Tale of the Two Herods
The Life of Christ • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 8 viewsBig Idea: Standing firm in your convictions, even in the face of danger, is integral to your faith journey; embracing this truth empowers believers to live authentically in accordance with God’s Word, just as John the Baptist did. Summary: In these passages, we see the impact of John the Baptist's prophetic ministry on King Herod, who is troubled by guilt and fear over his actions. The narrative illustrates the conflict between divine truth and human authority, culminating in the tragic death of John. This exemplifies how unwavering conviction in God’s truth can provoke significant backlash from those in power.
Notes
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The Cost of Conviction: Reflecting on John the Baptist
The Cost of Conviction: Reflecting on John the Baptist
1. Herod’s Haunting Conviction
1. Herod’s Haunting Conviction
The Chronological Life of Christ § 71a Herod Antipas’s Mistaken View of Jesus (Mt 14:1–2; Mk 6:14–16; Lk 9:7–9)
The Jewish populace, following the Pharisees, believed in resurrection. But their theology was mixed with a good bit of superstition. For example, they believed that the spirit of a dead person could come back in another person (cf. Josephus, JW 1.599). In other words, the spirit of the deceased would fill and empower a living person. That’s how many accounted for Jesus’ miraculous power. They assumed that the spirit of some great prophet such as Elijah, Jeremiah or John the Baptist (cf.
King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.”
But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.”
But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”
2. John’s Just Sacrifice
2. John’s Just Sacrifice
For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her.
For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not,
for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.
But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.
For when Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.”
And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.”
And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.”
And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her.
And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison
and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
3. The two natures of Herod
3. The two natures of Herod
What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead.
I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.
The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me.
For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.
So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.
For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.
So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.
Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.
For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,
but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
4. If only...
4. If only...
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
