The Slaughter of the Holy Innocents

The Magi saw the miraculous star in the east announcing the birth of the King of the Jews. They followed the star to the Jewish capital city. It made sense that the King of the Jews would be born in the palace in Jerusalem.

The Magi asked King Herod, "Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him" (Matthew 2:2). King Herod was alarmed because he had a paranoid fear of rivals. The citizens of Jerusalem were alarmed because they knew the violent actions Herod was capable of (Matthew 2:3).

The Magi's expensive gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh were welcome gifts for the poor family. They would help fund their flight to Egypt. The Magi were warned in a dream not to return to Jerusalem because of Herod.

"After the Wise Men were gone, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to Joseph in a dream. He said, 'Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, because Herod will search for the child to kill him.' Joseph got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and left for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod" (Matthew 2:13-15).

"When Herod realized he had been outwitted by the Wise Men, he was furious. He issued orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding countryside, from two years old and under" (Matthew 2:16).

We have celebrated the joy of Christmas birth. That joy is shattered with the slaughter of the baby boys in Bethlehem ages two and under. December 28 is an annual reminder designated as the Feast of the Holy Innocents. The gleeful violence of a tyrannical king smashes the idyllic nativity scenes we have in our homes. The "Silent Night" we sang about a few nights ago is broken by the sound of soldiers' marching boots. The wailing of mothers for their children replaces the heralding of the angels.

We shouldn't be surprised by this evil. We shouldn't be shocked by this violence. This is the way Satan always operates. In Revelation 12, St. John writes about how Satan is pictured as a red seven-headed dragon. The dragon pursues the woman and her child. The woman is the Christian Church. God removes her to safety. The dragon then pursues the child, who is Jesus. But he ascends to heaven. So, the dragon turns his attention to the woman's children – Christians/us. "The dragon was angry about what had happened to the woman, and he went away to make war against the rest of her children—those who keep the commandments of God and who hold on to the testimony about Jesus" (Revelation 12:17).

Satan continues to make war against Christians. This is the way it has always been. Christians captured and threatened to blaspheme Christ and then forced to convert to a pagan religion. If they don't convert, the men are beheaded, the women are raped, and the children are taken as slaves. That's brutal – especially with children here. Trust me, that's the sanitized version.

Satan will always find willing allies. Herod had killed one of his wives, along with her grandfather, her mother-in-law, a brother-in-law, plus three of his own sons. Herod was willing to kill a lot of people to protect his throne. Slaughtering a dozen or two infant boys fits with his evil character.

Satan continues to find willing allies in Muslims around the world. Today we start the adding of a petition in the Prayer of the Church for our Christian siblings being persecuted by Islamic groups, governments, and family members. We begin with Afghanistan and will go through Yemen.

In the beginning of November, 315 school children were kidnapped by gunmen from a Catholic school in Nigeria. By God's grace, 230 of those children were recently rescued from terror and death. Many those kidnapped remain in captivity. On Thursday, the U.S. government, with approval from the Nigerian government, conducted several military strikes on Islamic State terrorists for their violence against Christians.

I don't know how you feel about President Trump. At least, he's one U.S. President who cares about protecting Christians around the globe. Personally, I appreciate his use of the sword of vengeance granted him by God. The government is meant to bring terror on terrorists. "[The government] is God's servant for your benefit. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because he does not carry the sword without reason. He is God's servant, a punisher to bring wrath on the wrongdoer" (Romans 13:4). I even appreciate President Trump's sarcasm, because it reminds me of the divine sarcasm of God and his Old Testament prophets. Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, "Merry Christmas to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues."

Satan has always worked this way. The dragon seeks to devour Christ and his Church. From Eden to Bethlehem to Nigeria to America. His footsteps through history are filled with blood. As soon as light comes into the world, he tries to snuff it out. As soon as life enters the world, he tries to end it. If he can't get to Christ, he will come after those who look like Christ … even if that means little baby boys.

The Babylon Bee, which is a Christian satire site, published an article this week entitled, "10 Clear Signs of Christian Persecution to Look For this Christmas." Here are my top 3 from the article:

1. Someone responded "Happy Holidays" after you told them "Merry Christmas": Protect your children's ears from this horrible slur.

2. The house across the street put up an inflatable Santa Claus instead of an inflatable Baby Jesus: An obvious display of anti-Christian bigotry.

3. Your sister-in-law only brought gluten-free desserts to Christmas dinner: Has she no fear of the Lord?!

That article was sponsored by Christian Freedom International. They wrote at the bottom of the article: "Not Satire: Every day, courageous believers face unimaginable persecution for their faith. The massive numbers of persecuted Christians can be overwhelming. Begin the new year by committing to pray for persecuted Christians. A church celebrating Christmas despite death threats. Teens gathering in a destroyed church to study the Bible. Survivors of massacres gaining confidence through job training. They aren't statistics. They are individual Christians experiencing God's faithfulness in dark places. And your prayers and support sustain them."

One example of real persecution here in America happened last week in San Francisco. Anastasia Rogers is an organizer for Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust. She's a former atheist who became a Christian in 2023. She's passionate about fighting for the unborn. Anastasia was handcuffed and taken into custody by the San Francisco police for distributing pregnancy resource pamphlets outside a Planned Parenthood facility. She was not obstructing access, making threats, or violating the law. The arrest was based on a false allegation from an on-duty Planned Parenthood security guard.

Satan allies himself with media and Hollywood. You don't hear these stories of persecution of Christians in America or around the world in the legacy media. Why not? Because they have a secular or even a satanic worldview. Hollywood recently cast a lesbian black woman to play the Jewish Son of God in a play. Hollywood doesn't do that with Islam, Buddhism, or any other world religion. Why not? Because they are friends with these pagan, demonic religions. They are terrified of Christianity. They must mock and destroy Christ. They realize he's the one true Son of God. Since they can't get to him, they'll mock and try to destroy Christianity. The allies of Satan desire the extermination of Christians. It's similar to the slaughter of the Holy Innocents in Bethlehem two millennia ago.

It might seem unfair that these Holy Innocents in Bethlehem died. It may appear that the baby boys of Bethlehem died to save Jesus – that they gave their blood that he might escape. It was really the other way around. Jesus grew up to give his life and blood for them … and for all humanity. He didn't give up his life to Herod in the Bethlehem house. He was waiting to give up his life to Pilate on the Jerusalem cross. Though believing children who have died may no longer be cradled in the arms of their mothers, they are cradled in the arms of God. Though baptized infants may die, yet now they really live! Though martyrs continue to die for their connection to Christ, Christ rewards them with an eternal connection with him in heaven. All these saints receive a life greater than the one they lost.

This Christmas it isn't important what kind of sweaters, socks, video games or jewelry we had wrapped for us under the tree. Instead, we find our riches in the divinity of God wrapped in human flesh. Our riches are found in the Son of God becoming the adopted Son of Joseph so we might become the adopted sons and daughters of God. This adoption took place when we were marked with the cross as redeemed children of God in the holy waters of our Baptism. On that day we died to sin and were raised to a new life – a new life as a child of God, a Holy Innocent, in the forgiveness of our sins. A new life where each day is Christmas Day, as Christ is born in us and we in him. A new life that however, whenever, and wherever our life ends, we will be cradled in the arms of our Father in heaven.

There is joy amidst this tragedy of slaughter and persecution. God kept the Holy Family safe from Satan and his allies. Jesus was kept safe until the time was right for him to die – not to keep King Herod on his throne but to die so that all of us with faith in our Savior might receive a place around King Jesus' throne. We find our joy, not in presents under the Christmas tree, but in God's present of the Son of God hanging upon the tree of the cross. We find our pleasure, not in open gifts, but in the open grave. We find our peace, not in family feasts, but in the feasts and festivals of the Christian Church, like the Feast of the Holy Innocents.

The story of the Holy Innocents doesn't spoil the spirit of Christmas. Rather, it teaches us something about Christmas. Though these children did not sing like the angels or bring gifts like the Magi or worship like the shepherds – nevertheless, it is perhaps in them that we can most see ourselves in this story. We learn from them to fix our eyes on the Holy Innocent One – who will lay down his life and shed his blood that we might live. We see the heel now wrapped in swaddling clothes will come down upon the serpent's head, to set us free. We see a Savior kept safe for a time so that he might keep us safe for all time. The Holy Innocent One transforms us into his Holy Innocent ones, willing to lay down our lives for him, for he has laid down his life for us.

We learn a few things on this Feast of the Holy Innocents. Pray for the persecuted. Support ministry and financial aid for those who are hurting and being hurt because of their connection to Christ. Stop listening to and supporting institutions that hate you – phone companies, banks, stores, media, entertainment, video game manufacturers, social media companies, and so on. Find companies and media who are Christian and support Christian causes.

Stand up for your faith. Speak up. Be bold. Be prepared to be threatened, fired, doxed, canceled, and arrested for your Christian stance against pagan propaganda. Satan and his allies are afraid of you. They know they can't get to Christ. So, they are coming after you. They won't admit it, but deep down, they are afraid when you stand up because they are ultimately afraid of who stands beside you. They know all this. The Baby in the manger is also the King on his throne. The Lamb crucified on the cross is the victorious lion of Judah. The Jesus they mock and taunt as a humble preacher will come again with divine vengeance and eternal wrath.

They are like King Herod. They are paranoid of rivals. Jesus Christ is the rival to the pagan gods they worship. That's why they war and rage, taunt and terrorize. But they can't do anything to you. Not really. You gladly carry your cross for Christ. You welcome persecution in Christ's name. You rejoice in suffering for Christ's sake. You accept death. For then you will be named as a martyr with the Holy Innocents. Amen.