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READ: Mark 6:14f
CHALLENGE: Stick to God’s Truth
The beheading of John the Baptist is among the darkest stories in the Bible. An innocent truth teller literally loses his head because he stated the obvious. Hey Herod, you shouldn’t have married your brother’s wife. It’s a terrible tale but there are some great lessons to learn.
- STEER CLEAR OF SHALLOW THEOLOGY
Vv14-16 – King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 Others said, “He is Elijah.” And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.” 16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”
This is Herod Antipas. It’s not the Herod the Great that the wise men encountered. Antipas is one of the sons of Herod the Great and most times in gospels when you see the name Herod, it’s him.
The popularity and reputation of Jesus is growing. Jesus is so powerful that they’re trying to figure out who He is exactly. Look at what they are saying – He’s John the Baptist raised from the dead, Elijah, or like one of the great prophets. Had they met Jesus? Had they truly listened? Or are they just repeating some bit of information that they heard?
Let’s be cautious about sound bite faith where you have bits and pieces but you really don’t have a full view. They have no understanding of who Jesus really is because here’s the one thing they don’t say. Jesus is the Messiah. So obviously they don’t know the full story.
It’s interesting that Jesus was being discussed among the people. People are wondering and talking about it as they work and meet in the market. That’s cool. You hope that the church grows and thrives enough that people talk about it. What’s going on over there. And if in your conversations you say, “it’s a cult”, you definitely don’t have a full picture. This is the bits and pieces theology and guess work, otherwise known as misinformation.
- Shallow Theology Is Knowledge from Afar
The disciples who were close to Jesus and had firsthand knowledge knew he was the son of God. The ones at a distance were kicking around various ideas. And if your knowledge is taken only from a distance, perhaps you should not be speaking about the topic. It’s true of the school system. It’s true of the Cleveland Browns because we could all do a better job. It’s true of church. I’ve heard enough about churches to know that people say things that don’t match any church I know. Such as, “All churches do is ask for money”. Every church? I know that’s not true!
People who say the Bible is full of contradictions have probably not read the Bible. People who say the church is full of hypocrites have probably not really been involved in church. Not enough to realize no one is perfect anyway. Some have a hallow puddle’s worth of knowledge but they’re talking like they’re an authority. You saw a two minute Tik Tik and you know.
Let’s not have knowledge of God from a distance – let’s build that relationship. We don’t want to have a general gist of the Bible but no deep understanding. Read it. Get some good books.
- Shallow Theology Doesn’t Really Impact Life
Herod thinks Jesus is John the Baptist resurrected. John preached repentance, did Herod repent? No.
Herod did listen to John but his life was unaltered. If our lives don’t change, what does knowledge mean?
If I go to church but my faith is not stronger, if I’m not serving, if I’m not being a better spouse or parent, if I’m still corrupt. What was the point of it?
Ex
Ex
I wondered about it. I know the world is full of people quoting Bible verses. Is the world equally full of people who live like they’ve been listening to Jesus?
- Shallow Theology Doesn’t Think Deeply
Lots of people think about God. But how deeply? They will say, I believe in an intelligent designer. I guess they don’t want to call Him God or anything too lofty. Because if a being made all of this, we don’t want to elevate them too much! It would take 100,000 lightyears just to cross this the Milky Way Galaxy. Yeah, He’s a higher power. Do you mean higher power or WAY higher power?
Some people are quick to not believe in God but even quicker to blame him for all the bad. If you blame him, you must believe in him and that He is aware and powerful and near.
CS Lewis, in the Screwtape Letters made a comment about evil not wanting you to think deeply. You start thinking and you might really start pondering Christ. It’s better in evil’s eyes for you to have that shallow faith of “He’s like a prophet of old” rather than Jesus IS the Messiah. It’s better for the populace to think Jesus is John the Baptist resurrected than that Jesus is really the son of God. I can just hear the devil laughing when they said that. High fiving his demon buddies! Think whatever you want as long as it’s not the truth that Jesus is the Savior of the world.
Ex
Isaiah was talking about how people made idols out of wood. Half of the wood they used to keep them warm and with the other half they made a god.
Isaiah 44:19 – No one stops to think, no one has the knowledge or understanding to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel; I even baked bread over its coals, I roasted meat and I ate. Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”
V16 is so powerful.
How haunted do you have to be to believe that the man you killed returned from the grave? The powerful voice of John was most likely still echoing in his head. John was guilty of telling a truth that Herod did not want to hear. Herod should have thought more deeply.
B. AVOID THE SLIPPERY SLIDE OF SILENCING TRUTH
V17 – For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married.
- Truth Doesn’t Change Because You Try to Mute It
John said that what Herod was doing was against the law. Whose law? Roman law? State law? No, God’s law. In the real world God’s law is a path of blessing but Herod had taken was a path of destruction.
John was arrested, bound, and put into prison. Herod and Herodias didn’t like what he was saying. So, what do you do? You shut him up. You cancel him. In our world if you speak anything that goes against woke culture, watch out for the mob.
However, suppressing the truth, never stops it from being true. You can say that God doesn’t exist 10,000 times and you’ve been wrong 10,000 times. Herod’s first mistake was trying to muzzle the truth but that didn’t change the fact that Herod was corrupt or that someday he would stand before God.
It’s like in the days of Jeremiah. They threw him into prison for prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem. But the city was going to get destroyed, it’s just that King Zekekiah didn’t want to hear it. Jeremiah was right and they would have done much better in life if they would have listened.
- The Ugly Truth Doesn’t Like Beautiful Truth
V18 – For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
Herod had traveled to Rome and fell in love with his brother Philip’s wife, Herodias. He proposed marriage to Herodias. They were both already married but he proposes to her anyway. She accepts as long as he divorced his present wife which he did.
That wife was the daughter of the Aretas, King of the Nabateans. Dad was mad that Herod divorced his daughter and that started a war which was very costly to Herod. Josephus said that Herod lost his army in that battle. In addition, the Jewish people saw it as incest.
John only said what everyone said and thought. He shared beautiful life saving truth. However, ugly truth doesn’t like the beautiful truth that espouses marriage and loyalty and faithfulness.
Here’s what the world loves to hear. Just do whatever makes you happy. Oftentimes what might relieve some stress or make you happy in the moment is going to bring long term pain.
Ignoring the truth doesn’t change the truth. Herod should have told himself “no”, when temptation arose. As soon as he started thinking about Herodias he should have reminded himself that she’s off limits. She’s not mine. He should have had the guts to do the right thing instead of gratifying his impulse. The truth would have helped.
The Bible is a great boundary line which helps the world to make sense. What if the game of football had no end zone. No boundary lines. It would be unplayable. Sports have boundaries like it or not! And the game makes sense because of it. Life has rules as well so don’t erase the lines!
- The Truth Can Sting
V19 – So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to,
I get why people want to silence the truth. It can sting! When were kids, every medicine they poured into a wound, hurt! Merthiolate – anyone remember that stuff? You think the cut hurts … watch mommy paint acid on your wound and you’ll thank me later for sure!
Herodias held a grudge, meaning that she had it in for John and wanted him dead. Herodias enjoyed the power and she doesn’t want that threatened. What if her husband actually got convicted and listened to John!?
Have you ever been hated for some common sense and truthful thing you’ve said? Typically when I hated the truth, I was going in the wrong direction. I guess you could say, the truth doesn’t care about your feelings and it’s the best medicine there is.
- The Truth Requires Picking a Side
20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.
Herod says is playing both sides of the fence. He likes John but he arrests John. Herodias wants to kill John but Herod protects him and in part because he was afraid of the outrage of the Jewish people if he would have killed John. Plus Herod feared John because he knew he was righteous and holy.
You knew he was righteous and holy but you put him in jail anyway? He played both sides! I’ll make my wife happy by shutting John up. I’ll imprison John. I’ll bound him but not beat him because he’s a man of God. I’ll try to make everyone happy and not actually take a side.
Doesn’t that seem a bit like waffling. He feared John and his wife. He’s on two sides of the equation and that’s where you can’t be. I imagine that his fear of John came because He knew God was with him. That’s one of the greatest reasons to respect someone. But then go with God.
Apply it to marriage – you can’t say you love your wife while you do everything that she hates. At some point – go one way or another.
At least John wasn’t a chameleon. He didn’t change colors based on who was around. Do we try to please the world and God at the same time? Revelation says that He would rather us be hot or cold than be lukewarm! Get off the fence!
- Ignoring the Truth Leads to Disasters
Vv21-29 – Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of[d] Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23 And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.” 24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” “The head of John the Baptist,” she answered. 25 At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28 and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29 On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Herod had a big party for his birthday. And he invites high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. It’s a debauched scene. The daughter of Herodias comes in and dances. I would imagine it’s inappropriate to strut your step-daughter out there. But Herod is pleased so he tells her that he’ll give her whatever he wants, up to half of his kingdom.
She went to her mom and asks her what to ask for. She could have a horse or anything. What is the request? The head of John the Baptist. Herod was greatly distressed and he should have been. But he put himself in that boat as soon as he tried to silence God’s messenger. The passage starts with Herod being tormented by the thought that Jesus was John the Baptist returned from the dead. He’s haunted.
The truth will set you free or condemn you at the end of the day. Depends on if you listen or not. Herod slid.
C. LIVE BY THE LESSONS OF TRUTH
- Your Actions Don’t Determine Truth
Your actions should never determine what truth is. Truth should determine what your actions are. Truth doesn’t start with your behavior. If it did, Cain’s killing of Abel would set the standard as opposed to God’s law. Or eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil would have set the truth as to whether or not you should have done it. I cannot start with my behavior and then set everything else from there.
If you’re short, you don’t measure yourself against ruler and define what six feet is. You don’t decide if you’re six feet tall or five feet tall or four feet tall. We don’t set up the scale to tell us that we’re lighter than we are. I don’t burn it because I don’t like it. I have to wrestle with the truth compared to what I’m doing.
The Bible is called the canon and canon as the old rule for measuring stick. This is how it is. It dictates to me what’s right and wrong. Humans are not the measuring stick for the Bible. The Bible is the measuring stick for us.
- Admit it When You’re Wrong
There was another route for Herod to take. He could have admitted that he was wrong. Would that have been so aweful to do? You want to fix things? Stop fighting with God and get busy fixing the messes.
When you’re in the wrong don’t make excuses – make it right.
- Don’t Hold Grudges
A grudge is when you want someone to pay. You have it in for them. This woman was so far gone that she had her daughter put forth a grisly request. She was bent of evil and grudges have that way of twisting you.
Do we hold grudges like Herodias? Do we wait for our chance to get at somebody? Is there anything.
Let’s avoid shallow theology, and the slippery slope of avoiding truth, and listen to God.