Give Me Jesus: Jesus As Conscience Killer: Mark 6:14-29

I. A Stirred Conscience vs. 17-20

A. Herod married not only his brother’s ex wife, but his half-sister at that. His grandson Herod Agrippa II would live with his half-sister/girlfriend Bernice (Acts 25-26). Not only was it incestuous, it was penalized by death according to the law of Moses.

Leviticus 18:16 NASB95

‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness.

Leviticus 18:29 NASB95

‘For whoever does any of these abominations, those persons who do so shall be cut off from among their people.

B. Herod has John locked up. Partly to keep him quiet. Also because his “wife” wanted him dead. Herod was compromising, but in doing so, he found his conscience stirred.

C. Herod was afraid of John, because he knew was God’s man. In reality he was afraid of God, but transferred that fear to John. Many unbelievers will do that when you live a consistent christian life among them.

D. Herod was perplexed, because John made him feel guilty, but he liked the preaching of John the Baptist. Many want to have their emotions stirred, but not do anything about it. “Those crazy Christians, dressed up drivin down my street to get their weekly dose of guilt before they head to Applebee’s”- Brad Paisley.

E. Herod’s conscience was being stirred when...

II. A Seared Conscience vs. 21-29

A. Heriodias does this on purpose, she puts her teenaged daughter on display, instead of one of the harem, just so she can have John the Baptist killed. Those that set their hearts against God and His word, and servants will always stoop low in order to kill them or their influence.

B. Herod couldn’t back up, so he seared his conscience and kills John.

1 Timothy 4:1–4 NASB95

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude;

C. A seared conscience comes from people who flat out refuse God’s Word. For unbeliever it’s the start of the trip that leads to a reprobate mind, and the unpardonable sin. For the believer it leads them to a root of bitterness and the sin unto death.

III. A Guilty Conscience vs. 14-17

A. When Herod hears of Jesus’ ministry, he gets scared that John was resurrected and was coming for him, even though he was dead and buried. A guilty conscience makes no sense. It will conjure up thoughts that are ridiculous and unbiblical.

B. There will always be those who will want Jesus to be anyone but the Messiah (the Son of God) so they can appease their guilty conscience.

IV. A Dead Conscience: Luke 23:6-11

A. Herod wanted to see a miracle, a show. Perhaps he wanted the same feeling he got from hearing John preach, or maybe he wanted to see if Jesus really was John the Baptist resurrected. There could have been some family resemblance since they were cousins. (Bo, Luke, Cory, and Vance Duke ex)

B. Herod makes fun of Jesus, because Jesus won’t jump through his hoops. His conscience is dead and he is given over to reprobate mind.