When Evil Seems to Win

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
            18       “A voice was heard in Ramah,
      weeping and loud lamentation,
                  Rachel weeping for her children;
      she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”
Matthew 2:16–18
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When Evil Seems to Win
Matthew does not soften the horror of Herod’s violence. The mothers of Bethlehem had every reason to weep. Their suffering reminds us that sin is not merely an abstract doctrine; it produces real sorrow, death, and grief. Matthew connects this tragedy with Jeremiah’s picture of Rachel mourning for her children, showing how the suffering of God’s people is woven into the larger history of Israel and God’s promises. Yet Herod could not stop God’s salvation. The tyrant sought to destroy the Christ Child, but God preserved His Son. And the preserved Child would one day willingly give Himself into the hands of wicked men. At the cross, Jesus endured the full violence of sin, not as a helpless victim of Herod, but as the willing Savior who laid down His life for sinners. When grief seems overwhelming, remember: evil does not have the final word. Christ does. His cross has conquered sin and death, and His resurrection guarantees that every sorrow will finally give way to everlasting joy.