The answer is: Herod

Matt 2:16 - Herod was threatened by a rival who was to be a future King of the Jews and sought to kill him to remove the threat to his throne.

Ah, the dramatic tale of Jesus' birth arrives with the ominous shadow of King Herod. Isn’t it fascinating how this story highlights the complexities of leadership and power? Herod, a clever yet vicious figure known as “Herod the Great,” ruled from 37 to 4 BC with an iron fist. He was notorious for his obsession with maintaining control, even resorting to murder to eliminate threats, including members of his own family! This made him a bit paranoid, and the idea of a new king on the horizon literally had him trembling.

But let’s zoom out a bit. The plot thickens when you consider that this wasn’t just about a baby's arrival disrupting Herod’s reign; it was about the sharing of a prophetic promise. The Magi, or wise men from the East, sought the newborn “King of the Jews” as foretold in ancient prophecies. They chose not to listen to Herod’s insidious instructions to find Jesus and report back. Instead, their dreams warned them and they outsmarted the capricious king!

Herod’s futile attempts to crush the light of hope by ordering the slaughter of innocent children drew directly from Old Testament echoes, reminiscent of Pharaoh’s massacre of Hebrew boys. Together, these narratives weave a powerful tapestry of inconceivable darkness trying to overshadow uncontainable hope—a timeless theme that continues to resonate deeply through ages. So, let this remind us, in every age, the rise of hope often stirs unwanted confrontation.