The Power of a Prophetic Parent (Mark 6:14–29)

CPT: John the Baptist shows the power of a prophetic parent by standing for God’s law against societal pressures, living a life of sacrifice, and modeling a strong faith in God.

Purpose: To encourage mother’s to lead their children in God’s way above all else.

CPS: The world needs more prophetic parents.

Introduction

Attention

Happy Mother’s Day! We love our mothers and appreciate you. I read a quote recently about Mother’s Day and Fathers Day. It says,

Father’s Day comes after Mother’s Day. That’s so the bills for Mother’s Day will arrive just in time for Father’s Day.

Anonymous

They wrote that back when bills came in the mail. We get our bills directly via email now, so you get those Mother’s Day bills right on time.

We celebrate mothers and fathers because we know the importance of parenting. Good parenting is something desperately needed in our society.

Parents are powerful in a person’s life. If you don’t believe that, look at the popularity of modern therapy. Many times, the issues that people are dealing with stem from their childhood and their parents. Parents have a powerful influence on a person’s life.

We need more godly parents, parents with a deeply devoted commitment to Christ. John Wesley said,

I learned more about Christianity from my mother than from all the theologians of England.

John Wesley

His mother had a more powerful influence in his life than all of the fancy theologians in England with their seminary degrees. A godly mother had a powerful influence on him, a man who became a devoted follower of Christ, preached over 40,000 sermons in his lifetime and had an influence on many.

Another influential man knew the power of a godly mother. Abraham Lincoln said this,

No man is poor who has a godly mother.

—Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

We thank God for godly parents. Our world needs more of them. I can say this, that every parent is called first to follow Jesus, to be saved, and then disciple their children to follow him. We would see a spiritual revival among our youth in our country if we had more godly parents.

Typically, when we come to a special day like today, I would step away from my sermon series and preach on the topic, since its fresh on everyone’s mind. So on Easter, I preach on the resurrection. On Christmas, I preach on the birth of Jesus. And on Mother’s Day, I would preach on a mother in Scripture or something involving parenting.

This year, we are in a sermon series preaching through the Gospel of Mark. I like to preach through a book of the Bible, because it in essence forces you not to preach over the hard stuff. If you preach on topics all of the time, you can kind of cherry pick favorite verses and places in Scripture, and always stay in the same places. But all of God’s Word is profitable and important. So when you preach through a book, you preach on whatever is next.

Many times, as you lay out the preaching calendar and the text of the book, it’s amazing how many times the next Scripture comes at the right moment. God prepares in the preparation time and in the preaching.

I say all of this because, as I was laying out the text of the Gospel of Mark, the Scripture in the sermon series that we are up to today in Mark involves a mother! You say, “Well, that’s great.”

However, there’s a catch. Where we are up next in the Gospel of Mark involves one of the worst, and possibly the worst, mother in the Bible. I said, “Lord, am I preaching on Herodias today?” If you don’t know who she is, she is the mother who asked for John the Baptist’s head on a platter. I said, “This could be a very short sermon. Mother’s don’t be like this lady. Cue up the music, have a great day.”

But as I was studying this text this week and praying on what to preach, the focus in this text is not Herodias. There is another person in this text who has the influence of a parent. We will focus not on Herodias but on John the Baptist, who will show us the influence of a prophetic parent.

John the Baptist was a prophet. He was the last of the Old Testament style prophets. But in a real sense, he acted like a parent to Israel, pointing them to the Messiah Jesus, and had an influence on a person in the text today.

If you have your Bibles, turn to Mark 6:14-29.

Scripture Reading

Mark 6:14–29 CSB

14 King Herod heard about it, because Jesus’s name had become well known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that’s why miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He’s Elijah.” Still others said, “He’s a prophet, like one of the prophets from long ago.” 16 When Herod heard of it, he said, “John, the one I beheaded, has been raised!” 17 For Herod himself had given orders to arrest John and to chain him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. 18 John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 So Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But she could not, 20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing he was a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard him he would be very perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him. 21 An opportune time came on his birthday, when Herod gave a banquet for his nobles, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee. 22 When Herodias’s own daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23 He promised her with an oath: “Whatever you ask me I will give you, up to half my kingdom.” 24 She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” “John the Baptist’s head,” she said. 25 At once she hurried to the king and said, “I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head on a platter immediately.” 26 Although the king was deeply distressed, because of his oaths and the guests he did not want to refuse her. 27 The king immediately sent for an executioner and commanded him to bring John’s head. So he went and beheaded him in prison, 28 brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When John’s disciples heard about it, they came and removed his corpse and placed it in a tomb.

Pray

This is an interesting text. We’ll go through this text, and then see three things that we can learn about being a prophetic parent.

This text starts saying, “King Herod heard about it.” What is the “it”? King Herod is hearing about Jesus, how there are these miraculous things happening through him.

Who is this Herod? This Herod is Herod Antipas, also known as Herod the Tetrarch. The Herod’s in first-century Israel can get confusing, because there are a number of Herod’s during this time. The Herod in the text today is not the same Herod that you read about during Christmas. That was Herod the Great. This is Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great. The rulers of this line would keep the name Herod.

Herod Antipas governed the region of Galilee and Perea from 4 BC to 39 AD. He is the ruler who ordered the arrest and execution of John the Baptist. He also played a role in the trial of Jesus, as Jesus was brought before him during the events of the crucifixion.

Herod Antipas becomes embroiled in a scandalous marital situation. He divorced his first wife, the daughter of King Aretas IV of Nabatea, to marry Herodias, a woman who previously was married to his half-brother Herod Philip. According to the first-century Jewish historian Josephus, Herod Antipas and Herodias fell in love and made plans to get married while Antipas was visiting with his brother Philip.

As you read the text today, you see that John the Baptist had an influence on Herod Antipas. Now, you should know that Herod was Jewish, although he wasn’t a devoted Jew. He was very nominally Jewish. He wasn’t like, say, the Pharisees, who prided themselves on their observance of the Law. He was quite the opposite of that. But he did come from a line of people, the Idumeans, who converted to Judaism in the past.

But Herod becomes influenced by John the Baptist, and you see that in this text. The text here does one of those flashbacks that you see in TV shows. You know, in a show the character will all of a sudden have a flashback to some moment the character remembers.

When this text starts, as Herod hears about Jesus, he has already beheaded John the Baptist. Herod is trying to get his mind around Jesus. There are incredible powers in Jesus, and Herod is trying to understand. He thinks John the Baptist has been raised from the dead! It says in Mark 6:14-16

Mark 6:14–16 CSB

14 King Herod heard about it, because Jesus’s name had become well known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that’s why miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He’s Elijah.” Still others said, “He’s a prophet, like one of the prophets from long ago.” 16 When Herod heard of it, he said, “John, the one I beheaded, has been raised!”

Herod is afraid! He is like, “Here is this righteous man, this prophet, that I had beheaded out of peer pressure. I committed murder out of peer pressure. Now, I’m being judged.” Why is he afraid? The next verses explain.

Mark 6:17 CSB

17 For Herod himself had given orders to arrest John and to chain him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her.

Now, if Josephus’ account is correct, this marriage that Herod Antipas is involved in is probably a product of adultery. Herod Antipas has taken his half-brother’s wife, who was perhaps still alive. The backstory is not entirely clear, but from what we know, this is a marriage that is certainly a product of sin and in violation of God’s law.

In Mark 6:18:

Mark 6:18 CSB

18 John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

An unpopular part of being a prophet is calling out sin. But John was not afraid of the powerful in society. He had a fear of the one who has all the power.

John is calling out sin in Herod’s life. John is acting like a godly parent in Herod’s life. See, a godly parent calls out sin. A godly parent says, “You may not like to hear this. It may not be popular in your circles. The world might say living like that is okay, it’s acceptable. But there is a God who reigns, and there is sin in your life. You need to repent and turn to Jesus.”

Why is Herodias so upset about John? Because her husband is starting to listen to him. Look at verses 19-20.

Mark 6:19–20 CSB

19 So Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But she could not, 20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing he was a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard him he would be very perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.

This preacher John is starting to have an influence on Herod, and Herodias is not having it. Now, this doesn’t mean that Herod Antipas was converted, or repented. We see that he didn’t from his actions.

A preacher can influence a man, but a preacher does not save a man. Salvation is a work of God. The Holy Spirit uses the good news of Jesus Christ to break down a resistant heart. Influence is not enough. Salvation is God’s job.

How many of us know that as a parent, sometimes our children rebel? Sometimes our children go off into the world and do their own thing. Never stop being a godly influence in your child’s life. Never stop preaching the good news, calling out sin, and praying for God to work on their soul.

In verse 21,

Mark 6:21 CSB

21 An opportune time came on his birthday, when Herod gave a banquet for his nobles, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee.

An opportune time for whom? This is an opportune time for Herodias. What is Herodias thinking? She is upset at this preacher, who is getting in the middle between her and her man! This preacher is directly getting in the middle of their relationship, and she is not having it. This is an opportune time for her to intervene.

Her daughter goes out to this banquet and does a dance for Herod and his guests. Remember now, this is a banquet for some of the top people, nobles, military commanders, and leading men of Galilee.

This dance pleases Herod, and he promises up to half his kingdom to her daughter. It doesn’t tell us anything about the dance, but in essence, the dance made Herod proud in front of his guests. He says, yes, she is part of the family, and he’s proud.

In front of the whole crowd, he makes this oath. He gets full of himself. It’s an opportune time to flaunt his power in front of his guests. Surely, she’ll just ask for gold, or riches, or something like that.

The daughter runs to her mother, and says, “What should I ask for?” Now, this is the tragic part, where we see the power of hatred and sin in a person, and how that can have generational influence.

Herodias says, “This is my chance. This is my chance to get that preacher man out of the way of my relationship.” She uses her influence as a parent to influence her daughter’s decision. “Bring me the head of John the Baptist.” The hatred inside of a mom influenced the daughter.

Now that is not my Mother’s Day message. Hang in there.

Herod Antipas is distressed. It says in verse 26 that he was “deeply distressed.” But the peer pressure was too strong. The societal pressure was too strong. And although there was a reverence for the man John, there was no fear of God in the heart of Herod. The fear of man was greater for Herod than a fear of God.

So he orders for the executioner, and the deed is done. The head is brought to the girl who brings it to her mother, and the disciples of John come and get his body.

Tragic. But there is a contrast here. On one side of this story, you see the ugliness of the influence of sin, of hatred, of division, of greed, of unfaithfulness. You see, a parent not devoted to the Lord can influence their child in terrible ways.

But I believe that is shown here in contrast to another influence in this story. We see the influence of an evil heart in contrast to the influence of a godly heart. John the Baptist is serving as a type of prophetic parent in Herod’s life.

Sometimes the child ends up not listening to the parent. Sometimes kids turn their back on the prophetic parent. But that doesn’t stop the power of the influence of the prophetic parent.

How can we, as father and mothers, or people who have influence on others, serve as a prophetic parent? I believe we see three ways in John the Baptist how we can honor God in our parenting.

First,

A prophetic parent stands by God’s law against societal pressures.

Don’t we see a ton of societal pressure today? There is a pressure to conform, to accept what the world says is okay. That pressure is felt by parents and is felt by your children. But a prophetic parent says like Joshua said in Joshua 24:15, “No. As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.”

Look at how John stands up for God’s law against the pressures of the powerful. He says in Mark 6:18,

Mark 6:18 CSB

18 John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

He’s not afraid to stand up against the pressure. Who is John speaking to? He is speaking to a man with the power of having his own executioner. There is a very real risk on his life.

But he is not afraid to tell Herod that it is unlawful for him to do what he is doing. Unlawful to whom? Herod Antipas could say, “I am over the law.” But it is not man’s law that John is talking about. John says, “You are defying the living God.”

John is not afraid. He stands up against the pressure. It says in the commandments in Exodus 20:14, “Do not commit adultery.” Herod, you are breaking God’s law against adultery. Herod, it is adulterous to take another man’s wife, and your brother’s wife at that!

He would point to verses in the law in Leviticus.

Leviticus 18:16 CSB

16 You are not to have sexual intercourse with your brother’s wife; she is your brother’s family.

Also,

Leviticus 20:21 CSB

21 If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is impurity. He has violated the intimacy that belongs to his brother; they will be childless.

The pressure may have been there from Herod to conform, but John was not afraid to point to God’s way as the way he should follow. He acted as a prophetic parent in his life by calling out his sin and point him to God’s path.

Being a parent is hard work. A Pew Research poll found that most parents (62%) say being a parent has been harder than they expected, with about a quarter (26%) saying it’s been a lot harder. 40% of U.S. parents with children under 18 are extremely or very worried about their children struggling with anxiety or depression at some point. Concerns about mental health top the list of parental worries, surpassing fears about bullying, drug and alcohol use, teen pregnancy, and encounters with the police.

Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/01/24/parenting-in-america-today/

Society is very willing to step into the place of the parent. You see this today in our schools, our media, our government. The world sees the weakness of parents today, and they will step in to direct your children.

But they will direct your child without a fear of God in their heart. When there is no fear of God, anything is acceptable. They will attempt to answer your worries with worldly solutions.

But God has provided the solution for the hearts of men in Christ. A prophetic parent stands up against societal pressures and says, “Thanks, but no thanks. I will parent my child, and our solution is one that has stood the test of time. We don’t need new ideas. We follow the God of yesterday, today, and forever. He has provided a solution in Christ, and our family will follow him.”

A prophetic parent stands by God’s law against societal pressures.

Second,

A prophetic parent lives a life of sacrifice to Christ.

How many of us know that parenting is a life of sacrifice? And all of the tired parents said, amen.

The text today in Mark 6 shows the final moments of John’s life, and it was a sacrifice. John was committed to living his life to the glory of God, and parenting the people of Israel well.

His role served as someone who would make the paths straight. In Mark 1:3 he is:

Mark 1:3 CSB

3 A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight!

His ministry consistently called people to repentance. It says in Luke 3:3 that,

Luke 3:3 CSB

3 He went into all the vicinity of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,

John lived a life of sacrifice living as a prophetic parent to point the children of Israel to their Messiah. He told people to turn to God, and he sacrificed his life because he was unwilling to sacrifice his role as a prophetic parent to Israel.

Parenting is a life of sacrifice, and we can’t give up our role to others. That role includes pointing our children to turn from sin to God.

Parents are more concerned today with their children’s financial condition than they are their spiritual condition. In that same Pew Research poll that I mentioned earlier, the parental aspirations for children focused more on financial independence and career satisfaction, with 90% of parents deeming these as extremely or very important.

What if we aspired more for our children than their financial health? What if our biggest aspiration for our children was in their spiritual health? What if we said, “Son, I want you to be happy in your career. But what I most want, is for you to find your joy in Christ.”

A prophetic parent stands by God’s law against societal pressures.

A prophetic parent lives a life of sacrifice to Christ.

Last,

A prophetic parent models a strong faith in God.

John the Baptist modeled for Herod Antipas what it meant to live a life of a strong faith in God. It says in verse 20,

Mark 6:20 CSB

20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing he was a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard him he would be very perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.

There was something undeniable to Herod. No matter what Herod thought of God, he knew that John the Baptist was devoted to God. He knew that John the Baptist was someone who was set apart and committed to the Lord.

How did he know this? He knew this through his words, and he knew it through his actions. He saw the boldness of John the Baptist, someone who didn’t fear any man, but had a strong fear of God in him.

A prophetic parent models a strong faith in God to their children. We point our children to Christ through our words, and we point our children to Christ through our actions.

Solomon spoke about the influence of parents in Proverbs 1:8-9:

Proverbs 1:8–9 CSB

8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and don’t reject your mother’s teaching, 9 for they will be a garland of favor on your head and pendants around your neck.

Children may not look like their listening, but they are. They are seeing what you prioritize in your life. What are your priorities preaching to your children? A parent who prioritizes and models a strong faith in God teaches their children to do the same. Paul told that to Timothy in this way in 2 Tim 1:5:

2 Timothy 1:5 CSB

5 I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and now, I am convinced, is in you also.

Timothy is growing up in his household. He is a young boy. But as he is growing up, he is watching and observing his grandmother Lois, and his mother Eunice. He is observing their commitment to prayer. He is observing their devotion to God through their study of Scripture.

There is one thing that he knows about his grandmother and his mother. They may not have had all of the riches in the world. They may not have had everything society says is important. But they have a strong faith in God. They are committed to follow the Lord with their life.

That is a faith that teaches. It reminds me of that quote from earlier, where John Wesley said,

I learned more about Christianity from my mother than from all the theologians of England.

John Wesley

It is never too late to model a strong faith in God to your children. But you cannot model what you do not have. Christ must first transform your life. If you believe in Christ, he will change your life.

And once that transformation happens, once that faith begins to build, it will impact not only you. It will impact your entire family. The world needs more prophetic parents. That starts with you, trusting in Christ, and modeling a life of faith in Jesus to your children.

Conclusion

A prophetic parent stands by God’s law against societal pressures.

A prophetic parent lives a life of sacrifice to Christ.

A prophetic parent models a strong faith in God.

Conclude

Prayer

Last Song

Doxology

Numbers 6:24–26 CSB

24 “May the Lord bless you and protect you; 25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’

Jude 24–25 CSB

24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

You are dismissed. Have a great week in the Lord!