One man who was on pins and needles at the birth of Christ was King Herod.  He was less than thrilled about the developments of a newborn king.

In fact, he was afraid that this newborn king would one day take his throne.  This was a complete misunderstanding of the reason for Christ’s coming.

So, when the Magi took a different route home, Herod was upset and reacted out of anger:

Matthew 2:16
Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance.

Herod was obsessive with his intent to kill Jesus and he stained his hands with blood.  Thing is, Jesus didn’t want to take Herod’s throne, he wanted to be the king of Herod’s life.  Jesus wanted to give Herod eternal life, not his present life.

The Takeaway.

You may be afraid that Christ wants to take things away when, in reality, he wants to give you freedom, peace, and joy.  Don’t fear Christ, give him the best seat in the house.