Rev. John M. Edgerton

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Jesus was, among other things, a famous exorcist, a person who cast demons out of those who were possessed. And it’s a good thing too because it seems that there were demons everywhere in those days. In the gospel stories about Jesus’ ministry, there were demons in every town and city, in the houses of worship and in the waste-scapes of chaos beyond civilization’s reach. Everywhere Jesus went, some poor child of God was under the power and sway of a demon.

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In the days of Jesus’ birth, the man who ruled Israel was called “King Herod”, though he was no true king. In truth, Herod was a puppet of Rome. He had been put in power by the emperor of Rome and so he had to keep the emperor happy, lest he be stripped of his title. What’s more, the people of Israel did not accept Herod as a true king. They were not in open revolt but neither were they loyal to him.

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When Jesus began his ministry, much of Israel was ruled by a king named Herod Antipas. Although his name was Herod Antipas, we might as well call him Herod Jr. because, just like his father Herod, he was so insecure in his rule that he would crack down hard on anyone who even appeared to be undermining his Kingdom. So when Herod Jr. heard there was a man named John the Baptizer who was preaching that the kingdom of Herod was coming to an end and the Kingdom of Heaven was about to begin, well, Herod Jr. did not take this news well.

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