Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Herod Hears of Jesus

There is more than one Herod mentioned in NT scripture

The first we encounter is Herod the Great

Herod the Great who extended the temple

Herod the Great who executed all the young males to wipe out the Messiah

When Herod the Great dies around 4 BC, his territory under Rome is divided out amoung his sons

Herod Archelaus became King of Judea

Matt 2:22

he would be removed 10 years into his reign and replaced by a Roman Goveneor

Hence Pilate mentioned by Luke

Then we have Philip who was to receive Gaulanitis (the Golan Heights), Batanaea (southern Syria), Trachonitis and Auranitis

He later would be suceeded by Herod Agrippa

Who the Apostle Paul stands before in Acts 26

Herod Antipus would rule Galilee and Perea

And it is this Herod that we are dealing with this morning

So, Herod hears of Jesus

and his hearing, stirs something within his heart, for he is a man laden with guilt

He is eaten up inside about his past

And it is this that leads him to the misidentification of Christ

Notice

You see Herod had imprisoned the prophet of God

this man of truth, because he told the truth

You see, Herod had married his brothers wife, he was living in Sin and the man of God told him he was

declaring the truth

preaching sin as sin

calling it out

not sugar coating it, not ignoring it, telling it...

application: the man of God, should call sin sin, they should preach heaven sweet and hell hot, they should preach sin as sin-full, not acceptable

There is liberty in the truth, there is deliverance in the truth, but it must be preached, it must be told!!

John the Baptist was a preaching of Gods truth all right and he didn't back down from the tough calls, the tough assignments

He called out Herod on his sin, no respecter of persons or position

He told he had to repent and turn from his Sin, and that if he didn't repent he would perish

Mark now records the story of Herod and John

mark 6:19-29

Herodias is determined to kill John

but she couldn't because Herod feared John

Herod knew what he was doing with his brothers wife was wrong, he knew that the John preached truth, but his heart would lead him to repentance to forsake his sin

so if he could just keep john at arms length, hold him on his own terms then he could live his live as he pleased

many like that with God, keep him at arms length, just within touching distance, I will listen on a Sunday but stay away the rest of week while I partake in my sinful ways - maybe that’s you this morning?

that was Herod

But “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” and she bides her time to hatch a plan to get to John, and the moment arrives at Herod’s birthday celebrations

Heroidus daughter dances for the drunken revelers

she dances provocatively, and promiscuously

and the crowd is pleased and they want more, they want her, they are putty in her hands

and such is the foolishness of sinful men that, Herod says ask of me whatever thy will and i will give

he offers her half the kingdom

for one dance

he willing to give half the kingdom away

for the pleasures of the flesh

oh the folly and foolishness of sin

Sin that offers pleasure but just brings pain

The Alcohol

The drugs

The Sex

The Money

The damsel reports back to her scheming mother, who tells her exactly what to ask for

so important is her desire for retribution against the Man who simply told the truth

so consumed by her hate, that half the kingdom is turned down for the head of a man who is already imprisioned

Sin, consumes, and when the truth is told the one who loves there sin will do all they can to bury it

Herod, finds his hands tied by his own pride and foolishness

the King was exceeding sorry, he knew this was wrong, but he let his pride override his guilty conscience and orders the beheading of John

Now, as Herod hears about Jesus, he is haunted about John

and he things John is back from the dead, and he recalls all that was done in the name of Sin against the prophet of God

the guilt is pricking his heart, and it is now when he should repent, his heart is haunted by his past sin, but that reminder should have drove him to his knees, the opportunity for Grace was there for Herod but we see no repentance just guilt

Herod heard of Jesus, but turn with me please to Lukes Gospel and notice that Herod also heard from Jesus

Herod Hears from Jesus

Herod probably didn’t understand a word of it—except the part about his being a fox.

The fox has a reputation as the craftiest creature in the countryside.

Countless stories are told of his cunning and how he preys on smaller animals.

The message that Jesus sent to this fox of a man was this that His time was short, and not even Herod could shorten it further.

He was not afraid of Herod or his threats.

He would continue doing what He was doing.

But ahead (after “to day” and “to morrow”) lay a “third day” in which He would be “perfected.”

The reference doubtless points toward His resurrection.

From the cross rang out a mighty cry: “It is finished!”

(John 19:30).

Thus, Jesus dismissed Herod Antipas, the only man to whom He ever addressed a message of contempt.

Moreover, He sent the message by the Pharisees.

These bitter enemies of Jesus likely used this scare approach to try to draw Jesus to Jerusalem, where the Sanhedrin could control Him.

They hoped to frighten Him away from the relative security of the Transjordan region.

They need not have been concerned about that; He was on His way to Jerusalem and would arrive there in God’s appointed time.

The Lord had been on His way to Jerusalem for a considerable time.

He now had four things to say to that city before He even arrived.

First, He had a fatal denunciation: “Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem” (13:33).

The statement was one of withering sarcasm and scorn.

With ironic hyperbole, the Lord accused the Jews of having a monopoly on killing prophets, and He had no intention of depriving them of their most notable victim.

The expression “it cannot be” comes from the wordendechomai (“it is not fitting”), and it occurs nowhere else in the New Testament.

The great city where God Himself had once sat between the cherubim in the Holy of Holies had now become the executioner of the prophets and was soon to become the murderer of God’s beloved Son.

Second, He had a factual description of Jerusalem: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!” (13:34).

This sad lament was repeated later when He arrived in the vicinity of Jerusalem.

He loved that city.

He knew every market and stall, every tower and tree.

He knew its history from the days of the royal priest Melchizedek to the days of the sly Herod Antipas.

He had seen it defiled by foul Antiochus and freed by the mighty Maccabees.

The Romans came so that now the synagogue and Sanhedrin ruled the land under the iron scepter of Rome.

Many a time, His heart had been broken by the wickedness of those in power.

How often He would have sheltered the city from the folly of its ways.

But the city would have no part of it.

He moved on.