There's a good reason Herod isn't found in our Nativity sets! Yet, he is part of the birth narrative of Jesus Christ. Jesus wasn't born in a perfect world and neither do we live in one. That enemies of God exist today reminds us they always will until Jesus returns. However, this passage does help us understand why people don't like us (and ultimately Jesus) and how we can be strengthened in our faith in spite of all the 'enemies' around us.
Topics:
encouragement, Jesus Christ, joy, opposition, trials, trust