –> 00:18:40,880 with slow working? 401 00:18:43,760 –> 00:18:44,959 When it was finished 402 00:18:46,000 –> 00:18:48,400 it stood in all its splendor 403 00:18:48,400 –> 00:18:51,920 for just eight years. 404 00:18:54,319 –> 00:18:56,479 And then the Romans raised it to the ground. 405 00:18:57,359 –> 00:18:58,800 They did not leave one 406 00:18:58,800 –> 00:19:00,640 stone on top of another. 407 00:19:02,640 –> 00:19:05,920 So much for my legacy to the world. 408 00:19:08,800 –> 00:19:09,839 So sometimes 409 00:19:09,839 –> 00:19:12,160 I really wonder what came of my life 410 00:19:14,000 –> 00:19:16,719 There is no greatness in Herod 411 00:19:18,800 –> 00:19:20,239 but there is in Jesus. 412 00:19:22,640 –> 00:19:23,760 I find myself thinking 413 00:19:23,760 –> 00:19:26,079 sometimes about something that 414 00:19:26,400 –> 00:19:28,319 Isaiah the prophet said about him, 415 00:19:28,959 –> 00:19:30,719 he will see of the fruit 416 00:19:30,719 –> 00:19:32,000 of the travel of his soul 417 00:19:32,000 –> 00:19:33,680 Isaiah said about Jesus 418 00:19:34,079 –> 00:19:36,160 and he will be satisfied. 419 00:19:37,119 –> 00:19:39,359 I wish with all my heart 420 00:19:39,520 –> 00:19:41,040 I could say that. 421 00:19:44,160 –> 00:19:49,160 Then I think about His name, Jesus. 422 00:19:50,239 –> 00:19:52,719 It means savior, you know that. 423 00:19:54,239 –> 00:19:56,160 Apparently an angel told Joseph 424 00:19:56,160 –> 00:19:58,239 you shall give him the name Jesus 425 00:19:58,400 –> 00:20:01,199 because he will save His people 426 00:20:01,199 –> 00:20:02,880 from their sins. 427 00:20:04,319 –> 00:20:05,199 I gotta tell you, 428 00:20:05,199 –> 00:20:06,760 I never thought very much 429 00:20:06,839 –> 00:20:08,199 throughout my entire life 430 00:20:08,199 –> 00:20:09,319 about sins. 431 00:20:10,079 –> 00:20:11,479 Never gave it a thought. 432 00:20:14,199 –> 00:20:18,119 But now, I live with my sins. 433 00:20:20,000 –> 00:20:22,719 I live in a world of anger 434 00:20:22,719 –> 00:20:25,359 and frustration and regret 435 00:20:25,359 –> 00:20:27,560 and I cannot get out of it 436 00:20:27,560 –> 00:20:30,160 and I cannot get it out of me. 437 00:20:31,439 –> 00:20:32,880 I can’t find no release. 438 00:20:32,880 –> 00:20:35,239 These things consume me. 439 00:20:37,880 –> 00:20:40,479 See, that’s what happens when you die. 440 00:20:41,239 –> 00:20:44,760 Whatever is at the heart of you 441 00:20:44,760 –> 00:20:47,719 becomes the whole of you. 442 00:20:50,680 –> 00:20:55,479 Thing is, it could all have been so different. 443 00:20:57,040 –> 00:20:59,239 It’s clear to me now that Jesus’ mission 444 00:20:59,239 –> 00:21:01,119 was not to take over my throne. 445 00:21:01,119 –> 00:21:03,160 His kingdom is not of this world. 446 00:21:04,959 –> 00:21:07,959 What He could have done is made me a better king. 447 00:21:08,920 –> 00:21:12,079 He could have given me a different eternity. 448 00:21:14,079 –> 00:21:15,420 It seems from what I’m hearing, 449 00:21:15,420 –> 00:21:18,880 that He has done that for millions of others already, 450 00:21:20,260 –> 00:21:21,500 and He’s still doing it. 451 00:21:24,160 –> 00:21:26,959 You know, there is one verse in your Bible 452 00:21:26,959 –> 00:21:31,959 that really haunts me, you probably know it well. 453 00:21:32,400 –> 00:21:34,160 It’s the one that says, 454 00:21:34,219 –> 00:21:36,000 the one that says, 455 00:21:36,000 –> 00:21:38,560 He came to his own, 456 00:21:39,900 –> 00:21:43,719 but his own received him not. 457 00:21:43,719 –> 00:21:44,979 See, that’s my story. 458 00:21:46,800 –> 00:21:48,099 I was one of His own, 459 00:21:49,979 –> 00:21:52,339 and I did not receive Him. 460 00:21:54,800 –> 00:21:57,520 Now, I find myself like someone standing 461 00:21:57,520 –> 00:22:00,079 in the rain outside a large house 462 00:22:00,079 –> 00:22:01,839 filled with light and music, 463 00:22:01,880 –> 00:22:04,319 where people are enjoying the party. 464 00:22:04,319 –> 00:22:07,400 I hear the music of sin’s forgiven, 465 00:22:07,400 –> 00:22:11,920 but I am outside and I cannot get in. 466 00:22:15,300 –> 00:22:19,479 He came to His own and His own received Him not. 467 00:22:21,859 –> 00:22:22,699 But 468 00:22:24,319 –> 00:22:26,780 to as many as receive Him, 469 00:22:27,800 –> 00:22:31,260 He gives the right to become children of God. 470 00:22:32,699 –> 00:22:35,760 Some of you of course already know 471 00:22:35,760 –> 00:22:38,680 far more about this than I every will. 472 00:22:40,000 –> 00:22:43,140 But even I can see now that God was reaching out 473 00:22:43,140 –> 00:22:46,040 to every person in Jesus, 474 00:22:46,040 –> 00:22:47,660 and that those who welcome Him 475 00:22:47,660 –> 00:22:50,239 enter into a new relationship with Him 476 00:22:50,239 –> 00:22:54,199 that begins now and will continue into all eternity. 477 00:22:54,199 –> 00:22:56,239 It will change the nature of death, 478 00:22:56,239 –> 00:23:00,339 it will change the destiny that lyes beyond for you. 479 00:23:02,839 –> 00:23:04,140 I could have welcomed Him, 480 00:23:06,500 –> 00:23:07,699 I could have believed in Him, 481 00:23:07,699 –> 00:23:09,780 I could have worshipped Him, 482 00:23:09,780 –> 00:23:12,560 I could have been with Him now. 483 00:23:15,839 –> 00:23:20,819 It’s like all your life, He’s reaching out to you. 484 00:23:22,359 –> 00:23:24,199 But then when you pass beyond death, 485 00:23:24,199 –> 00:23:26,660 He becomes beyond your reach. 486 00:23:27,599 –> 00:23:29,160 So I wish with all my heart 487 00:23:29,160 –> 00:23:32,739 that I could be where you are right now. 488 00:23:36,020 –> 00:23:38,060 And if I could be where you are right now, 489 00:23:38,060 –> 00:23:39,280 this is what I would do. 490 00:23:39,280 –> 00:23:42,640 I would say to Him in simple faith, 491 00:23:42,640 –> 00:23:45,380 whatever this life is, take it. 492 00:23:47,780 –> 00:23:49,979 Make it what you want it to be. 493 00:23:51,020 –> 00:23:53,239 Make me one of you children, 494 00:23:54,219 –> 00:23:56,760 Make me one of your children 495 00:23:56,760 –> 00:24:00,160 and lead me into your everlasting life. 496 00:24:03,160 –> 00:24:05,339 By the way, I’ve been told 497 00:24:08,140 –> 00:24:10,560 that every one of those children 498 00:24:10,560 –> 00:24:14,560 whose lives were taken in Bethlehem are with Him 499 00:24:16,900 –> 00:24:20,859 and even now the full potential of every life 500 00:24:20,859 –> 00:24:22,439 is being fulfilled. 501 00:24:24,219 –> 00:24:28,000 I’ve been told that there are already there 502 00:24:28,000 –> 00:24:30,359 more people then anyone could number 503 00:24:30,359 –> 00:24:32,979 and that many, many more are coming. 504 00:24:32,979 –> 00:24:35,479 I hope you will be among them. 505 00:24:39,959 –> 00:24:41,800 It’s too late for me, 506 00:24:45,339 –> 00:24:47,599 it is not too late for you.