Losing Your Head For Christ

John The Baptist  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  54:32
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Matthew 14:3–12 KJV 1900
For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife. For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. But when Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist’s head in a charger. And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
Mark 6:17–29 KJV 1900
For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her. For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife. Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not: For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee; And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee. And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom. And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist. And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist. And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath’s sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her. And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison, And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother. And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.

Introduction

The more we are blessed by God the more the world hates us, and often the more religious people hate us, as well. The beheading of John was so prominent that it is the only story in Mark that isn’t about Christ. When Herod heard about the works of Christ he though John had risen from the dead.

The Provoker of the Beheading

John’s indictment of Herod’s divorce snd then marriage to Herodias. There are alot of messages around John’s beheading, however, few of them address the fact that what lead to John’s beheading was his stand against divorce and remarriage. This topic still brings a great deal of animosity out of people. With an increase in divorce comes a decrease in morality.

The Defilement of the Practice

This story is no different than the stories of celebrities in our day who are more immoral than they are famous. Common folk are just as immoral as celebrities just their sins don’t play out on the evening news.
Historians say this all started when Herod stopped to see his brother Philip on his way to Rome. Herod became infatuated with Philip’s wife Herodias. The fact they were both married did not slow things down.
Herodias was an arrogant, headstrong, ambitious woman who was looking to elevate her social status. Herod was a perfect opportunity for Herodias to move up, increase wealth, and fame. Philip was a nice guy with no pull, Herod was someone so, Herodias took her daughter Salome and married Herod.
Regardless of the advantages or justifications for this unholy union it was based on nothing, but the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
1 John 2:16 KJV 1900
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
It may have been legal as far as the law of the land was concerned, but it was not clean, pure or holy by any stretch.
The law should not influence morality, but morality should influence the law.
Mark 10:11–12 KJV 1900
And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.
Even the lost world of genuine thinkers will tell you that divorce is devastating and immoral and even more so when it involves children.

The Destructiveness of the Practice

The example of Herod and Herodias reminds us that divorce should almost never be encouraged as the morally acceptable decision because

It destroys people

Taking a biblical stand against it certainly destroyed John the Baptist here. Herodias certainly wanted him dead
Mark 6:18–19 KJV 1900
For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife. Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:
so did Herod
Matthew 14:5 KJV 1900
And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
Lust dwells hard by hate. Sensual crimes and cruelty are closely akin - Maclaren
Immorality and murder go hand in hand.
Ex. David and Bathsheba
Many murders even in our present day are the result of this same dangerous concoction.

It destroys peace

You can’t find one in ten stories of divorce that end amicably. you just can’t break as solemn a vow and as Divine a law as marriage and not suffer the consequences.
Sin never promotes tranquillity it always promotes trauma.
Divorce disturbs the peace.
History tells us the divorce and remarriage of Herod and Herodias disturbed the peace Herod had with the Aretas’(his former father in law) country. He ended up attacking Hero and destroying almost half of Herod’s army.
Peace comes in the pursuit of purity.
Unrest comes in the pursuit of immorality.

The Denouncing of the Practice

John the Baptist condemns it

John’s response is simple
Mark 6:18 (KJV 1900)
For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.
John was not naive, He knew that this condemnation would put him harms way.
As courageous as John’s rebuke was of Herod’s immoral life choice… he would be roundly criticized our day by the majority of preachers.
The Christianity of today would call him a fanatic and unpolished,… old-fashioned and ill-tempered.
It was a blunt and brave thing that John said. It cost him his head; but it is better to have a head like John the Baptist and lose it than to have an ordinary head and keep it.-A.T. Robertson

The Bible condemns it

John was quoting from the Old Testament, but we have Scripture throughout the New Testament that cause us to come to the same conclusion.
God hates divorce. When we expend energy in the defense of divorce we are expending energy in the defense of that which God hates. That there is not grace for divorce. Grace however does not negate hate it simply deflects it.
Malachi 2:16 KJV 1900
For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: For one covereth violence with his garment, saith the Lord of hosts: Therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.
The New Testament is not in favor of divorce either. Christ says:
Mark 10:11–12 KJV 1900
And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.
Luke 16:18 KJV 1900
Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.
Paul, also states:
Romans 7:2–3 KJV 1900
For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
1 Corinthians 7:39 KJV 1900
The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.
Christ further said,
Matthew 19:7–8 KJV 1900
They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
Hardness of heart is the reason for divorce. This does not mean that both parties in a divorce are hard of heart… it simply means the party unwilling to forgive and try to resolve the issues is hard of heart.
It should go without saying that divorce is the result of hardness of heart. Who else would put their children through a divorce.
Divorce reveals selfishness, stubbornness, and a lack of love and care.
Anyone who has ever participated in, observed a divorce or it’s aftermath would readily tell you it was the result of the afore mentioned causes.
You cannot claim to handle the word of God with integrity and then turn around and act as though God takes no side in divorce.

The Defending of the Practice

It is defended viciously

Herod and Herodias are evidence of such. To oppose their actions is to take your life in your hands. For many in present day Christianity to say anything concerning divorce is clearly the same. The perpetrator in a divorce is not the perpetrator because they were so tolerant and kind.
The church should be a beacon of love, kindness, and tolerance. We should stand for the sanctity of marriage and do everything in our power to ensure our marriages and the marriages of those around us remain in tact.

It is defended pervertedly

Herod and Herodias were willing to murder you in defense of their actions. Many today are willing to murder you in defense of their actions, as well. They certainly murder the Scripture in an attempt to justify their actions.
2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV 1900
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
This argument says that because you are a new creature you are not subject to prior vows. If this were true then you would have to take verse 18, as well, and therefore be reconciled to your spouse. this sloppy doctrine.
2 Corinthians 5:18 KJV 1900
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
The favorite exception clause of most is found here in
Matthew 5:32 KJV 1900
But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Matthew 19:9 KJV 1900
And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
“Fornication” is a broad term defining many types of sexual sin, but most often those committed outside of marriage. Hence “adultery” being used in these passages, as well. However, both of these passages are reference to the ritual of betrothal that was a common practice among the Jews. Like engagement in our time. If you discovered that during your engagement your soon to be spouse had cheated you were within your rights to put them away… Like Joseph and Mary.
Matthew 1:18 KJV 1900
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
Later people reminded Christ that this was their opinion of His birth...
John 8:41 KJV 1900
Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
Many believers, including, preachers have made a practice of using these types of passages as an exception clause for divorce. The reality the majority of divorce even among believers don’t even have anything to do with “fornication/Adultery”, but rather with hardness of heart of one or both individuals involved in the marriage. We should make it a priority that our marriages be filled with love, kindness, and tolerance. If they are then we will have little to no divorce among us , except in the rarest of occasions.

The Particulars of the Beheadings

This was planned… not soon enough for Herodias’ taste, but still planned.
Mark 6:19 KJV 1900
Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:
It was a little premature fo Herod.
Matthew 14:5 KJV 1900
And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
They were both just waiting for a convenient day.
Mark 6:21 KJV 1900
And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;
Convenient for Herodias’ purpose, and opportune for the insidious woman, who hoped, through wine, lust, and the concurrence of sycophants, to be able to easily overcome the wavering mind of her husband.-Vincent
Herod’s desire was not as strong as Herodias’ desire, but either way they were both just waiting for a convenient day.

The Occasion of the Beheading

Mark 6:21 KJV 1900
And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;
This was not a typical birthday… this was a festival of grandest proportions held at Machaerus which is now called Mossada. It was a beautiful palace on side of cliff near the overlooking the dead sea.
It was a night full of dining, dancing, drinking, and debauchery.

Dignitaries

Herod’s guest list included the who is who of the area. His lord’s, high captains, chief estates of Galilee. This was group that fed his ego and whom he wanted to impress. He would never have granted this request if they were not present.
Pride is a trap that can produce the worst in us. Things we would never do… we will do in order to prevent losing face with others.

Dining

This was quite a feast of food and wine. Herod was full of food and wine and in no condition to make an important decision.
Scripture tell us to be careful at these type of events
Proverbs 23:1–3 KJV 1900
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Consider diligently what is before thee: And put a knife to thy throat, If thou be a man given to appetite. Be not desirous of his dainties: For they are deceitful meat.
From office Christmas parties to family functions food and drinking are often the means used to compromise our morals.

Dancing

Mark 6:22 KJV 1900
And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.
To please this crowd she would have to appeal to their baser lusts. This was not the Macarena.
Salome had … perform[ed] the part of an almeh or common dancer, and could claim her reward.-Vincent
Taken by her dance and full of food and wine Herod pledges half of his kingdom to her… need we say more about that fact he was impaired.
Mark 6:22–23 KJV 1900
And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee. And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.
Herod’s offer reflected intoxication more than appreciation.
Mark 6:24 KJV 1900
And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.
The fact that her mother had a ready answer is evidence that this was planned by Herodias. She was willing to use her daughter to perform a lewd dance in front of a bunch of lust-filled men in order to get what she desired. This type of dancing was not done by women of Salome’s class.
Mark 6:24–25 KJV 1900
And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist. And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.
Her request is an immediate request lest Herod sober up and change his mind.
Herod is a poor excuse for a leader… given over to his baser appetites he was easily manipulated to make the biggest mistake of his life.
Whenever we give ourselves over to our baser appetites we make ourselves easy targets for the devil.
We need to control our passions rather than be controlled by them.
1 Corinthians 9:27 KJV 1900
But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

The ordering of the Beheading

This is no doubt the worst order ever issued by Herod.

The sorrow over the order

Herod was “exceedingly sorry”, but why?
Mark 6:26 KJV 1900
And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath’s sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.
It wasn’t like Herod suddenly grew a conscience and was sorry for murdering John. Herod was only sorry because he feared the reaction of the people. He was afraid they would riot… he would get in trouble and it would jeopardize his position in the region.
Much like us he was sorry about consequence and not action. God often has to take us low before we come to a place of true sorrow.
Much like the love of this world… worldly sorrow has no godly charteristics.

The sanctioning of the order

Herod justifies his sanctioning of murder because he had made an oath.
Mark 6:26 KJV 1900
And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath’s sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.
The truth is he didn’t want to lose face in front of these dignitaries, but he churches it up and makes it about oath. This is nothing but pride working overtime in Herod’s life.
Mark 6:27–28 KJV 1900
And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison, And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother.
This is sick and defiled thinking, but we are all prone to it.
Rather than lose face in front of our peers we will keep our word and sin.
“Herod is an illustration … of a conscience fantastically sensitive while it is dead to real crimes. He has no twinges for his sin with Herodias, and no effective ones at killing John, but he thinks it would be wrong to break his oath … We often make compensation for easy indulgence in great sins by fussy scrupulosity about little faults, and like Herod, had rather commit murder than not be polite to visitors”-Maclaren
This same foolish way of thinking takes place when Christ is sentenced.
John 18:28 KJV 1900
Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.
Who cares that they have bribed Judas, lied about Christ, hired false witnesses, unjustly had Christ smitten, but heaven forbid they defile themselves by walking into the judgment hall.
Matthew 23:24 KJV 1900
Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
We do this often in our own lives. We obey the cdc but not the Bible. We ignore our duty to be a soul-winner, but we pride ourselves on not cursing.
We need to be consistent and faithful in holding ourselves accountable for our sin.

The silence about the order

No one in the crowd stands up and calls Herod down for this horrible decision. But we can’t be too surprised since these are the same people who were pleased by her sinful dance.
Mark 6:22 KJV 1900
And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.
Those who delight in evil struggle speaking out against sin. Herod is ordering the death of John due to his speaking out against evil, but from this crowd you wont hear a peep in his defense. Much like our politicians who speak up for BLM, CRT, Feminism, but are woefully silent about Biblical Christian values.
Herod certainly bear guilt for calling for the murder of Joh, but those who were present are guilty, as well for not speaking out.
Their silence reminds us of the importance of speaking out against sin in our generation whether national or personal. When someone tries to assassinate the character of our Christian brother or sister we need to speak up. When elected officials try to assassinate the church we need to be vocal.
Let’s stand up stand up for Jesus.

The Postlude of the Beheading

The Pallbearers of John

Matthew 14:12 KJV 1900
And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
John’s pallbearers were wise and brave men.
I would define true courage to be a perfect sensibility of the measure of danger, and a mental willingness to endure it. - W.T. Sherman

They were brave

It was a courageous move to go to the palace of Macherus and pick up the headless body of John the Baptist.
Much like the members of Samson’s family who went and picked up his body.
Judges 16:31 KJV 1900
Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.
Or the vthose valiant men who retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons.
1 Samuel 31:11–13 KJV 1900
And when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul; All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there. And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
These men showed great courage identifying themselves with John who was a servant of God. We should be willing to face embarrassment, ridicule, persecution, and even death to identify with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

They were wise

A bishop in the Church of England, Andrewes served as royal chaplain to Queen Elizabeth I and later to Kings James I and Charles I. He was fluent in 15 languages, and when the Hampton Court Conference convened in 1604, he was chosen as one of the translators of the proposed new English Bible. When the King James Version was published in 1611, his contribution could be seen in the Pentateuch and the historical books. “Lord, I renounce my desire for human praise, for the approval of my peers, the need for public recognition. I deliberately put these aside today, content to hear you whisper, “Well done, my faithful servant.” Amen
Matthew 14:12 KJV 1900
And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
It is a beautiful statement that they went and told Jesus. This was a difficult task. It required courage to face danger, It was, also, emotional this was their teacher and friend who was slaughtered for little reason. But they did their duty. Then they took their troubles to the Lord. We should follow this example… when the task ahead is difficult we should face it with courage and resolve and take our troubles to the Lord.
We tell everyone from our best friend to the general public our troubles, but there is only one to whom we should bring our trouble, “Tell It To Jesus”.

The Parting of Jesus

Matthew 14:13 KJV 1900
When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.
Jesus was already far from Herod, but this moved Him farther away.
Luke 9:10 KJV 1900
And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.
When God’s servants are mistreated He departs… even when it is brother to brother.
Many civilizations, nations, and even churches have had the privilege of great men of God, who the authorities persecuted and thus the people never fully benefited from the presence of God.
The opposite of wisdom is folly, meaning the short-term self-indulgence which marks out the person who doesn’t think about long-term priorities and goals but lives on a day-to-day basis, asking, “What is the most fun thing to do now?”-James Packer

The Punishment of Herod

Mark 6:14–16 KJV 1900
And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets. But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.
Herod did not have to wait for death to suffer the judgment of God. He was so haunted by his horrible decision that when Jesus shows up preaching Herod is worried it is John returned from the dead.
Herod was slow to learn of who Christ was and what Christ was preaching, but politicians are always slow to understand spiritual matters.
Rulers always fear retaliation from their enemies… the face staring at him from blood covered platter would haunt Herod for the rest of his life. No doubt he could call out with Cain...
Genesis 4:13 KJV 1900
And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear.
Herod was only beginning to realize that his offense was against God.
Even if the wicked (seemingly) escape consequence in this life we can be assured that they will not ultimately escape.
It is told Mahmoud, who conquered a great portion of India hundreds of years ago, that he destroyed all the idols in every town to which he came. He laid siege to the great city of Guzurat. Forcing for himself an entrance into the costliest shrine of the Brahmans, there rose before him the figure of a gigantic idol fifteen feet high. He instantly ordered it to be destroyed. The Brahmans of the temple prostrated themselves at his feet and said: “Great Mahmoud, spare our god, for the fortunes of this city depend on him.”
Ransom vast of gold they offer, pearls of price and jewels rare, Purchase of their idol’s safety, this their dearest will he spare. And there wanted not who counseled that he should his hand withhold, Should that single image suffer, and accept the proffered gold.
But Mahmoud, after a moment’s pause, said he would rather be known as the breaker than the seller of idols, and struck the image with his battle-ax. His soldiers followed, and in an instant the idol was broken to pieces. It proved to be hollow and had been used as a receptacle for thousands of precious gems which, as the image was shattered, fell at the conqueror’s feet.
From its shattered side, revealing pearls and diamonds, showers of gold; More than all that proffered ransom, more than all a hundredfold.
Such an idol is self, pleading eloquently to be spared and offering in return pleasures and treasures untold. But when Paul, ignoring self’s plea, learned the secret of losing his life for Christ’s sake, he found true wealth and pleasure. The Christ against whom he had directed his rage and venom now possessed and energized his whole personality in such a way that he could only describe it as Christ living in him. What is the talisman enfolded in these simple words: “To me to live is Christ”
John’s story is one of faithfulness… You decide if John made the right choice… or did Herod?
One of the first gospel illustrations that ever made a real impression upon my young heart was a simple story which I heard a preacher tell when I was less than nine years old.
It was of pioneers who were making their way across one of the central states to a distant place that had been opened up for homesteading. They traveled in covered wagons drawn by oxen, and progress was necessarily slow. One day they were horrified to note a long line of smoke in the west, stretching for miles across the prairie, and soon it was evident that the dried grass was burning fiercely and coming toward them rapidly. They had crossed a river the day before but it would be impossible to go back to that before the flames would be upon them. One man only seemed to have understanding as to what could be done. He gave the command to set fire to the grass behind them. Then when a space was burned over, the whole company moved back upon it.
As the flames roared on toward them from the west, a little girl cried out in terror, “Are you sure we shall not all be burned up?” The leader replied, “My child, the flames cannot reach us here, for we are standing where the fire has been!”
What a picture of the believer, who is safe in Christ!
On Him Almighty vengeance fell, Which would have sunk a world to hell. He bore it for a chosen race, And thus becomes our Hiding Place.
The fires of God’s judgment burned themselves out on Him, and all who are in Christ are safe forever, for they are now standing where the fire has been.
In the end when you stand before God do you want to be John or Herod?
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