 two kingdoms divided. At one point there was a single kingdom simply referred to as Israel, but then after the death of Solomon the kingdom divided into two sections. One is called the northern section, the other the southern Israel and Judah. And during that period and moving on through that there were different prophets that the Lord would raise up who were speaking for him, speaking his mind to the people as well as predicting future events. And these prophets would come. They'd preach a message and would call people to a certain action, but they weren't always received. You can look at prophets like Elijah and you can see those like Jeremiah, like Isaiah and Ezekiel. They were persecuted very often, severely, and some were even killed. When you read in the New Testament book of Hebrews in chapter 11 verses 37 and 38, speaking of the prophets, the writer says they were put to death by stoning. They were sod in two. They were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. Tradition holds that Isaiah the prophet died a martyr's death and that he was actually one referred to here in the book of Hebrews as the one who had been sod in two. When Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was speaking to those who were about to put him to death for his witness for Christ, when Stephen was speaking to them, it's recorded in Hebrews. It speaks of, how I'm sorry, in the book of Acts in chapter 7 verse 52, how that it says, Stephen said this, which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the righteous one whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. Which one of them did you not persecute? Israel had a long history of persecuting, even as Jesus said in Matthew 23, 37, the ones who were sent to her. And John the Baptist, as we're looking today at this passage, was one of those who had been persecuted because this section is going to report to us concerning the murder of John the Baptist. Now John, as mentioned, was the last Old Testament prophet. He was the messenger who had been sent to announce the Messiah. In Luke chapter 3 verse 15, it speaks concerning how the people were in expectation and all reason in their hearts about John, whether he was a Christ or not. And the reason they were doing that is because he had such a powerful ministry and such a powerful holiness about him that they began to wonder, could this be the Messiah himself? He had come preaching a baptism of repentance. He was preparing the way for Jesus. And yet people began to be confused about him, wondering if perhaps this was Messiah. And so he would clearly say that he wasn't Messiah, but that he was sent before him. In John's gospel, he had told his disciples, as found in verse 28 of chapter 3, he said, you yourselves bear me witness that I said I am not the Christ. I've been sent before him. But his sterling character, his amazing ministry, his courageous boldness in proclamation had caused people to think this must be Messiah. He had preached this strong, this uncompromising message. And he called people to repentance. Again, in the gospel of Luke chapter 3 verse 7, he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him. He said, Brutivipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? So he was a very warm and friendly, entertaining comedian like. He was strong. And when he would speak to them, he spoke with the boldness. He would say that not just to average people, he actually said that to the religious leaders. Who warned you? So he had a very strong and very uncompromising ministry. And so his strong message would be given equally to any would hear him speak. And that would include not just the regular folk. That would include not just the religious leaders. It also included speaking to those who held high governmental positions. It had even been preached to a man referred to as King Herod. Notice in verse 14 how it says now, King Herod heard of him. For his name had become well known. And he said, John, the Baptist has risen from the dead. Therefore these powers are at work in him. So we're introduced here once again to a man by the name of King Herod. By this time, the ministry of Christ had grown. His name had become well known. According to Mark 128, his fame had spread abroad throughout all the region around about Galilee. And even Herod, the highest government official, has heard of him. His fame has grown because he's done so much good. His reputation has grown because of this. And the fact is, as you can't keep a good thing secret in Jesus, his name is being spread throughout the land. It's well known. And his fame has reached the ears of Herod Antipas. Now, let me give you a little bit of information that will help you to see who this man is. Herod Antipas. Herod Antipas is the son of a man called Herod the Great. And he's referred to as a tetrarch. A tetrarch is a general kind of title for a political official. He had rulership over a fourth part of Israel. In Scripture, three men are named Herod. Herod the Great, Herod Archelaus, and Herod Antipas. Now, Herod Archelaus and Herod Antipas were both sons of Herod the Great. When you look at Herod, Herod was not Jewish. He was Itimean. If you look at a map of Israel, and you're going from the north to the south, and you go past the Dead Sea, going into that region is a place called Itimea. That's where he was from. So he was Itimean. And he was half Samaritan through his mother. Her name was Malthais. And she had been married to Herod the Great. Now, his father was hated because Rome had placed him as a non-Jew over Israel. Now, you've heard of Herod the Great when you read your Bible. Herod the Great is the one who ordered the slaughter of the babies of Bethlehem when Jesus was born. And he also slaughtered the Jewish High Council, the Sanhedrin. He, in order to retain his power, had one of his wives and two of his sons executed. Now, after his death, Rome divided the kingdom between three of his sons. Archelaus, the older brother of Antipas. You see him in Matthew 2, verse 22. You have Herod Antipas, who we're looking at. And Philip is half brother who will be mentioned in a moment. Now, last time we had gathered, we saw how Jesus had sent his men on a ministry mission. They've gone out preaching repentance, casting out demons, performing healings. And news of their ministry has spread and has reached the ears of one called Herod Antipas. Now, when we looked at chapter 6 last time and Jesus had sent them out, notice how it says in verse 12 of chapter 6, as he's commissioning them to go out. They went out and preached that people should repent. They cast out many demons and anointed with oil. Many who were sick and healed them. So their ministry is going forth. But when Jesus was speaking to them, as is recorded in Matthew, he gives a little more information. He said to them this, he said, I'm sending you out as sheep among wolves. And in doing so, he is referring to the way that they were going to be treated, sheep among wolves. You're going to have perilous times. It's going to be difficult. Therefore, he said, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Don't be out there offending people on purpose, but be wise and realize that your message is not going to be well received. Be prepared. So he's speaking to them concerning the persecution and rejection that they're going to go through. John is a great example, as we're going to look at him right now, of one who suffered the ultimate persecution in that he was murdered for his faith and for his ministry. And so as this is taking place here again, Herod is there and he's hearing of these things. And he says in the second portion of verse 14, he said, John, the Baptist is risen from the dead. Therefore, these powers are at work in him. John, the Baptist has been resurrected from the dead. Herod had wondered aloud concerning who Jesus is. Luke tells us in chapter 9 verses 7 through 9 that Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead. Others that Elijah had appeared and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. But Herod said, I beheaded John. Who then is this? I hear such things about. And he tried to see him. So he had heard these things and he wanted to see Jesus. Well now he's saying John the Baptist is risen from the dead. So he's thinking about what he has heard and he's come up with a theory. He thought if John had been raised from the dead, then he would have supernatural power. And this power would be heavenly. It would be what we call resurrection power that is being channeled through him. And that's what he's thinking. Well, this has got to be John the Baptist. Well, verse 15, others said it's Elijah and others said it's the prophet or like one of the prophets. So others are speaking also and they're aware. They're aware of some things. And notice how it says it is Elijah. See, they believe that Elijah would come before Messiah was to be revealed. They had read and been taught out of Malachi, the Old Testament book of Malachi chapter 3, verse 1, where it says, I will send my messenger who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you're seeking will come to his temple, the messenger of the covenant whom you desire will come, saith the Lord Almighty. So they're thinking that perhaps that's who this is. But they didn't realize that John was the messenger who fulfills that prophecy. So Jesus later on makes that clear in Matthew 11, verse 10. He said, this is he of whom it is written. Behold, I send my messenger before your face who will prepare your way before you. And he went on in Matthew 11, 14 and said, if you're willing to receive it, he, speaking of John, is Elijah who is to come. He wasn't Messiah. He was the one who was fulfilling the role of Elijah. And so they're confused concerning whom he is. John the Baptist has arisen from the dead. He thinks that John is Jesus. Others say, well, it's Elijah because they had had some theological training. And then others were simply saying it's the prophet or like one of the prophets. Well, then they say it's the prophet. That is the belief of the coming prophet who was referred to or thought of as what would be called the second Moses before the day of the Lord. In Deuteronomy 18, verse 15, it says, the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you will hear. A prophet like me. So they're thinking, well, this is the second Moses. In Deuteronomy 18, 18, I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among the brethren and will put my words in his mouth. He shall speak to them all that I command him. So some associated Jesus with the prophecy that was found in the book of Deuteronomy, but they didn't really know who he was. Now let me share a couple of things about that. They didn't comprehend who he was because people don't know who Jesus is without revelation from the Father. There are a lot of people who have had Bible teaching many throughout their lives. There have been some who've even gone to church pretty much all of their life. I've seen people who were raised in a Christian home. Their father was a pastor who went through their life without knowing Jesus Christ. Later in life, God saved. There's a lot of people who have information even in this day and have no enough to say, well, I have opinions concerning God and Jesus. But unless the Holy Spirit reveals to their heart who Christ is, they're not going to get saved. In John 6.44 it says, no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him and I will raise him up the last day. It takes the conviction of the Holy Spirit to draw someone to faith in Jesus Christ. You see, you don't know the Lord simply because you have information about him. It takes the Holy Spirit to draw you to him. And you're not saved because you have a religious belief that you hold fast to raise in a certain denomination or a certain tradition. You're saved because the Holy Spirit has drawn you. And that's how you came to faith in Christ is that he convicted you of sin, righteousness and judgment and awakened you to the fact that you're not just messed up. You're a sinner. And that for a lot of people today, they don't like to hear that, but it's true. It's not just that we've been raised wrong or had a little education or poor economic opportunity. It's because we're sinners and people don't want to hear that. They want to think that everybody's good. You know that, and I know that. Some rock star who died of an overdose, his friends are saying, well, he's looking down right now at us. I don't think if he's looking anyway, he's looking up. He's not looking down. Why? He didn't have a relationship with the Lord. And the Bible's very clear about that. And so sometimes you think, well, they're just a good person. Well, there's no good. There's none good. No, not one. The only good person who ever lived was Jesus Christ and they hanged him on a tree. You see, there's not good. There's none good. That's why we need a Savior. That's why we need a Christ. That's why he came. And so it takes the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin and righteousness. Our standards are not his standard and ultimately judgment for us to be aware of the fact that we'll stand before him one day. And so they didn't understand who he is. You see, the Jewish scribes taught that Elijah was to come before Messiah. Matthew 1710, the question is asked, why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? They had been taught that. Malachi chapter four, verse five says in the Old Testament, I will send you Elijah, the prophet before they come into the great and dreadful day of the Lord. So they don't comprehend these verses. The prophet promised through Moses was not just a prophet. It was Messiah. And that was made clear later on when the apostle Peter was preaching. Now Jesus heard these rumors. Eventually, he does address them with his disciples. I've shared this briefly with you recently. I'll say it again. You go to a place in Israel to the northern portion by the little north of the Sea of Galilee. There's a place there called Caesarea Philippi, a place where Jesus would take his men and did so to train them and spend time with them. We've been there many times to this place called Caesarea Philippi. That's where he said, who do men say that I, the son of man, am? And that's when they said, some say you're John the Baptist, some say you're Elijah, some say you're Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. So Jesus did handle this question and did answer it. So first he says, who do men say that I am? They give the response, John and Elijah, Jeremiah, prophet. But then he went on and pointedly said, but who do you say I am? Because it's not just that you know of me, but who do you know I am? You are the Christ, the son of the living God, is what the apostle Peter said. That's how you're saved. So later on, Jesus had to deal with that, and he did. But that's what's taking place at this time. There are people thinking, well, it's John the Baptist, it's Elijah, one of the prophets, it's the prophets, so they're amongst themselves beginning to say these things. But notice verse 16. But when Herod heard, he said, this is John whom I beheaded. He has been raised from the dead. Herod was tormented by his guilt, being fully aware that he killed a righteous man. He was very, very concerned about that. He was tormented. In Titus chapter one, verse 15, Paul said to the pure, all things are pure. But to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. When you get saved in Christ is forgiven you of all of your sins. He's cleansed you from unrighteousness. You now have a purity. You don't live with a guilty conscience anymore. You can put your head on your pillow at night, and you can go to sleep not wondering who's after you, or what you've done wrong, and will I get caught? You don't have to do that anymore. You can actually drive in a police car, can be behind you, and you don't start going, oh no, 10, 2, you know. How fast am I going? What's the first thing you do when you see a cop behind you? How fast am I going? You know, you don't have to do that when you're right with the Lord, and you're doing the things that are right. Your conscience can be cleansed, and you don't have to be tormented by memories anymore. You can wake up, and yes, sometimes the enemy wants to work, and to cause you to say, oh, you do yourself, to say to yourself, oh, what a wretch I am, I'm a horrible person. And indeed without Christ, that's exactly what my condition is. But in Christ I'm a new creation. Old things have passed away. And because all of my sins have been cleansed by the blood of Christ, I can now live as a new creature. I can live with peace and joy. I can live in unity with people and have the love of God and all of that. And that comes after being saved. It doesn't come before you're saved. And so this man Herod is completely defiled. He is completely tormented by his guilt. And that's what's going on. He was so tormented, he even wanted to see Jesus to find out for himself. Later on, Luke tells us that Herod said, John, I've beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things? He sought to see Jesus. He wants to have his awareness of who this man is and all of that. And that's what's taking place. But he's sure here in verse 16, it's John, whom I beheaded. He's been raised from the dead. His superstitious fear is tormenting him. And why is that? Well, verse 17, for Herod himself had sent in late hold of John, bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, for he had married her because John had said to Herod, it is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife. And so he found himself in that situation because he was upset. His actions were personal. He did not like the fact that John kept pointing out his sin. Again, verse 17 says he had imprisoned John for the sake, notice of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. A year earlier, he had arrested John because John had called him to repent from his sin of adultery. Herod had stolen Herodias from Philip, his brother, while on a visit to the city of Rome, he divorced his wife, her name was Vesalus. She was the daughter of a king by the name of Herodus the fourth of Nabatea in order to marry her. So he divorced one wife to marry his brother's wife. And notice here in verse 17 how the Holy Spirit did not allow Mark to call Herodias Herod's wife. He refers to her as his brother Philip's wife. Why is that? Because he was living in adultery. He divorced her, his past wife, to marry her. And God had commanded the nation of Israel not to commit adultery. It's called the seventh commandment. It's found in Exodus 20 verse 14, you shall not commit adultery. They had no grounds for divorce. So when they divorced out of convenience to marry, they committed adultery. Later on we'll see in chapter 10 verses 11 and 12 how Jesus said, whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery. And that's what took place here. There was the sin of adultery. It says in verse 18, because John had said to Herod, it's not lawful for you to have your brother's wife. So John had brought it to his attention. It's not lawful for you to have Philip's wife. And this is something he didn't say just once, by the way. He repeatedly had told Herod that this is not lawful. Not only was it adultery, but it was also what is called the sin of incest. Herodias was the daughter of Aristobulus, his half-brother, which made Herodias his niece. In Leviticus 18, verse 6, no one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. So John was a preacher of righteousness and he would preach with conviction and he would preach with courage. And it didn't matter to him that Herod was a ruler and it didn't matter to him that Herodias had been offended because he was a man who was sold out to the Lord. And his fear was of God and his loyalty was to what God had commissioned him to do. In second Chronicles 16, verse 9, it says, the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to him. And John the Baptist's heart was loyal to God. And when your heart is loyal to God, then you don't fear men. You speak the truth because God is holding you up as you do that. He was a man who was sold out. When you read about John, and we've done that as we've gone through Mark, and you read and you see some of the things about John, you can see where his courage and his convictions came from because Luke tells us that he was filled with the Holy Spirit even in his mother's womb. That after he had been born, his father had prophesied over him and had said, you're going to be going before the Messiah and you're going to have a ministry and he had prophesied over his own son. And that John had spent his early years in the wilderness, separated, that when he came to minister, he came dressed as a prophet wearing the skin of a goat or a sheep. He came in that kind of dress, which was the dress of a prophet, and that his diet was locus and wild honey. He lived a very separated life. And so as a prophet, living a separated life, living out in the wilderness and then coming and saying, repent, the kingdom of God is at hand, had left a tremendous impact on the people. And then when people would approach him, the religious leaders, he said, you brood of vipers, who has warned you of the judgment that's to come, he would speak to the ordinary people and say, these are the things you need to do to get right with God. He didn't hold back. And so he had disciples who would follow him and trusted him. But he'd say, I told you myself that I'm not Messiah, I'm here simply pointing him. So he had humility. He knew everything that he needed to know his commission and faithful to those things. He was loyal to God. And that's that. That's the kind of thing for us and ladies that you need to have if you're going to have a ministry that reaches people, the power of the Holy Spirit, an awareness of what you're called to do, and a fear of God, and an integrity in your life that demonstrates that you know that you have a relationship with God that you want others to have too. There was a fellow by the name of Samuel Bregel. He was an early leader of the Salvation Army and he wrote with great insight of the way to gain a position of spiritual leadership. This is what Samuel Bregel wrote. He said spiritual leadership is not won by promotion, but by many prayers and tears. It is attained by confession of sin and much heart searching and humbling before God, by self-surrender, a courageous sacrifice of every idol, a bold, deathless, uncompromising, and uncomplaining embracing of the cross, and by an eternal, unfaltering looking into Jesus crucified. It is not gained by seeking great things for ourselves, but rather like Paul by counting those things that are gained to us as a loss for Christ. That is a great price, but it must be unflinchingly paid by him who would be not merely a name only, but a real spiritual leader of men, a leader whose power is recognized and felt in heaven, on earth, and in hell. Now that was John, unflinching, uncompromising, a holy man walking with the Lord, fulfilling his calling, filled with the Holy Spirit, and that's what gave him the ability to speak to Herod and to be listened to. There are those today and I say this with no joy who preach a message that they don't live, and they have no credibility because if you are not practicing what you preach then your words are actually, they sound like brass or tin, they have no genuineness to them. John was a man of character. I've been sharing with Wednesday night. I've been sharing how that when you look at the qualifications of a leader, according to Titus in chapter one, and I've shared with them these are the things that are taking place on the island of Crete, that there are, there were people who got saved on Pentecost. They were from this island. They returned to Crete. When they returned to Crete as people who had been saved, they began to meet together. When they began to meet together, they weren't really well taught yet and Paul and Titus came to the island. So Paul left Titus there to put in order the things that were still yet lacking and he said, I want you to appoint elders in every city. Why? He said, because they need to be able, with sound doctrine, to deal with the false teachers who began to creep into the church. So on the island of Crete and the churches in Crete, there were false teachers who were creeping in, who were bringing in a form of Jewish legalism to attempt to bring the people into bondage to the law of Moses. And so Paul says what you need to do is you need to appoint qualified men as elders so that they can go through and they can minister. Then he began to give the qualifications and he gives something like 14, around 14 qualifications, what there to be like. They're not to be drunks. They're not to be going out on their wives. They're to be men of character. When you look at all of those things, so reminded and all, these are character traits. These are men of character and integrity. They run their own house well and things of that nature. And there's about 14, maybe 15, when you look at it closely, qualifications. Then after he gives all of these qualifications, he says that they need to know scripture well enough to correct those who are in opposition. And so I found it interesting to note that if you're going to have any kind of ministry credibility, it's not based simply on the fact that you're able to talk and to share things about God. But you have to have the character that actually lines up with the message. And sometimes even to this day, the church has a tendency of going after the well-spoken one, the humorous one, the one who claims to have miraculous power, whatever, they go after the charismatic one, but they're not looking for the one with the character that can help them to lift the message that he's giving. And so John had that ability. Listen, sometimes when you're young in the faith and you want to preach the gospel to people and all, sometimes because you really haven't yet formed into a mature believer, sometimes people would just watch you for a while to see whether or not you're going to stay with this faith that you're preaching. They'll watch you for a while. Other people sometimes will hear you and they'll say, that message is all I need to hear. I want to be saved. But sometimes there are people who will watch you. And it's the consistency very often over time that helps to win people the faith in Christ. But if we're not living that message we're giving to others, they have a tendency of rejecting the message based on the messenger. So why could John speak to Herod and have him listen to him? We'll see this in just a moment. It's because Herod saw in John a genuineness about him. Now as we look at this, I'll build this a little bit with you. John had been in prison shortly after Jesus had been baptized and he's been at the writing here in prison for over a year. And as he's been there in prison, he has continued reproving Herod. Now remember how John had been outdoors all his life. He was in the wilderness until he came and enacted the role of the forerunner of Messiah. He had been in the wilderness for many years, all of his life. But now he's in a small cell. It's cold. It's wet. It's a dungeon. There's no fresh air. There are very few visitors. And that's where he's ended up. The conviction Herod experienced could have caused him to repent, but he didn't. In Proverbs 29, verse 1, he who is often rebuked and hardens his neck will suddenly be destroyed in that without remedy. When the Holy Spirit convicts us we ought to respond quickly to his conviction and not harden ourselves against it or else we end up actually living a terrible life. You see, John paid a great price, but he didn't stop pointing out Herod's sin. You're committing adultery. You're committing incest. You need to repent. And that's how he said it. Now, sometimes when you see our movies that are made to give us some biblical characters and all the ones I saw when I was growing up, John the Baptist always looked like he was in his 40s. Maybe he was. Maybe he wasn't in the movies. I don't know. But I can tell you this. And this is something I found interesting as I was preparing this study. I began to think about this. I'll share this with you. I was talking to my wife about this just this morning. I said, you know, whenever I've thought just I guess it comes from the Hollywood productions of Bible stories and all. You see the John the Baptist character. He's always big. He's always blustery. You know, it's got this big old hairy beard and his hair is long and all of that. You know, you have this and all, but he always looked like he was in his 40s. You know, John was not that old. Do you know that? Do you know that when John was just a few months older than Jesus that Jesus began his ministry when he was 30. Luke tells us that when he was about 30. That made John probably 31 or 32 years old. That's how old John was 31 or 32. He wasn't a 40 or 50 year old man, a 60 year old man. He was a 30 year old man, 31 years old, maybe 32. That's how young he was 31 or 32. And yet he's standing up speaking with all of this authority and all of this conviction because he was a man set apart by God to do that work. When you're young, you may think you don't have ministry. That's just not true. When you're young, you've got plenty of opportunity for ministry. And I really believe that the Lord wants to raise up a lot of younger people now in this generation to do the work of ministry. I may very well have somebody in this off right here in this room right now. We're watching that God is calling to pastoral or eldership roles. And you're thinking, I'm too young. Listen, I was 30 when I planted this church. You're not too young. You just need to be ready. You need to be prepared. You need to be in the word of God. You need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. You need to be separated to God. You need to be willing to go where God calls you, to do what God tells you to do. You just need to have the character. You need to put these things into practice so that when the older people see you and they think, what's that snot? He knows, kid, no. You know Jesus Christ. You know His message. You know His power. You know what He requires. And you have the courage and conviction to say it. And I don't believe that John would stand there blustering and screaming with spit coming out of his mouth. I don't believe it sometimes. I know. I believe that when he sat with Herod and spoke to him, it was a reasonableness in his dialogue that would speak to him. And he would say, you know what God has said in his law. You know. And he would stay strong in the word of God. And that's why we need to know God's word to be able to present it and not our opinions. And so John was there. He's there ready to lose his head because Herodias, this woman who is living in adultery with Herod, wants him dead. Notice 1st 19. Herodias held it against him, wanted to kill him, but she could not. For Herod feared John, knowing that he was just and holy, a just and holy man. And he protected him. And when he heard him, notice he did many things and heard him gladly. That's interesting. Herod feared John and was afraid to execute him. Why is that? Well, he was concerned at what would happen if he did put him to death. And in Matthew 14, it says he wanted to put him to death, but he feared the multitude because they counted John as a prophet. He was afraid of what the people would do. But also he knew him to be a just and holy man. He had a superstitious fear of John. He was afraid to kill him. It would seem that he might be concerned that something would happen to him if he did. Herod's life was filled with fear. He had seen so much evil and he had done so much evil. His life was just enshrouded in fear. And it says in verse 20, even so he enjoyed speaking to him, even though he didn't understand him. He desired to put him to death, but it was still intrigued. How could this man speak with such boldness, knowing he could die? This is the kind of courage that the world doesn't understand. He knew that people would do almost anything to preserve their own lives from death. It's like what we read in Job chapter 2 verse 4 where it says skin for skin, Satan replied, a man will give all he has for his own life. So how could John be so courageous knowing that Herod could put him to death? Well, he was bold because he knew God and he knew his own future. It reminds me of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they were speaking to King Nebuchadnezzar who was going to throw him into a fiery furnace. And so in Daniel 3 16 through 18 it says that they said to King Nebuchadnezzar, we don't need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we're thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it and he will deliver us from your majesty's hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know your majesty that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you've set up. Our God is able and even he doesn't, we'll be with him, doesn't matter either way. That's that courage that you can get. And notice it says in verse 20 again, he heard him, he did many things and heard him gladly when he did some of the things but he didn't repent. He never committed himself. He listened gladly. He appreciated some of it. The passionate holy voice of John interested him on a superficial level. It reminds me of Ezekiel 33 32 where God says to the prophet indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument. They hear your words but they don't do them. Oh I really like the way that preacher preaches. I really like the way he said that and what he taught. They like what you're saying but they won't do it and that was Herod. Well verse 21 an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers and the chief men of Galilean. When Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced and pleased Herod and those who sat with him the king said to the girl ask me whatever you want and I will give it to you. He also swore to her whatever you asked me I will give I will give you up to half my kingdom. And so it's Herod's birthday and Herodias finally gets her chance. She invites the political elite, the military commanders, the prestigious men. Those would be the Herodians and she gives a birthday party for Herod. Roman birthday celebrations were often drunk in orgies filled with sexual debauchery and this party was no different. It says in verse 23 that Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced. Notice it says and pleased Herod. It's not kind of it's not like one of our game shows that we have on TV the voice or some you know America's Got Talent or whatever that please is not that word. The word please when it says she pleased him that's a word that's actually a very strong word. It's the idea of exciting erotic emotion. She sexually stimulated Herod. The dance that she was doing was an erotic dance, an erotic dance. It was something and her name was Salome. It was something that was intended to excite him sexually. She was dancing in such a fashion and this man and his men are drinking and here's this young woman dancing in a seductive way and as she does it he gets just you know he's a little out of his mind. I'll give you anything you want. Ask. I'll give you up to half of my kingdom. She pleased him. She aroused him and so he made that stupid promise. Ask whatever you want. That was more of an arrogant boastful promise because he had very little to give but that's all she needed to hear. So verse 24 she went out said to her mother what shall I ask? Mother said the head of John the Baptist. Immediately she came in 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. The king was exceedingly sorry yet because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him he didn't want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought and he went and beheaded him in prison brought his head on a platter gave it to the girl and the girl gave it to her mother and when his disciples heard of it they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb. She had her opportunity and she took it. Finally this voice will be silenced. Someone said an evil mother and an evil stepfather produced an evil daughter. Well the king was sorry but he had made a promise in front of everybody and was caught by his own words. His nobles and his officers the chief men were all present so for the sake of his oath he slaughtered John and he gave his head to Salome. This mouth that has been speaking against me I want it silenced forever and the way we can silence this mouth is just to take the head from the body because when you slice his head off his mouth will shut up. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine that? And so they did that. There he was awaiting execution. Remember how in Matthew chapter 11 how John was there languishing in the prison and two of his disciples were sent with a message and they came to Jesus and they said are you the coming one? Are you Messiah? Or should we look for another? John was about to die. He just needed absolute certainty and Jesus said you go and tell John this and he began to share with them some things you know. The deaf can hear, the lame can walk, lepers are being cleansed, the dead are being raised up. Let them know these things are taking place in fulfillment of prophecies they find in the Old Testament especially in the book of Messiah. Let them know these things are taking place and then say to him and blessed is the one who is not offended because of me. Blessed is the one who isn't scandalized because of me. Blessed is the one who isn't stumbled because of me. Blessed is the one who hasn't tried to create me in their own image but accept me for who I truly am. And I may not be doing the things that John thinks I should be doing. John being a preacher of righteousness and Jesus actually eating with publicants and sinners. He may be hearing stories and they may be a bit twisted and the things he's hearing makes him concerned. Let him know the works I'm doing line up with what Scripture says and don't be stumbled because I am not exactly what you think I'm supposed to be. I think that's where a lot of people get stumbled by the way is we try to create God in our image instead of accepting what God is all about and has told us he is. When Marie and I were dating I had learned this lesson a long time ago I didn't want to be somebody to her in a date that I wasn't really as a person because guys can do that. You women know that and we guys know that. We'll ask the girl what do you like? Oh I like you know particular food. I like spaghetti and suddenly that's your favorite. I love spaghetti too. Isn't that amazing? Yeah. Where do you like to go? Oh I like to go to this. I'd love to go that place too. That's my favorite. What kind of music do you like? Well I like western music. Hot dog. So do I. I love that. So you do those things right. You do those things because you're trying to get in their good graces and then what happens and they date you. You're always the phony then you get married and they find out who they really married. That happens a lot of times. So when Marie and I were dating I made a decision that I was going to be who I am. So I wouldn't ask her where do you want to go. I would say I'm going to go somewhere would you like to go with me. I wanted her to know the real person not that pretend one because I had learned to pretend as a kid but I didn't want to as a man. So I like this food. I like yeah that's just true. I thank you for this side. I'll talk to you. But that's the way it is. Blessed is the person who is in scandalized because of who you really are and you can take Jesus and you can put him in a little box. My Jesus would never do this. My Jesus would never do that. My Jesus would never. That's what people do. Watch the news. Listen to unbelievers. Even the church sometimes does this. Oh my Jesus wouldn't ever condemn anybody. Wait a minute. What Jesus are you worshiping? Because it's the whole counsel of God. And yes he carries the lamb. Yes he cares for the lost. But yes he also pronounces judgment. He does both. That's why we need the whole counsel of God to see the whole person. See that's how that works. Again this side. You guys are backsliders. Let me talk. But that's the truth. See be who you are. And John saying are you the coming one? You're not the one I thought you were. You're doing things differently. We preach repentance. We tell people they're going to go to hell. But you sit down with Republicans and sinners. I don't get it. Are you the coming one? Listen. The deaf are hearing. The blind are seen. The lame are walking. The lepers are being cleansed. And the dead raised to life. You could tell John this. Blessed is the one who is not scandalized because of me. And so John was willing to lose his head for what he knew was true. We need some men with spines and women with spines today who are willing to stand up and say I don't care if you cancel me. This is the truth as God has given it. We need that in the pulpit today. Instead of giving in to people oh I don't like you. I mean people will write stuff on Facebook saying I don't like you. Like I supposed to care. I don't even know you. I'm supposed to care about what strangers think. There's only one person I care about and that's the Lord. And if I tell the truth that's all that matters. And you do it in love. But see that was John. That was John. That was John. And so John was willing to and he lost his head for the gospel. And his beloved disciples came, claimed his body. They took it and put it in a tomb. In Matthew 1412 it says his disciples came, took away the body and buried it and went and told Jesus. And they went and told Jesus, John is dead. John is died. And Jesus heard what they had to say and continued his ministry because it was closer to the time he would lay down his life. Somebody said for fear of a woman, for fear of his peers, for fear of his throne, and for a lack of fear of God, Herod damned his own soul forever. What happened to them? Well I actually looked up to see if there's any history as to what happened to Herod and Herodias. They eventually had been banished from Israel and they sent them to Lyon, France. And they died when commentators said in a very miserable condition. Well what happened to Selome, the one who danced in the way that she did? According to this one author, Selome fell through a patch of ice. Her head was caught while her body sank in the water. As she tried to save herself, the sharp edges of the ice nearly severed her head and she died. So when you read your Bible and you say, well that doesn't, how come righteous, this is how these people died? John lost his head but he's in the presence of the Lord. Selome almost lost hers and she perished forever. So I would say the wisest thing is to follow the path of John, wherever it may lead, because at the end of the day we simply want to be faithful to what God has given us to do. And if you have an opportunity to speak the truth, do it with love, do it with conviction, do it scripturally, but do it. Father we ask that you would work in us today.