Perhaps, I have too much time on my hands.

Some years ago, in compiling some notes on the Gospel of Matthew for my Monday Night Bible Class in Riverton, I began a serious look at the House of the Herod.

At that time, however, I bit off more than I could chew, as the more I looked into that house, the bigger and more confusing it became. Which Herod was being referred to in a particular verse? The Herod of Matthew 2 (the Great) is not, for example, the same Herod in Matthew 14 (the Tetrarch).

Then there was the nightmare of trying to lay out the House of Herod in an orderly, easy-to-understand format. I had seen various charts of his family tree in books and even online, but none of them made any sense in my admittedly feeble mind.

Lately, I have again looked at this house for my Wednesday Morning Bible Study here at Concordia. I’m getting a much better handle on it this time around, although, admittedly, it is still a work in progress.

One may wonder, why spend so much time on a single household in Scripture? The answer is simple: The name of "Herod" is inexorably linked to the birth, life and death of Jesus Christ. There was a Herod (the Great) when He was born, and there was a Herod (the Tetrarch) when He was crucified. One wanted Him dead, the other saw Him dead.

In a word, the name of "Herod" fits into the history of the New Testament, perhaps like no other figure ever has. Knowing which Herod is being referred to in a particular verse is invaluable in understanding this history.

This is why the countless revisions, re-writes and even rejections in trying to make sense of the House of Herod the Great, or as I like to call him, "The Grinch Who Tried to Steal Christmas."

Pastor Michael Koschmann