Let's give our attention this morning to the Holy Word of the Lord, beginning at verse 1 of Matthew chapter 14, again page 974.
"At that time, Herod the Tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, and he said to his servants, This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him. For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. Because John had been saying to him, it's not lawful for you to have her. And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people because they held him to be a prophet. But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother, she said, give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests, he commanded it to be given. He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus."
There ends the reading of God's Word.
Well, why is this passage here? Why is this particular passage put here for us and given such prominent attention in the Gospels? Have you often thought about the importance here of what is actually being reported to us? What did Jesus say about John the Baptist? Why is John the Baptist such a crucial figure for the ministry of Jesus and in redemptive history?
Jesus made strong statements. "Among those born among women, there is none greater than John the Baptist." This was the forerunner, wasn't he? He was the mighty prophet. the sort of end, climaxing of all of the Old Testament, Old Covenant prophets comes to an end here with John the Baptist. So much so that Jesus said, "He is the Elijah to come. He is, if you can receive that."
If a great preacher in our day, I haven't seen it in the United States, but if a great preacher in our day had his head cut off and put on a platter, How important would that story be for the church? What might that do for the church? What might that signify for the church? What story are we seeing here in Matthew chapter 14 with this record of John the Baptist? And that's really the question that I'm pushing us to think about a little bit today.
There's a lot of different things that converge here, a lot of themes. And I was wrestling with what is the main point that is going on here. And that's the question I hope by the end of the sermon I've answered: What does the death of John the Baptist teach us? And I want to consider that today with you.
I think initially you can say that clearly what we have before us today is a reminder of how the message of the kingdom is often received by the world. That's an initial thing I think we can say, and I studied this, and i as you study it, you're just kind of perplexed. Here's this great prophet, this mighty prophet, this great prophet who Jesus gives that kind of attention to, and it just seems like the whole thing is a cheap ending. His head gets put on a platter, and that's it. Is that really something than the providence of God that was meaningful? for Why did He allow it to happen this way, and why did He permit it to happen this way? Why is the story recounted the way that it is?
As we know, the axiom, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," well, you have that here. And yet this death prepared the way, and that's what I want you to take with it as we go through this: that in his death we see something we see something unfold that is God's answer to the world. It's not an insignificant death; it's an important death because it prepares the way, just as Jesus said. And it challenges us on another level as to how we are responding to those who bring the message of the kingdom, how we are responding to those who bring the message of the kingdom. For clearly what we've seen of Jesus in his ministry is everyone's trying to find something to pick it apart and not come to him. Well, this is what they ended up doing to the prophets, all culminating here.
That's where we are today. As we jump into this really fascinating text, I want you to see the connection from what we studied last time in the last section. Jesus had come to his hometown, and he spoke, and remember there was immediate rejection of him. After they were pleasantly surprised by all the success and fame that he had, and they had concluded that Jesus was simply as we looked at just a blue collar worker, he's a woodsman, craftsman, and they saw him as just a hometown boy. And you remember in that last section they took offense at him and they did not believe in him. Remember how it ended? Jesus said, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown."
Well, Matthew zeroes in on that. Remember, this is not chronological with Matthew. Matthew's thematic. He zeroes in on that, and he wants us to think about that. It's as if Matthew says, "Let's consider then how the greatest of all the prophets was treated. Let's consider this. The greatest of the prophets from the old covenant, John the Baptist, that principle, a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown. Let's consider that in light of the story of John leading us to the story of Jesus."
So that's where we begin. In verse 1, "At that time, Herod the Tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus." See that connection? A prophet is not without honor. Ah, but Herod heard about the fame of this prophet. Well, will he be honored in the city of his of the king jerusalem Herod the Herod here was the son of Herod the great known as Herod the tetrarch or Herod antipas when herod hears of Jesus, he draws what must have been or should have been an immediately scary thought or proposal or proposition in his mind. Herod hears of all these things that Jesus is doing, his fame, and he draws a conclusion. And this must be John the Baptist resurrected from the dead. That's really interesting. To which we should ask, what if it were? What if it were? What if John the Baptist had gotten out of the grave and you had murdered him? What would that require?
Herod hears of all these powerful things that Jesus is doing, and his thought is, "He's got to be John has got to be revisiting me." He's superstitious. It's almost like Saul calling up Samuel. It's just he thinks this has happened. "I chopped off his head. What if you were responsible for someone's death, and you did it in a position of power with the worst display of hatred and rejection, and you did it to save your own face? What if that person really did come back to life? What would you expect? What's your first thought? Your first thought would be revenge. I mean, this is the stuff Hollywood makes great movies out of. Clint Eastwood, High Plains Drifter. They killed him, and he rises from the dead, and he paints the whole town of Lago red, and he unleashes fury on all of them. That's a movie. That's a story. Well, that's what Herod thinks has happened. That's where Herod is right now. What a scary thing if this were true, that God has raised John the Baptist from the dead, whom you killed.
What do you think that should bring? Well, that's the question of the text, I think. That's the question of the text. It should bring repentance. It should bring response. It should bring humility. Mighty works are everywhere. Everyone believes him to be a prophet. And if you have put him to death, what you should do with that is you should humble yourself.
Well, this is where the text moves us today. Keep in mind that Mark tells us that Herod feared John, knowing that John was a just and a holy man. He protected him. And it's a really interesting phrase in Mark's record of this: that he "heard him gladly." So Herod listened to the preaching of John. Herod took in the preaching of John. You get a sense throughout the ministry of John the Baptist that Herod almost entered the kingdom through his preaching. Which, by the way, Matthew, tying it together with the parable of the soils, still has that very much on his mind. He listened to the preaching. Whereas the first group here, when he went to hometown, immediately rejected it, Herod took it in. Herod believed it for a while. But something got in the way. The cares of this life. It had an effect on him. It moved him. He was so convicted by the preaching of John and his conscience, he even went out and tried to reform his life.
I think a lot of people are brought here by preaching. They're like the soil and the rocky places. They hear the word, and for a time they embrace it. But you have to ask the question: What happens? What happens? Matthew records in the parable of the soils, Jesus' word: "The word is choked."
As soon as it is revealed that Herod thought this was John the Baptist resurrected, Matthew stops the narrative and he takes us back to to to now consider what had just happened. He gives us a historical presentation of what Herod did to John the Baptist. So we go back in time for a moment in the narrative, and it's recorded: the death of John. Matthew wants us to think about how terrible this was for Herod.
Verse 3: "Had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because John had been saying to him, it's not lawful for you to have her And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people because he was held as a prophet."
Well, that's what turned Herod. Now you have to remember, John's aim that's why we sang that that wonderful passage from isaiah he came preaching repentance to all peoples, bidding them to repent, for the kingdom of God was now at hand with the coming of Jesus, and that people would be baptized and they would receive the forgiveness of sins. Oh, he was a bold preacher. He was He was not a weak preacher. He was not a pandering preacher He didn't do this he didn't entertain He got in your face oh he got in your face he was the last of the old covenant preachers, if you will. He had the aim of preparing the way and leading people to the Christ. Of what the ministry was all about: "Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world," says John. Behold him. Look upon him, believe in him.
But this whole scene is strikingly familiar, isn't it? You understand why Jesus said he was the Elijah to come? Because not only do you have Elijah here figuratively in the person of John the Baptist, but you have in Herod and Herodias the whole story embedded of Ahab and Jezebel. Remember why Elijah was hated? Well, he took all the showdown on Mount Carmel, and he had taken all the prophets of Baal and had them killed because they failed and exposed as a lie. And remember what happened? that he had publicly denounced their worship imagine that in Israel, he had publicly denounced the worship that had overtaken baal worship had overcome in israel and he greatly humiliated her gods jezebel and she vowed, "I will retaliate on him. I will kill him," causing him to flee.
Well, Ahab was a wimp. He wanted the head. Notice here, she wanted the head of Elijah. The whole scene is now playing itself back out in some ways, which is fascinating. We read that he bound him he bound him for the sake of Herodias and had to protect him from his wife in many ways. Why? You understand this here.
Herod the Great, so you understand it. It's interesting for a moment and important. Herod the Great had seven sons by five different women. Herodias was the daughter of one of his sons, Aristobulus. She married her uncle, another son of Herod the Great, Herod Philip, by the woman Miriam the Second. To Philip, she bore this daughter here that dances in the text. We have this all documented in history. Her name was Siloam. This daughter would then go out, the one who's dancing, and marry her half-uncle, Philip the Tetrarch, another son of Herod. And then she would become his sister-in-law and aunt of her own mother. You guys should be able to figure all this out. I mean, it's tough for me, but this is fascinating. I was really amazed by studying this this week. Thank you for setting me apart to study things like this. It's truly fascinating.
Here's what happened. One day, Herod the Tetrarch visits his brother, Herod Philip, who was married to Herodias. Sees his wife and becomes infatuated with her. They had come into contact at one point and began a wild affair. She ends up leaving Philip for Herod, and he marries her.
Now, John Calvin, as I was reading this, said, "This was rape." Because everyone wants to get into the debate about the incestuous stuff here. This was rape. John alone, says Calvin, comes into his presence, Herod's, and reproves him boldly to his face, "if by any means he may be brought to repentance."
Did you hear that? That he may be brought to repentance.
Hence we learn with what unshaken fortitude now listen carefully to the statement the servants of God ought to be armed when they have to do with princes, for in almost every court hypocrisy and servile flattery are prevalent, and the ears of princes, having been accustomed to such smooth language, do not tolerate any voice which reproves their vices.
Did you get that? Leaders have all kinds of hypocrisy in their life, and flattery is always prevalent, and they can't tolerate any reproof. Just pick your political leader. Well, you started with that woman and now you're with this woman, and then you left this woman and you married that woman. Well, that would just be our current president, wouldn't it? Imagine if someone pointed that out.
Well, the goal would be to call him to repentance.
Enter John the Baptist. Morally, you're violating the law of God, and everyone knows it, but they praise you, Herod. Now you see the purpose here of ministry really come to a head kind of really captures the purpose of ministry. How could that go on in Israel? John is clearly standing let me say in a prophetic role as an old covenant prophet in addressing Israel. There's no doubt. But we i think we can't miss the main point in this passage.
What keeps many people from Christ? They can see the miracles. They can hear the word. They can even believe it for a time. But it comes down to this: people do not come to Christ because of moral sins in their lives.
What's John doing? He's preaching a doctrine of repentance. See how hard that is? This is why repentance has to be a gift of grace, because this is what you get. And here's the surprising thing, the important thing in this passage: John is no respecter of persons. Oh, this great leader gets a pass? No, he doesn't. Without preaching that, there is no need for the gospel of the kingdom.
And by the way, Paul did the same thing before Herod Agrippa and Bernice, another Herod. And Paul wanted to get to Nero to do the same thing. And you see, this is what often keeps people out of the kingdom often it's a moral issue. It's not a theological or intellectual issue with people; it's a moral one.
What did Jesus say? "Tribulation comes because of the word." And once that tribulation comes because of the word because it calls you to a different course in life, a lot of people say, "That's it. That's it." And this happens when we're challenged. Where does the anger and the criticism flow when someone doesn't want to repent of a sin in their life? What an idolatry. Where does it flow? To the messenger. To the messenger.
And this, beloved, is what gets John the Baptist murdered. Here's what happened. Jezebel came at him. Herodias went to Herod. "You got to deal with him. You got to deal with him. He's a troublemaker in our kingdom." And that's just what happened to John the Baptist.
An opportunity came on his birthday. Herod gives a big banquet for all the high officials and military commanders and leading men of the gal of Galilee. Herodias desired to kill John, and she finally now gets the opportunity. Look at what happens here. they um what's recorded here is a big party in Herod's palace. Here, met with this great opportunity, it's a drinking party, and this drunken fest happens, and it's all suggestive here the whole thing is suggestive with the wine flowing notice as the feast happens all the high noble officers in judea And jerusalem all the high noble officers are there the chief men of galilee and verse 22 remember now, Herod was appointed by Rome. He wasn't really even a Jew. Verse 22: "You can't miss the full suggestion. Herodias's daughter came in and danced and pleased Herod and those who sat with him." They're drunk. She comes in dancing provocatively, and in a moment he says notice what happens. A totally inappropriate presentation. Everyone's pleased. Herod belts out, "Whatever you want, I'll give to you. What a fool! You ask me i think in one passage, up to half of the kingdom!" She runs back to Herodias. "You tell her: the head of John the Baptist on a platter
Herod was sorry, but he made the oath, so he kept it. There was ever a time to break an oath, it was right then and there, wasn't it? And repent: "I'm sorry. I can't fulfill that" and break the law of God.
We read, immediately he sent an executioner. In front of everyone, and John the Baptist's head was passed around the room on a platter.
Now look at the last verse here. Verse 12: "And his disciples came and they took the body and buried it, and they went and they told Jesus."
Talk about on-site training. Talk about on-site training.
Have you figured out the story yet? You know why we call him the forerunner? He's not just the forerunner in showing us the way. He's the forerunner in showing us how the prophet will ultimately be dishonored.
Do you know what happened to Herod? Well, this is the end story of Herod. Herod and Pilate were brutal enemies. They hated each other. At Jesus' own crucifixion, Pilate said, "I find no guilt in this man." But they were urgent, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place. Repentance, right?" When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at the time.
"When Herod saw Jesus, he was glad, for he had long desired to see Jesus because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign to be done by him. The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. And Herod, with his soldiers, treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, sent him back to Pilate."
Here it is: "And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that day, for before this, they had been at enmity with each other."
The Gospels link them right together. John the Baptist prepared the way through death.
I asked the question at the beginning of the sermon today: What if you had murdered someone? What if you had murdered someone and that blood was on your hands and that person came back to life? It would be a crazy thing for you not to humble yourself and bow the knee to such a person.
Let me ask the question: What if that man you did it to was the Son of God that you murdered with lawless hands and he rose from the dead? What if? What if he actually got out of the grave? The Son of God. Oh, it's a great moral issue at this point. It's a great moral issue. You'd expect him to paint the world red.
When Peter preached in Acts, he said, "The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and the Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And by his name, by faith in his name, has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.
"And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, John the Baptist, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Ready? Repent, therefore, and turn back that your sins may be blotted out, that the times of refreshing may come upon from the presence of the Lord and then he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of the holy prophets long ago.
"Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven by which men may be saved."
Okay. What a story. John preached repentance before the death of Christ. John couldn't preach repentance after his death. You want to know the difference? Christ preaches repentance in faith after his death, because he's risen. That's amazing.
You hear what's happened? I hope by now I've made clear the story in the story. The forerunner prepared the way for the runner. Notice that. We didn't do this to John the Baptist. Your sins, my sins, did this to Jesus. Think Herod so twisted? And he came and he spoke truth to us. And today he holds out hands of what? Marcy. That's your God. And then after that, he has sent numerous post-runners. Those are pastors and teachers and preachers with the same message: "Repent and believe the gospel. Don't play games with this. Don't hold on to sin. It'll kill you."
What moral issue is going on in your life that the Lord is saying, "Come to me. Let's deal with it right now. Don't push me away. What is it? I'll forgive all your trespasses. I'll help you. I'll forgive you. I'll cleanse you from all unrighteousness."
He's not painting the world red yet. What a Savior. He's come and preached peace to us in the cross, and he shows his love to the world. Wow. Don't fight him on the moral issues. When a preacher comes to you and says, "Turn from it," don't fight him. A lot of people fight him.
"The Lord is a sun and a shield to us. The Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will he withhold to those who walk uprightly."
What a King. What a God. What a prophet the prophet who preaches to us that message. Let us hear him while that voice may still be heard today.
Let's pray.
"Oh Lord, we praise and thank you for the story in the story. That the forerunner showed us the whole story, and yet now the risen One preaches to us repentance and faith. A gift and power of your grace. Help us, oh Lord, to be responding to this. Give us, as Christians, the ability to speak to one another truth. Thank you for saving us. Thank you for not painting the world red. Thank you, instead, for clothing us in garments white garments of righteousness. We praise the name of the Lord. In Jesus' name, amen."