junior year two – law lesson the ruthless ruler herod: 27 · athlete!” today we are going to...
TRANSCRIPT
Lesson 27 - Page 1 Copyright © 2006 by Berean Bible Society, Germantown, WI 53022
Lesson
Herod:The Ruthless Ruler
Jum
p-St
art Q
uest
ions
1.Fo
r Who
m h
ad Is
rael
bee
n w
aitin
g m
any
year
s?2.
How
cou
ld o
ne b
e co
nsid
ered
a “t
rue”
Jew
?3.
Wha
t mak
es a
kin
g a
“true
” kin
g?4.
Wha
t w
as t
he p
urpo
se o
f Je
sus’
firs
tco
min
g?
Permission is given to photocopy this page as a ready reference while teaching your class or club.
Intr
oduc
tory
Sto
ry–
“Wha
t’s M
ost I
mpo
rtan
t?”
(Vis
ual A
ids
J2-L
27-S
1 th
roug
h J2
-L27
-S4)
Mai
n Le
sson
Jum
p-St
art Q
uest
ions
1. W
aitin
g fo
r the
Tru
e Ki
ng
(Luk
e 1:
32)
(V
isua
l Aid
J2-
L27-
1)2.
Not
a T
rue
King
(E
xodu
s 20
:4)
(V
isua
l Aid
J2-
L27-
2)3.
The
Birt
h of
the
True
Kin
g
(Mat
thew
2:2
b,3,
5-6,
8,13
b,16
)
(Vis
ual A
ids
J2-L
27-3
and
J2-
L27-
4)
Obj
ect L
esso
n: “F
ree
Acce
ss”
Cro
ssin
g th
e Fi
nish
Lin
e
Sum
mar
yKi
ng H
erod
was
a ru
ler o
ver t
he la
nd o
f Jud
ea a
t the
tim
eJe
sus
was
bor
n. H
e w
as a
rut
hles
s le
ader
. If
he t
houg
htso
meo
ne m
ight
pre
sent
a th
reat
to h
is le
ader
ship
, he
had
them
kille
d. H
e w
as a
fraid
that
the
baby
Jes
us m
ight
be
ath
reat
to h
im, s
o he
ord
ered
that
all
Jew
ish
boys
und
er th
e ag
eof
two
be k
illed
to m
ake
sure
he
wou
ld k
ill Je
sus.
But
Her
odw
asn’
t nea
rly a
s gr
eat a
s G
od, s
o th
e pl
an fa
iled.
Gos
pel P
rese
ntat
ion
Sata
n an
d m
any
impo
rtant
peo
ple
thro
ugho
ut h
isto
ry h
ave
tried
to ru
in G
od’s
pla
n fo
r man
kind
. But
no
one
is a
s gr
eat a
sG
od, s
o w
e ca
n be
ass
ured
that
His
pla
n w
ill pr
evai
l. W
e ca
nkn
ow fo
r sur
e th
at w
e w
ill sp
end
eter
nity
in h
eave
n if
we
trust
in th
e fin
ishe
d w
ork
of th
e C
ross
. Why
? Be
caus
e it’
s G
od’s
plan
, and
no
one
is g
reat
eno
ugh
to c
hang
e G
od’s
pla
n.
App
licat
ion
Her
od w
as ru
thle
ss a
nd c
ruel
bec
ause
his
kin
gshi
p w
as th
em
ost i
mpo
rtant
thin
g in
his
life
. He
dest
roye
d an
yone
who
got
in h
is w
ay. W
hat i
s m
ost i
mpo
rtant
to y
ou?
If th
e Bi
ble
told
the
stor
y of
you
r life
, wou
ld it
be
a st
ory
of g
reat
thin
gs d
one
byG
od th
roug
h yo
u? O
r wou
ld it
be
a st
ory
of g
reed
, cru
elty
, and
veng
eanc
e ag
ains
t you
r ene
mie
s?
Mem
ory
Vers
e“G
reat
is
the
Lord
, an
d gr
eatly
to
bepr
aise
d; a
nd h
is g
reat
ness
is u
nsea
rcha
ble.
”
P
salm
145
:3
Vers
e Rev
iew G
ame -
“Pra
ise P
hras
es”
Revie
w the
verse
seve
ral ti
mes w
ith th
e clas
s. W
rite th
e ver
seon
the b
oard
(or o
n thr
ee pi
eces
of pa
per)
dividi
ng th
e ver
se at
the p
unctu
ation
mar
ks to
mak
e thr
ee p
hras
es. S
elect
three
stude
nts an
d give
them
each
one p
art o
f the v
erse
. Ask
each
ofthe
m, “H
ow gr
eat is
God
?” H
ave t
hem
answ
er w
ith th
eir po
rtion
of the
verse
. Con
tinue
with
rema
ining
stud
ents
until
verse
and
refer
ence
are r
ecite
d eas
ily.
Less
on T
hem
eTh
ere
is n
o on
e gr
eate
r tha
n G
od.
Visu
al A
ids
J2-L
27-1
thro
ugh
J2-L
27-4
J2
-L27
-BB
J2
-L27
-S1
thro
ugh
J2-L
27-S
4
Supp
lies
St
anda
rd s
uppl
ies
Ta
ke H
ome
Shee
t J2-
L27
AO
L di
sc
Clu
e “K
illed”
OU
TLIN
EJunior Year Two – LAW
27
Lesson 27 - Page 2 Copyright © 2006 by Berean Bible Society, Germantown, WI 53022
Permission is given to photocopy this page as a ready reference while teaching your class or club.
Revie
w Qu
estio
n Ga
me –
“Her
od’s
Enem
ies”
Rese
rve a
portio
n of th
e clas
sroom
to be
the a
rena
(like
the a
rena
that
Hero
d use
d to l
ock
up hi
s pris
oner
s). A
sk th
e stud
ents
indivi
duall
y the
follo
wing
revie
w qu
estio
ns. F
or ev
ery
incor
rect
answ
er, t
he s
tuden
t mus
t rep
ort t
o the
are
na. F
or e
ach
corre
ct an
swer
, the
stude
nt ha
s the
opti
on o
f fre
eing
all th
e stu
dents
held
in th
e ar
ena
(like
Hero
d’s si
ster).
The
stude
nt mu
st de
cide
to fre
e or
retai
n all
the
priso
ners
befor
e the
nex
t que
stion
isas
ked,
or th
e opti
on is
over
. Plea
se fr
ee al
l of th
e stud
ents
at the
end o
f clas
s!
REVI
EW Q
UEST
IONS
1. W
hat d
id G
od’s
law sa
y in
Exod
us 20
:4 ab
out w
orsh
ipin
g gr
aven
imag
es?
(The
Jews
wer
e not
to ma
ke an
y gra
ven i
mage
s—no
t in th
e like
ness
of an
ything
in he
aven
, ear
th, or
in th
e wate
rs un
der t
he ea
rth.)
2. W
hat d
id th
e Ma
gi o
r wise
men
ask
Kin
g He
rod
when
they
visi
ted
him
?(W
here
is H
e tha
t is bo
rn K
ing of
the J
ews?
)3.
Whe
re d
id th
e chi
ef p
riest
and
Jewi
sh sc
ribes
say t
hat t
he C
hrist
was
to b
ebo
rn?
(In B
ethleh
em of
Jude
a.)4.
Wha
t did
Her
od te
ll the
wise
men
to d
o wh
en th
ey fo
und
the b
aby J
esus
?(T
hey
were
to te
ll him
whe
re to
find
the
baby
Jes
us s
o tha
t he
could
go
and
worsh
ip Hi
m als
o.)5.
Nam
e two
thin
gs w
e lea
rn fr
om th
e Bib
le ab
out l
ying.
(God
cann
ot lie
. Sata
nis
the fa
ther o
f all l
ies. W
e are
NOT
to lie
.)6.
Wha
t gift
s di
d th
e wi
se m
en b
ring
to th
e yo
ung
child
, Jes
us?
(Gold
,fra
nkinc
ense
, and
myrr
h.)7.
Both
the w
ise m
en an
d Jo
seph
rece
ived
mes
sage
s fro
m G
od in
a dr
eam
.W
hat w
ere t
hey t
old
to d
o?(T
he w
ise m
en w
ere t
o retu
rn ho
me a
differ
ent w
ayan
d no
t to
visit H
erod
. Jos
eph
was t
o tak
e Je
sus a
nd H
is mo
ther a
nd fle
e to
Egyp
t bec
ause
Her
od w
anted
to ki
ll the
child
.)8.
Wha
t cru
el pl
an d
id H
erod
inve
nt w
hen
he d
iscov
ered
that
the w
ise m
enwe
nt h
ome w
ithou
t rep
ortin
g th
e loc
atio
n of
Jesu
s? (H
e ord
ered
all c
hildr
entw
o yea
rs old
and u
nder
to be
kille
d. He
thou
ght th
is wo
uld su
rely
kill th
e bab
ytha
t was
to be
King
of th
e Jew
s.)9.
True
or F
alse:
Her
od tr
ied h
is be
st to
des
troy t
he tr
ue “K
ing
of th
e Jew
s,”bu
t he c
ould
not
stop
God
’s pl
an fr
om b
eing
fulfi
lled.
(Tru
e)10
. W
ise m
en fo
llowe
d a s
tar,
and
Hero
d se
arch
ed to
find
Jesu
s. To
day,
how
can
we h
ave
acce
ss to
God
?(B
eliev
e or
trus
t in th
e Lo
rd Je
sus C
hrist
, His
death
, bur
ial, a
nd re
surre
ction
.)
LEA
RN
ING
& R
EVIE
W A
CTI
VITI
ESOb
ject L
esso
n –“
Free
Acc
ess”
Supp
lies:
An A
OL di
sc (T
hese
are f
ree a
t any
offic
e/com
puter
supp
ly sto
re)
Most
of yo
u hav
e pro
bably
seen
one o
f thes
e in y
our m
ailbo
x. Th
is is
a com
puter
disc
give
naw
ay b
y Ame
rica
Onlin
e or
AOL
. You
can
get o
ne o
f the
se fr
ee a
t a co
mpute
r or o
ffice
supp
ly sto
re if
you
have
n’t re
ceive
d on
e in
the m
ail. I
f I p
ut thi
s disc
in m
y com
puter
and
instal
l the p
rogr
am, it
will
allow
me t
o hav
e fre
e acc
ess t
o the
Inter
net a
nd e-
mail a
nd al
l of
the b
enefi
ts of
AOL
memb
ersh
ip for
up
to 90
day
s. Bu
t afte
r tha
t I w
ill ha
ve to
pay
for
acce
ss. A
OL se
nds o
ut the
se di
scs a
s an i
nvita
tion t
o try
their s
ervic
e.
God s
ends
out in
vitati
ons l
ike th
ese d
iscs t
o peo
ple th
roug
h fait
hful b
eliev
ers a
nd th
roug
hHi
s Wor
d. Ev
ery d
ay, H
e is p
leadin
g thr
ough
us fo
r peo
ple to
acce
ss he
aven
. All y
ou ha
veto
do to
acce
ss he
aven
is be
lieve
that
Jesu
s died
on th
e Cro
ss fo
r you
r sins
, was
burie
d,an
d ros
e aga
in the
third
day.
If you
belie
ve th
at Ch
rist p
aid th
e pric
e for
your
sins
, you
have
direc
t acc
ess t
o God
and c
an en
joy al
l the b
enefi
ts of
salva
tion a
nd he
aven
for f
ree!
After
90da
ys, t
his a
cces
s is
still
free.
In fac
t, Ch
rist p
aid fo
r eve
ryone
to h
ave
free
acce
ssFO
REVE
R. H
ave y
ou tr
usted
Chr
ist? D
o you
have
acce
ss to
God
? Or h
ave y
ou di
scar
ded
your
invit
ation
like y
ou w
ould
an A
OL di
sc?
In o
ur l
ast
less
on,
we
lear
ned
abou
t an
ord
inar
y or
phan
girl
tur
ned
extra
ordi
nary
que
en! D
o yo
u re
mem
ber
her
nam
e? T
hat’s
rig
ht, i
t was
Esth
er,
the
niec
e of
Mor
deca
i. Ki
ng A
hasu
erus
det
hron
ed h
is q
ueen
,Va
shti,
bec
ause
she
wou
ld n
ot p
arad
e he
r bea
uty
in fr
ont o
f his
gue
sts.
Beau
tiful
wom
en fr
om a
roun
d th
e ki
ngdo
m w
ere
brou
ght i
nto
the
cast
le to
audi
tion
for t
he jo
b of
que
en.
The
king
love
d Es
ther
mor
e th
an a
ll th
e ot
her w
omen
and
cho
se h
er to
be
quee
n of
Per
sia.
Est
her’s
unc
le, M
orde
cai,
was
a g
atek
eepe
r at t
he k
ing’
sco
urt,
but n
eith
er E
sthe
r or M
orde
cai t
old
anyo
ne th
at th
ey w
ere
rela
ted.
The
king
’s ri
ght-h
and
man
, Ham
aan,
was
a c
once
ited
snob
. He
insi
sted
that
eve
ryon
e w
ho w
orke
d at
the
cour
t mus
t bow
to h
im. B
ut M
orde
cai
wou
ld n
ot b
ow to
him
, and
it a
nger
ed H
amaa
n gr
eatly
. So
Ham
aan
plot
ted
to k
ill M
orde
cai b
y ki
lling
all o
f the
Jew
s in
the
king
dom
. He
pres
ente
d hi
sde
viou
s pl
an to
the
king
in a
way
that
mad
e th
e ki
ng th
ink
that
he
wou
ldga
in lo
ts o
f mon
ey w
hile
elim
inat
ing
evil-
doer
s. T
he k
ing
agre
ed to
the
plan
,no
t kno
win
g th
at h
is q
ueen
, Est
her,
was
a J
ew. A
ccor
ding
to th
e pl
an,
Esth
er, M
orde
cai,
and
all o
f the
Jew
s w
ould
be
kille
d.
Esth
er w
as in
a p
ositi
on to
do
som
ethi
ng to
sav
e he
rsel
f and
her
peo
ple,
but s
he w
as a
fraid
to a
ppro
ach
the
king
bec
ause
she
cou
ld b
e ki
lled.
Esth
er p
raye
d an
d w
as b
rave
and
app
roac
hed
the
king
. H
e or
dere
dH
amaa
n an
d hi
s te
n so
ns to
be
hang
ed!
He
coul
d no
t cha
nge
the
law
he
had
mad
e, b
ut t
he k
ing
mad
e a
new
law
tha
t th
e Je
ws
coul
d de
fend
them
selv
es. G
od u
sed
Esth
er to
sav
e H
is p
eopl
e!
REV
IEW
LA
ST W
EEK
'S L
ESSO
N
Lesson 27 - Page 3 Copyright © 2006 by Berean Bible Society, Germantown, WI 53022
“What’s Most Important?”
“What now?” asked Tim.
“What do you mean?” asked David.
“You’ve solved the mystery! What’s next?” sighed Tim.
“There was a note and a new map with the last clue! So we’ve got another mystery to solve!” exclaimed David.
“What did it say?” asked Tim.
“Here goes,” answered David. “It says, ‘Dear David, Congratulations! You figured out the mystery! What a wonderfulMystery we have in Christ! I have another mystery for you to find. The clues are hidden in a rural family place. What’smost important? Herod wasn’t all he seemed to be. His throne was most important to him. He had the chance to meetthe Lord of the universe and honor the King of the Jews. But he chose something different. He had all the children(blank) because of his fear. He was afraid to lose what was most important to him. Look up where the animal feed iskept. Look for the place where the sun comes in. Herod did a horrible thing to keep what was important to him. It soundslike Herod never figured out what was important. What’s the most important to you? Love, Grandpa.’ ”
“Wonder what that means?” asked Tim. “Is there anything on the back?”
“You’re right! It’s a bunch of letters with some numbers at the bottom,” answered David.
“It’s a code!” cried Tim. “I know! The first number is the line and the other number is the letter!”
“Let’s try it!” answered David. “Let’s see–the first letter is the 21st letter on the 3rd line.”
“That’s ‘K’!” yelled Tim. “And the second one is line four: letter three!”
“That would be an ‘I’!” said David. “The next one’s on the first line: letter 28.”
“That’s ‘L’!” called Tim. “Next is line two: letter five.”
“Got it!” called David. “Another ‘L’! That spells ‘KILL’.”
“Could that be right?” asked Tim. “We better check the rest. Line five: letter five. That’s an ‘E’!”
“The last one’s line six: letter eight. That’s ‘D’, so the clue is ‘KILLED’!” said David.
“How’s that work?” asked Tim.
“Now I remember! King Herod ordered all the children in Bethlehem to be killed because he was afraid of the LordJesus—he was afraid for his kingdom,” explained David.
“Wow! Herod killed all those kids just to save his throne?” gasped Tim. “That’s awful! But I still don’t see where the clueis.”
“Well, the ‘rural family place’ must be Uncle Matt’s farm,” suggested David. “It’s not far from here. It says all the clues arethere! Let’s go!”
Soon Tim and David arrived at Uncle Matt’s farm. “Where do you think we’ll find it?” asked Tim.
“It says to look where the feed is kept. The hay for the animals is kept in the loft in the barn!” called David. “Let’s go!”
“Next it says to look where the sun comes in. Is that the window?” asked Tim.
“Sounds right to me!” answered David. “Hey look—up above the window. There’s something taped to that board.”
“Got it!” exclaimed Tim. “We’re right! The clue is killed! But why does your grandfather ask about what’s important?”
“I think Grandpa is trying to tell us that Herod tried to kill Jesus because his position was moreimportant to him than meeting the Savior of the world!” answered David. “Jesus Christ shouldhave been most important to him and to everyone!” said David.
“I’m going to make sure He’s most important in MY life,” said Tim quietly.
“Me too,” answered David.
INTRODUCTION
Show Visual Aids J2-L27-S1 and S2
Show Visual Aid J2-L27-S4
Show Visual Aid J2-L27-S3
Lesson 27 - Page 4 Copyright © 2006 by Berean Bible Society, Germantown, WI 53022
JUMP START QUESTIONS
1. For Whom had Israel been waiting many years?2. How could one be considered a “true” Jew?3. What makes a king a “true” king?4. What was the purpose of Jesus’ first coming?
Let's ask God to help us find the answers in His Word to these important questions. (Pray)
LESSON
1) Waiting for the True King
Israel was waiting. They had been waiting for thousands of years. God had promised to sendthem a King. He would come from the family of Abraham and He would sit on the throne ofDavid. His kingdom would be established in righteousness and it would never end (Isaiah 9:6-7; 2 Samuel 7:16). Exactly for Whom were they waiting? The Lord Jesus Christ!
Luke 1:32, emphasis added – “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of theHighest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father, David.”
The Bible said that He would be a great king. Even though He has not yet set up His kingdom,we know that this is true.
“Great” is a word that we use a lot today, usually when we are referring to someone veryimportant or famous. And we often use it in a positive way such as, “That guy is a greatathlete!” Today we are going to talk about a man whom historians call Herod the Great. We aregoing to look at his history and see what the Bible says about him. Then we will decide if hereally deserved to be called “great.”
According to history books, Herod was given the title “King of the Jews” at a time when theRoman government ruled the civilized world. This was rather strange because Herod wasn’treally a true king or a true Jew.
2) Not a True King
To learn something of Herod’s background we have to go back many years to the time whenthe nation of Israel got started. God called Abraham, his son Isaac, and his son Jacob to bethe fathers of the nation. And Jacob had a twin brother, Esau. Remember him? He was thehairy hunter that gave up his birthright for a bowl of stew (Genesis 25:34). Esau chose to live alife apart from the Lord in the Land of Edom (Genesis 32:3). Herod’s father was a descendentof old greedy Esau and his mother was an Arabian princess. So even though Herod had comefrom Abraham’s family, he was not considered to be a true Jew.
Herod was made the military leader of Galilee because his dad gave him the job. He quicklylearned that the way to move up in the Roman government was to get along with the emperor.It worked. He soon became “king” over the land of Judea. But he didn’t have absolute powerlike most kings. He had to do what the Roman leaders told him. One of his most important jobswas to keep the Jews in line. If the Jewish people became unhappy and troublesome, theemperor would think Herod couldn’t handle them. Then the Roman army might come in andremove him from power. He had to be very careful. He was a king that was not truly a king!
During his reign he made many improvements throughout the land. He built a new marketarea, an amphitheater, and created a new sea port. In order to impress the Jews, he even hada new building made for the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious leaders. And he rebuilt theTemple, their center of worship. Some say he made it even more beautiful than it was before ithad been destroyed years before.
MAIN LESSON
Show Visual Aid J2-L27-1
Show Visual Aid J2-L27-2
&JUDGMENT! That word makes us uncomfortable, uneasy, maybe even a bit afraid. Nonetheless, God’s Word speaks much about JUDGMENT. The scriptures warn us that JUDGMENT is coming for those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ! Open your Bible to Revelation 20:2727. Here God tells us in easy-to-understand language about the JUDGMENT that is coming for the unsaved. This is called the Great White Throne Judgment.
Revelation 20:2727 - “And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.”
God revealed to the Apostle John the events that will take place at the Great White Throne. John actually SAW what would happen, and it wasn’t a pretty picture! He must have shook in his boots as he witnessed the coming judgment that awaits the unsaved. As we study these scriptures, we should shake in our boots, too! We will want to make sure we know Christ as Savior…and then we’ll want to speak to family and friends about their need of trusting Christ before it’s too late!
27. The Place of Judgment
John describes the place of judgment in terrifying terms—a Great White Throne! There will be no pleading Savior with outstretched arms here. There will be no singing angels here. There will be no celebration here. No! Judgment is coming for the unsaved at the Great White Throne.
2. The Presence of the Judge
Why is this throne great? It’s great because of the Person who sits upon it. The All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Creator of the Universe sits there. The Judge of all judges, the King of all kings, the Lord of all lords, the most important One in the universe sits there! The Lord Jesus Christ is the One Who sits on the Throne. The same One Who once was placed on trial, falsely accused, cursed, spat upon, and whipped. The One who was nailed to the cross and crucified! Now HE sits on the Great White Throne as the Judge of all who have rejected Him.
John 27:22 - “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed ALL judgment unto the Son.”
Why is this throne white? White speaks of purity, of righteousness, of justice. When the LORD of the Universe hands down His awful sentence, it will be fair—exactly what the unbelieving sinners deserve. No one, absolutely no one, will argue with this Judge. There will be no appeals. The Judge’s Word will be final. Terrified sinners may attempt to escape from this courtroom, but there will be no place to hide. Even heaven and earth will flee from the Face of the One sitting on the throne. Everything familiar will be gone. Only the trembling sinner will remain to hear the terrible sentence.
Can you imagine how fearful it would be to stand ALONE before the All-knowing Ruler of the Universe and to stand there guilty of rejecting Him as YOUR Savior? No parents, no friends, no second chances, just YOU facing the Judge on the Great White Throne.Does this seem a little harsh to you? Remember that God has been patiently waiting, wincing as he watches us sin, and hoping that we will turn to Him and trust Christ’s finished work to forgive our sins and empower us to live new lives. God is just in judging us, because he has given us every opportunity to trust Christ.
3. The People Who Will Be Judged
Revelation 20:272 - “And I saw the dead, small and great stand before God….”
Dead! All the people at this judgment are DEAD. This doesn’t mean that they are corpses. No indeed. It means they are without Christ. They have no spiritual life. It means they are DEAD in trespasses and sin. It means they are DISOBEDIENT; they walked according to the course of this world. It means their lives are DOMINATED by the DEVIL—they walked according to the prince of the power of the air. It means they are DECEIVED—they fulfilled the desires of the flesh and of the mind. It means they are DOOMED—they are children of wrath! (Ephesians 2:27-3). All of the DEAD beginning way back with Cain, the first unbeliever, will be brought before God for judgment. Every unbeliever in each family, each tribe, and each nation will stand before the Judge. One by one. Individually. The sea will give up its dead. The grave will give up its dead. Even Hades will give up the tormented souls that died without trusting in the Living God and His Word.
Revelation 20:273 - “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them….”
Whether they died in their sleep, or were burned by fire, buried at sea, or blown to bits by a bomb, the Almighty God will reunite body, soul, and spirit, and each person will stand before the Judge who sits upon the Great White Throne. NO one will escape!
The small will stand before Him. Children—like you—will be there. Poor people, the homeless, the uneducated, and those who have never heard about the Lord Jesus—in Africa, India, and America—will be there. People like your next-door neighbors will be there – all without an excuse. The Bible tells us that God has made Himself known to everyone (Romans 27:20).
The great will stand before Him. Powerful people will be there—presidents, kings, rulers of countries, teachers, movie stars, and rock musicians. Rich people will be there. Each stands alone before the Great White Throne! ALL who have rejected God’s Word will face the Judge sitting on the throne!
Lesson 27 - Page 5 Copyright © 2006 by Berean Bible Society, Germantown, WI 53022
But the Jews weren’t impressed. In fact, Herod seemed to be doing all kinds of things to stirthem up. Who do you suppose paid for all his projects? The Jews, of course. They had to payextremely high taxes in order for Herod to build his beautiful buildings.
Then he did something that really got them angry. He had a golden eagle set up on the gate ofthe Temple. This was seen as a symbol of Roman power and it was completely against theLaw of Moses. The Jews were outraged! This was their holy place of worship! God’s Word toldthem:
Exodus 20:4 – “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness ofanything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waterunder the earth.”
But, Herod didn’t seem to care about breaking God’s Law. He was too busy being afraid thatsomeone would come along and take away his position as king. He even hired a secret policeforce to spy on his people and keep him informed of anyone who might be against him. If hethought anyone was a threat to him, he had them killed.
He was not exactly a true family man, either. Over the years he had ten different wives andseveral children. Even they were not safe from his ambitions. Over the years, he had one of hiswives, three of his sons, his mother-in-law, brother-in-law, and an uncle executed because hethought they might be a threat to him. How would you like to be a member of that family?
Do these sound like the actions of a great man?
3) The Birth of the True King
One day, Herod received some visitors with unexpected news. Wise Men or Magi from theEast came to talk to him. These were very educated men who studied the stars. When theysaw a bright new star in the direction of Israel, they set out to the capital city, Jerusalem. Theymight have been expecting the whole city to be celebrating the birth of a new king. But that isnot exactly what the Wise Men found when they got there.
They went before Herod and asked:
Matthew 2:2b – “Where is he that is born the King of the Jews? For we have seen hisstar in the east, and are come to worship him.”
Herod must have been thinking, “Wait a minute! I am the king of the Jews!”
Matthew 2:3 – “When Herod, the king, had heard these things, he was troubled, andall Jerusalem with him.”
So he gathered all the Hebrew chief priests and scribes together to see what they knew. Surelythese important Jewish men would know if they were to have a new king born to them. Hedemanded of them, “Where is the Christ to be born?” They answered him from Scripture:
Matthew 2:5-6 – “And they said unto him, in Bethlehem of Judea; for thus it is writtenby the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art thou not the leastamong the princes of Judah; for out of thee shall come a Governor that shall rule mypeople, Israel.”
This was not good news for Herod. So he called another meeting with the Wise Men, this timein private. If he could just find out when they first saw the star, then he might be able to tell theexact time the new king had been born. He must have been desperate to know how old thischild was. He was probably wondering, “How much time do I have?”
Matthew 2:8 – “And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligentlyfor the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I maycome and worship him also.”
Show Visual Aid J2-L27-3
&JUDGMENT! That word makes us uncomfortable, uneasy, maybe even a bit afraid. Nonetheless, God’s Word speaks much about JUDGMENT. The scriptures warn us that JUDGMENT is coming for those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ! Open your Bible to Revelation 20:2727. Here God tells us in easy-to-understand language about the JUDGMENT that is coming for the unsaved. This is called the Great White Throne Judgment.
Revelation 20:2727 - “And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.”
God revealed to the Apostle John the events that will take place at the Great White Throne. John actually SAW what would happen, and it wasn’t a pretty picture! He must have shook in his boots as he witnessed the coming judgment that awaits the unsaved. As we study these scriptures, we should shake in our boots, too! We will want to make sure we know Christ as Savior…and then we’ll want to speak to family and friends about their need of trusting Christ before it’s too late!
27. The Place of Judgment
John describes the place of judgment in terrifying terms—a Great White Throne! There will be no pleading Savior with outstretched arms here. There will be no singing angels here. There will be no celebration here. No! Judgment is coming for the unsaved at the Great White Throne.
2. The Presence of the Judge
Why is this throne great? It’s great because of the Person who sits upon it. The All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Creator of the Universe sits there. The Judge of all judges, the King of all kings, the Lord of all lords, the most important One in the universe sits there! The Lord Jesus Christ is the One Who sits on the Throne. The same One Who once was placed on trial, falsely accused, cursed, spat upon, and whipped. The One who was nailed to the cross and crucified! Now HE sits on the Great White Throne as the Judge of all who have rejected Him.
John 27:22 - “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed ALL judgment unto the Son.”
Why is this throne white? White speaks of purity, of righteousness, of justice. When the LORD of the Universe hands down His awful sentence, it will be fair—exactly what the unbelieving sinners deserve. No one, absolutely no one, will argue with this Judge. There will be no appeals. The Judge’s Word will be final. Terrified sinners may attempt to escape from this courtroom, but there will be no place to hide. Even heaven and earth will flee from the Face of the One sitting on the throne. Everything familiar will be gone. Only the trembling sinner will remain to hear the terrible sentence.
Can you imagine how fearful it would be to stand ALONE before the All-knowing Ruler of the Universe and to stand there guilty of rejecting Him as YOUR Savior? No parents, no friends, no second chances, just YOU facing the Judge on the Great White Throne.Does this seem a little harsh to you? Remember that God has been patiently waiting, wincing as he watches us sin, and hoping that we will turn to Him and trust Christ’s finished work to forgive our sins and empower us to live new lives. God is just in judging us, because he has given us every opportunity to trust Christ.
&JUDGMENT! That word makes us uncomfortable, uneasy, maybe even a bit afraid. Nonetheless, God’s Word speaks much about JUDGMENT. The scriptures warn us that JUDGMENT is coming for those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ! Open your Bible to Revelation 20:2727. Here God tells us in easy-to-understand language about the JUDGMENT that is coming for the unsaved. This is called the Great White Throne Judgment.
Revelation 20:2727 - “And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.”
God revealed to the Apostle John the events that will take place at the Great White Throne. John actually SAW what would happen, and it wasn’t a pretty picture! He must have shook in his boots as he witnessed the coming judgment that awaits the unsaved. As we study these scriptures, we should shake in our boots, too! We will want to make sure we know Christ as Savior…and then we’ll want to speak to family and friends about their need of trusting Christ before it’s too late!
27. The Place of Judgment
John describes the place of judgment in terrifying terms—a Great White Throne! There will be no pleading Savior with outstretched arms here. There will be no singing angels here. There will be no celebration here. No! Judgment is coming for the unsaved at the Great White Throne.
2. The Presence of the Judge
Why is this throne great? It’s great because of the Person who sits upon it. The All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Creator of the Universe sits there. The Judge of all judges, the King of all kings, the Lord of all lords, the most important One in the universe sits there! The Lord Jesus Christ is the One Who sits on the Throne. The same One Who once was placed on trial, falsely accused, cursed, spat upon, and whipped. The One who was nailed to the cross and crucified! Now HE sits on the Great White Throne as the Judge of all who have rejected Him.
John 27:22 - “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed ALL judgment unto the Son.”
&JUDGMENT! That word makes us uncomfortable, uneasy, maybe even a bit afraid. Nonetheless, God’s Word speaks much about JUDGMENT. The scriptures warn us that JUDGMENT is coming for those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ! Open your Bible to Revelation 20:2727. Here God tells us in easy-to-understand language about the JUDGMENT that is coming for the unsaved. This is called the Great White Throne Judgment.
Revelation 20:2727 - “And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.”
God revealed to the Apostle John the events that will take place at the Great White Throne. John actually SAW what would happen, and it wasn’t a pretty picture! He must have shook in his boots as he witnessed the coming judgment that awaits the unsaved. As we study these scriptures, we should shake in our boots, too! We will want to make sure we know Christ as Savior…and then we’ll want to speak to family and friends about their need of trusting Christ before it’s too late!
27. The Place of Judgment
John describes the place of judgment in terrifying terms—a Great White Throne! There will be no pleading Savior with outstretched arms here. There will be no singing angels here. There will be no celebration here. No! Judgment is coming for the unsaved at the Great White Throne.
2. The Presence of the Judge
Why is this throne great? It’s great because of the Person who sits upon it. The All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Creator of the Universe sits there. The Judge of all judges, the King of all kings, the Lord of all lords, the most important One in the universe sits there! The Lord Jesus Christ is the One Who sits on the Throne. The same One Who once was placed on trial, falsely accused, cursed, spat upon, and whipped. The One who was nailed to the cross and crucified! Now HE sits on the Great White Throne as the Judge of all who have rejected Him.
John 27:22 - “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed ALL judgment unto the Son.”
Why is this throne white? White speaks of purity, of righteousness, of justice. When the LORD of the Universe hands down His awful sentence, it will be fair—exactly what the unbelieving sinners deserve. No one, absolutely no one, will argue with this Judge. There will be no appeals. The Judge’s Word will be final. Terrified sinners may attempt to escape from this courtroom, but there will be no place to hide. Even heaven and earth will flee from the Face of the One sitting on the throne. Everything familiar will be gone. Only the trembling sinner will remain to hear the terrible sentence.
Can you imagine how fearful it would be to stand ALONE before the All-knowing Ruler of the Universe and to stand there guilty of rejecting Him as YOUR Savior? No parents, no friends, no second chances, just YOU facing the Judge on the Great White Throne.Does this seem a little harsh to you? Remember that God has been patiently waiting, wincing as he watches us sin, and hoping that we will turn to Him and trust Christ’s finished work to forgive our sins and empower us to live new lives. God is just in judging us, because he has given us every opportunity to trust Christ.
3. The People Who Will Be Judged
Revelation 20:272 - “And I saw the dead, small and great stand before God….”
&JUDGMENT! That word makes us uncomfortable, uneasy, maybe even a bit afraid. Nonetheless, God’s Word speaks much about JUDGMENT. The scriptures warn us that JUDGMENT is coming for those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ! Open your Bible to Revelation 20:2727. Here God tells us in easy-to-understand language about the JUDGMENT that is coming for the unsaved. This is called the Great White Throne Judgment.
Revelation 20:2727 - “And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.”
God revealed to the Apostle John the events that will take place at the Great White Throne. John actually SAW what would happen, and it wasn’t a pretty picture! He must have shook in his boots as he witnessed the coming judgment that awaits the unsaved. As we study these scriptures, we should shake in our boots, too! We will want to make sure we know Christ as Savior…and then we’ll want to speak to family and friends about their need of trusting Christ before it’s too late!
27. The Place of Judgment
John describes the place of judgment in terrifying terms—a Great White Throne! There will be no pleading Savior with outstretched arms here. There will be no singing angels here. There will be no celebration here. No! Judgment is coming for the unsaved at the Great White Throne.
2. The Presence of the Judge
Why is this throne great? It’s great because of the Person who sits upon it. The All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Creator of the Universe sits there. The Judge of all judges, the King of all kings, the Lord of all lords, the most important One in the universe sits there! The Lord Jesus Christ is the One Who sits on the Throne. The same One Who once was placed on trial, falsely accused, cursed, spat upon, and whipped. The One who was nailed to the cross and crucified! Now HE sits on the Great White Throne as the Judge of all who have rejected Him.
John 27:22 - “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed ALL judgment unto the Son.”
Why is this throne white? White speaks of purity, of righteousness, of justice. When the LORD of the Universe hands down His awful sentence, it will be fair—exactly what the unbelieving sinners deserve. No one, absolutely no one, will argue with this Judge. There will be no appeals. The Judge’s Word will be final. Terrified sinners may attempt to escape from this courtroom, but there will be no place to hide. Even heaven and earth will flee from the Face of the One sitting on the throne. Everything familiar will be gone. Only the trembling sinner will remain to hear the terrible sentence.
Can you imagine how fearful it would be to stand ALONE before the All-knowing Ruler of the Universe and to stand there guilty of rejecting Him as YOUR Savior? No parents, no friends, no second chances, just YOU facing the Judge on the Great White Throne.Does this seem a little harsh to you? Remember that God has been patiently waiting, wincing as he watches us sin, and hoping that we will turn to Him and trust Christ’s finished work to forgive our sins and empower us to live new lives. God is just in judging us, because he has given us every opportunity to trust Christ.
3. The People Who Will Be Judged
Revelation 20:272 - “And I saw the dead, small and great stand before God….”
Dead! All the people at this judgment are DEAD. This doesn’t mean that they are corpses. No indeed. It means they are without Christ. They have no spiritual life. It means they are DEAD in trespasses and sin. It means they are DISOBEDIENT; they walked according to the course of this world. It means their lives are DOMINATED by the DEVIL—they walked according to the prince of the power of the air. It means they are DECEIVED—they fulfilled the desires of the flesh and of the mind. It means they are DOOMED—they are children of wrath! (Ephesians 2:27-3). All of the DEAD beginning way back with Cain, the first unbeliever, will be brought before God for judgment. Every unbeliever in each family, each tribe, and each nation will stand before the Judge. One by one. Individually. The sea will give up its dead. The grave will give up its dead. Even Hades will give up the tormented souls that died without trusting in the Living God and His Word.
Revelation 20:273 - “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them….”
Whether they died in their sleep, or were burned by fire, buried at sea, or blown to bits by a bomb, the Almighty God will reunite body, soul, and spirit, and each person will stand before the Judge who sits upon the Great White Throne. NO one will escape!
The small will stand before Him. Children—like you—will be there. Poor people, the homeless, the uneducated, and those who have never heard about the Lord Jesus—in Africa, India, and America—will be there. People like your next-door neighbors will be there – all without an excuse. The Bible tells us that God has made Himself known to everyone (Romans 27:20).
The great will stand before Him. Powerful people will be there—presidents, kings, rulers of countries, teachers, movie stars, and rock musicians. Rich people will be there. Each stands alone before the Great White Throne! ALL who have rejected God’s Word will face the Judge sitting on the throne!
4. The Proof of Justice
How do we know that those standing at the Great White Throne will get a fair trial? God will open His books. He will read the records. Each person’s life has been carefully documented in heaven, and each will be judged according to his works.
Revelation 20:272 - “…and the books were opened: and another book was, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
The Judge will carefully review each one’s lifetime of works, but the verdict will be the same. No one’s works are good enough or perfect enough to save from the judgment that is coming. The books contain the evidence! Each trembling sinner may look in the Book of Life hoping against hope that there has been a mistake. But it’s too late. Their name has been blotted out (Psalm 2727:28). They are DEAD. They are without Christ. They are without Life. All of their terrible sins did not condemn them in the end, but their refusal to trust Christ sealed their fate. Judgment is coming!
27 John 27:2727-272 - “And this is the record, that God hath given…..he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”
&JUDGMENT! That word makes us uncomfortable, uneasy, maybe even a bit afraid. Nonetheless, God’s Word speaks much about JUDGMENT. The scriptures warn us that JUDGMENT is coming for those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ! Open your Bible to Revelation 20:2727. Here God tells us in easy-to-understand language about the JUDGMENT that is coming for the unsaved. This is called the Great White Throne Judgment.
Revelation 20:2727 - “And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.”
God revealed to the Apostle John the events that will take place at the Great White Throne. John actually SAW what would happen, and it wasn’t a pretty picture! He must have shook in his boots as he witnessed the coming judgment that awaits the unsaved. As we study these scriptures, we should shake in our boots, too! We will want to make sure we know Christ as Savior…and then we’ll want to speak to family and friends about their need of trusting Christ before it’s too late!
27. The Place of Judgment
Lesson 27 - Page 6 Copyright © 2006 by Berean Bible Society, Germantown, WI 53022
&JUDGMENT! That word makes us uncomfortable, uneasy, maybe even a bit afraid. Nonetheless, God’s Word speaks much about JUDGMENT. The scriptures warn us that JUDGMENT is coming for those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ! Open your Bible to Revelation 20:2727. Here God tells us in easy-to-understand language about the JUDGMENT that is coming for the unsaved. This is called the Great White Throne Judgment.
Revelation 20:2727 - “And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.”
God revealed to the Apostle John the events that will take place at the Great White Throne. John actually SAW what would happen, and it wasn’t a pretty picture! He must have shook in his boots as he witnessed the coming judgment that awaits the unsaved. As we study these scriptures, we should shake in our boots, too! We will want to make sure we know Christ as Savior…and then we’ll want to speak to family and friends about their need of trusting Christ before it’s too late!
27. The Place of Judgment
John describes the place of judgment in terrifying terms—a Great White Throne! There will be no pleading Savior with outstretched arms here. There will be no singing angels here. There will be no celebration here. No! Judgment is coming for the unsaved at the Great White Throne.
2. The Presence of the Judge
Why is this throne great? It’s great because of the Person who sits upon it. The All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Creator of the Universe sits there. The Judge of all judges, the King of all kings, the Lord of all lords, the most important One in the universe sits there! The Lord Jesus Christ is the One Who sits on the Throne. The same One Who once was placed on trial, falsely accused, cursed, spat upon, and whipped. The One who was nailed to the cross and crucified! Now HE sits on the Great White Throne as the Judge of all who have rejected Him.
John 27:22 - “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed ALL judgment unto the Son.”
Why is this throne white? White speaks of purity, of righteousness, of justice. When the LORD of the Universe hands down His awful sentence, it will be fair—exactly what the unbelieving sinners deserve. No one, absolutely no one, will argue with this Judge. There will be no appeals. The Judge’s Word will be final. Terrified sinners may attempt to escape from this courtroom, but there will be no place to hide. Even heaven and earth will flee from the Face of the One sitting on the throne. Everything familiar will be gone. Only the trembling sinner will remain to hear the terrible sentence.
&JUDGMENT! That word makes us uncomfortable, uneasy, maybe even a bit afraid. Nonetheless, God’s Word speaks much about JUDGMENT. The scriptures warn us that JUDGMENT is coming for those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ! Open your Bible to Revelation 20:2727. Here God tells us in easy-to-understand language about the JUDGMENT that is coming for the unsaved. This is called the Great White Throne Judgment.
Revelation 20:2727 - “And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.”
God revealed to the Apostle John the events that will take place at the Great White Throne. John actually SAW what would happen, and it wasn’t a pretty picture! He must have shook in his boots as he witnessed the coming judgment that awaits the unsaved. As we study these scriptures, we should shake in our boots, too! We will want to make sure we know Christ as Savior…and then we’ll want to speak to family and friends about their need of trusting Christ before it’s too late!
27. The Place of Judgment
John describes the place of judgment in terrifying terms—a Great White Throne! There will be no pleading Savior with outstretched arms here. There will be no singing angels here. There will be no celebration here. No! Judgment is coming for the unsaved at the Great White Throne.
2. The Presence of the Judge
Why is this throne great? It’s great because of the Person who sits upon it. The All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Creator of the Universe sits there. The Judge of all judges, the King of all kings, the Lord of all lords, the most important One in the universe sits there! The Lord Jesus Christ is the One Who sits on the Throne. The same One Who once was placed on trial, falsely accused, cursed, spat upon, and whipped. The One who was nailed to the cross and crucified! Now HE sits on the Great White Throne as the Judge of all who have rejected Him.
John 27:22 - “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed ALL judgment unto the Son.”
Why is this throne white? White speaks of purity, of righteousness, of justice. When the LORD of the Universe hands down His awful sentence, it will be fair—exactly what the unbelieving sinners deserve. No one, absolutely no one, will argue with this Judge. There will be no appeals. The Judge’s Word will be final. Terrified sinners may attempt to escape from this courtroom, but there will be no place to hide. Even heaven and earth will flee from the Face of the One sitting on the throne. Everything familiar will be gone. Only the trembling sinner will remain to hear the terrible sentence.
Can you imagine how fearful it would be to stand ALONE before the All-knowing Ruler of the Universe and to stand there guilty of rejecting Him as YOUR Savior? No parents, no friends, no second chances, just YOU facing the Judge on the Great White Throne.Does this seem a little harsh to you? Remember that God has been patiently waiting, wincing as he watches us sin, and hoping that we will turn to Him and trust Christ’s finished work to forgive our sins and empower us to live new lives. God is just in judging us, because he has given us every opportunity to trust Christ.
3. The People Who Will Be Judged
Revelation 20:272 - “And I saw the dead, small and great stand before God….”
Dead! All the people at this judgment are DEAD. This doesn’t mean that they are corpses. No indeed. It means they are without Christ. They have no spiritual life. It means they are DEAD in trespasses and sin. It means they are DISOBEDIENT; they walked according to the course of this world. It means their lives are DOMINATED by the DEVIL—they walked according to the prince of the power of the air. It means they are DECEIVED—they fulfilled the desires of the flesh and of the mind. It means they are DOOMED—they are children of wrath! (Ephesians 2:27-3). All of the DEAD beginning way back with Cain, the first unbeliever, will be brought before God for judgment. Every unbeliever in each family, each tribe, and each nation will stand before the Judge. One by one. Individually. The sea will give up its dead. The grave will give up its dead. Even Hades will give up the tormented souls that died without trusting in the Living God and His Word.
Revelation 20:273 - “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them….”
Object Lesson:“Free Access”
Definition:Wroth – very angry
From what we know so far of Herod, do you think he was really interested in worshippingChrist? He was lying, wasn’t he? The Bible has a lot to say about lying. We know that Godcannot lie (Titus 1:2), and Satan is the father of all lies (John 8:44). So, we are just simplynot to do it (Ephesians 4:25; Colossians 3:9).
After the Wise Men left Herod, the star appeared again. It led them to a house where they foundWhom they were looking for. The young child Jesus was there with his mother, Mary. They felldown and worshipped Him and presented Him with gifts that were worthy of a king: gold,frankincense and myrrh.
They were actually in the presence of God’s only begotten Son. Jesus Christ had been born onthis earth to a virgin named Mary in the town of Bethlehem. Mary and her fiancé, Joseph, wereto be the earthly guardians of the real “King of the Jews.” And there was no doubt about it. Hewas a true Jew and a true King, a direct descendent of Abraham and the rightful heir to thethrone of David (Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38). And He was the Son of God Who had come asa sacrifice for man’s sin (Isaiah 53:5-6).
We are so blessed to be living in this present age. We don’t have to search for the Lord likeHerod and we don’t have to follow a star like the Wise Men. All we have to do is believe. Ifwe put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, He gives us access to God all of thetime (Romans 5:2; Ephesians 2:18, 3:12). Where have you put your trust? Do you haveaccess to Him right now?
After this, the Wise Men received a message from God. They were warned in a dream. Do notreturn to Herod! So they immediately left for their homes being careful not to go back throughJerusalem.
At that same time, God was warning someone else of danger, too. An angel of the Lordappeared to Joseph in a dream and told him:
Matthew 2:13b – “… Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee intoEgypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word; for Herod will seek the young child todestroy him.”
That’s exactly what Herod was about to do. He wanted the Lord to be destroyed!
God often used dreams to communicate with his people during that time. The Word of Godhad not been completely written yet, so He had to use another method. Today, we have Hiscompleted Word through which we can know exactly what He wants us to do! That’s anotherway we have access to God. (There’s that word again!) Isn’t God wonderful to supply uswith everything that we need?
When Herod found out that the wise men went home without returning to him, he was furious.He felt like they were mocking him. How dare they defy the king! And he still did not knowwhere this new king was. So he came up with a cruel plan.
Matthew 2:16 – “Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, wasexceedingly wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem,and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time whichhe had diligently inquired of the wise men.”
Every child under two years old was to be killed. Herod figured that if he had all the little babieskilled, one of them was bound to be the King of the Jews. Problem solved! He was probablyfeeling very satisfied with himself at that moment.
Shortly after this event, Herod became sick with a painful disease. When he realized he wasdying, he came up with another cruel plan. He knew that he had made many enemies and hewas afraid there would be rejoicing when the news of his death got out. So he commanded thatall the important Jews from all over the nation come to him. When they arrived, he had themshut up in a large arena. He instructed his sister to have all of them executed at the verymoment of his death. This way the whole nation would be in mourning when he died. But,thankfully, his sister did not obey him. As soon as Herod died, she had all of the men released.
Lesson 27 - Page 7 Copyright © 2006 by Berean Bible Society, Germantown, WI 53022
Herod probably died without knowing that the Lord Jesus was safe in Egypt with His earthlyfather, Joseph, and His mother, Mary. All of his cunning plots and evil plans could not changeGod’s will for this earth. Christ would grow up and go on to fulfill His purpose. He would offerHimself to the people of Israel as their King (Matthew 21:1-9; John 12:12-15). But just a few dayslater, they would reject Him and send Him away to be crucified (Matthew 27:22; John 19:15). Hewould willingly submit to a punishment He did not deserve in order to be a sacrifice for sin(Romans 5:8, 14:9; 1 Corinthians 5:7; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
Crossing the Finish Line
Herod wasn’t really the “King of the Jews,” and looking at his life, we can come to the conclusionthat he wasn’t very “great” either. It seems he didn’t really deserve either title. He reigned overJudea for 37 years, terrorizing people with his cruelty. He tried to do everything in his power todestroy the true “King of the Jews,” but he could not stop God’s plans from being fulfilled. TheLord Jesus Christ came to the earth the first time in order to be a sacrifice for our sins. He is theonly one Who truly deserves to be called “Great.”
Psalm 145:3 – “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness isunsearchable.”
Let’s see if we can answer those Jump Start Questions now.
Is God the most important person in your life? Tim and David learned that Herod killed peoplewhom he thought might be more important than he was. He even tried to kill Jesus when He wasa small child.
Today’s clue starts a new series of 13 clues that point to a new mystery person from the Bible.Let’s see, the clue “killed” could fit so many people. I wonder if it means that he killed, or waskilled, or both.
Next week, we’ll learn about a prophet, John the Baptist. He was the foreteller of Jesus Christ.And we’ll also learn a bit more about King Herod and just how easy it was for him to have peoplekilled.
References used in preparation of this lesson are listed below:
www.aish.com Crash Course in Jewish History #31 Herod the Greatwww.virtuallibrary.orgwww.billpetro.com/holidayhistorywww.ourworld.compuserve.comwww.geocities.comwww.ccel.org Antiquities of the Jews – Book XV The Works of Flavius Josephus
Nelson’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Bible Facts
CLUE FOR THE WEEK & PREVIEW NEXT LESSON Show Bulletin Board Piece J2-L27-BB
&JUDGMENT! That word makes us uncomfortable, uneasy, maybe even a bit afraid. Nonetheless, God’s Word speaks much about JUDGMENT. The scriptures warn us that JUDGMENT is coming for those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ! Open your Bible to Revelation 20:2727. Here God tells us in easy-to-understand language about the JUDGMENT that is coming for the unsaved. This is called the Great White Throne Judgment.
Revelation 20:2727 - “And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.”
God revealed to the Apostle John the events that will take place at the Great White Throne. John actually SAW what would happen, and it wasn’t a pretty picture! He must have shook in his boots as he witnessed the coming judgment that awaits the unsaved. As we study these scriptures, we should shake in our boots, too! We will want to make sure we know Christ as Savior…and then we’ll want to speak to family and friends about their need of trusting Christ before it’s too late!
27. The Place of Judgment
John describes the place of judgment in terrifying terms—a Great White Throne! There will be no pleading Savior with outstretched arms here. There will be no singing angels here. There will be no celebration here. No! Judgment is coming for the unsaved at the Great White Throne.
2. The Presence of the Judge
Why is this throne great? It’s great because of the Person who sits upon it. The All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Creator of the Universe sits there. The Judge of all judges, the King of all kings, the Lord of all lords, the most important One in the universe sits there! The Lord Jesus Christ is the One Who sits on the Throne. The same One Who once was placed on trial, falsely accused, cursed, spat upon, and whipped. The One who was nailed to the cross and crucified! Now HE sits on the Great White Throne as the Judge of all who have rejected Him.
John 27:22 - “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed ALL judgment unto the Son.”
Why is this throne white? White speaks of purity, of righteousness, of justice. When the LORD of the Universe hands down His awful sentence, it will be fair—exactly what the unbelieving sinners deserve. No one, absolutely no one, will argue with this Judge. There will be no appeals. The Judge’s Word will be final. Terrified sinners may attempt to escape from this courtroom, but there will be no place to hide. Even heaven and earth will flee from the Face of the One sitting on the throne. Everything familiar will be gone. Only the trembling sinner will remain to hear the terrible sentence.
Can you imagine how fearful it would be to stand ALONE before the All-knowing Ruler of the Universe and to stand there guilty of rejecting Him as YOUR Savior? No parents, no friends, no second chances, just YOU facing the Judge on the Great White Throne.Does this seem a little harsh to you? Remember that God has been patiently waiting, wincing as he watches us sin, and hoping that we will turn to Him and trust Christ’s finished work to forgive our sins and empower us to live new lives. God is just in judging us, because he has given us every opportunity to trust Christ.
3. The People Who Will Be Judged
Revelation 20:272 - “And I saw the dead, small and great stand before God….”
Dead! All the people at this judgment are DEAD. This doesn’t mean that they are corpses. No indeed. It means they are without Christ. They have no spiritual life. It means they are DEAD in trespasses and sin. It means they are DISOBEDIENT; they walked according to the course of this world. It means their lives are DOMINATED by the DEVIL—they walked according to the prince of the power of the air. It means they are DECEIVED—they fulfilled the desires of the flesh and of the mind. It means they are DOOMED—they are children of wrath! (Ephesians 2:27-3). All of the DEAD beginning way back with Cain, the first unbeliever, will be brought before God for judgment. Every unbeliever in each family, each tribe, and each nation will stand before the Judge. One by one. Individually. The sea will give up its dead. The grave will give up its dead. Even Hades will give up the tormented souls that died without trusting in the Living God and His Word.
Revelation 20:273 - “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them….”
Whether they died in their sleep, or were burned by fire, buried at sea, or blown to bits by a bomb, the Almighty God will reunite body, soul, and spirit, and each person will stand before the Judge who sits upon the Great White Throne. NO one will escape!
The small will stand before Him. Children—like you—will be there. Poor people, the homeless, the uneducated, and those who have never heard about the Lord Jesus—in Africa, India, and America—will be there. People like your next-door neighbors will be there – all without an excuse. The Bible tells us that God has made Himself known to everyone (Romans 27:20).
The great will stand before Him. Powerful people will be there—presidents, kings, rulers of countries, teachers, movie stars, and rock musicians. Rich people will be there. Each stands alone before the Great White Throne! ALL who have rejected God’s Word will face the Judge sitting on the throne!
4. The Proof of Justice
TEACHER’S NOTE
Show Visual Aid J2-L27-4
J2-L27
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HEROD - the "Not so Great" King
“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.” – Psalm 145:3
LessonHerod:The Ruthless Ruler
Take Home Sheet J2-L27 27
Permission is given to photocopy this page for student use.Copyright © 2006 by Berean Bible Society, Germantown, WI 53022
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2. Number of Herod’s wives. 1. Led the wise men to Judea.
3. Method God used to communicatedanger to Joseph and the wise men.
4. Another name for wise men.
6. Symbol of Roman power Herod placed on the Temple gate.
5. Jewish holy building rebuilt byHerod.
7. Herod killed many hoping to kill thisOne.
6. Herod’s hairy ancestor.
Memory Verse
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