Whenever you hear the name Herod in your Bible reading, you know that something extremely evil is about to happen. It is a name that is synonymous with murder, incest, and iniquity. Herod the Great killed his wife, and then three of his sons. He has a complicated family tree that is full of incest and adultery. This is the family that beheaded John the Baptist when John condemned them for their wicked immorality. And King Herod is the one that killed all the little boys in Bethlehem in his attempt to kill the infant Jesus.

The Holy Christian Church recognizes these little boys as the first Christian martyrs. These little boys died because of Christ. This story is known as the “Holy Innocents” in Church History.

This story teaches us about martyrdom. (Jesus Himself is described as a martyr in the Holy Scriptures. Jesus is the faithful witness, the faithful martyr, who taught and showed the love of God for us sinful people. And for it, He was crucified. He was killed. But in His death, God was at work to reconcile the world to Himself. Because of the crucifixion of the Son of God, your sins are forgiven. You have peace with God. In the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead on the Third Day, God the Father vindicates His Son as the faithful witness!) It reminds us that you will be persecuted because of Christ.

What happened in Bethlehem long ago, when King Herod killed the “Holy Innocents”, continues today as Christians are persecuted because of the Lord Jesus Christ. If and when you are persecuted, remain faithful at all costs. Do not compromise your faith; but remember the Savior’s words

Be faithful even unto death,
and I will give you the crown of everlasting life.
Rev 2:10