Who do you follow?
Mark 6:14-44
Introduction
- Jesus is demonstrated in this book as a “servant”
-- Key verse: Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
- For us to understand his role as a servant all we have to do is look at His actions
-- He was constantly invested in going to see people; to teach/heal
-- His revelation of the Father’s Kingdom speaks to His servanthood to God alone
-- He did not come with His own agenda; but to fulfil what the Father sent Him for
- CRITICAL: If we do not see ourselves as His servants, He is not our Lord!
- Herod is the king of this region, most definitely had heard about Jesus and John
-- These men were a threat to his livelihood, kingdom, and his reputation
-- The thought of someone else getting his “attention” is what sets up this story
- Read Mark 6:14-29
∆ Point 1 – Beheaded for the Truth (14-24)
- What happens here reveals the true nature of Herod, both as man and leader
- John originally preached repentance to all that would hear (Mark 1)
-- He declared himself a messenger, much like Isaiah, preaching the Kingdom
-- What set him apart is he called men to repent … not to a “religious order”
- APP: This calling of Christ, really and truly, is what offends us even today
-- We’d rather live with the attitude, “You’re not the boss of me …” then repent
- Fact is: John is a prophet, sent by God, to warn of the coming Messiah
-- Remember, from OT to NT there has been 300+ years of silence
-- Israel had not had a prophet preach to them in this fashion
- Herod thought he knew exactly who Jesus was (v14), for one reason only:
-- He had John killed and now this man was back to do him harm
-- IMP: Do you see what a guilty conscience can do to a man?
-- Why would this happen? B/C he was responsible for murdering him (v16)
- According to Mark, the story takes a flashback to how all of this happened
-- Therefore, (v17) is a retelling of why John was arrested in the first place
-- Herod was sleeping with his brother’s wife and it was sinful to do so (v18)
-- Herod’s brother was STILL alive and therefore he was violating the Law
-- Lev 18:16, “Do not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife; that would dishonor your brother.”
- IMP: John’s rebuke of Herod for his sin is what sets this all this into motion
-- The courage of John is to be commended here instead of shunned
-- FACT: Words of truth have to be spoken in order to correct sinful behavior
-- Mark 1:15 says, “… REPENT and believe”
- Herodias, his brother’s wife, hated John the Baptist for his honesty (v21)
-- APP: When you’re living in sin, you often wait for your time to strike back
-- This is exactly what Herodias does: she plans her revenge on him deliberately
- What she does is send her (probably teenage) daughter to dance for this party
-- There is a lesson: How to fail as a parent
-- Her dance was most assuredly highly suggestive and pleased Herod
-- Why? Because at this banquet he’s drunk, and his inhibitions are lowered
-- Sadly, Herodias is basically prostituting her daughter to get her influence heard
- The true intention comes in v24, where the daughter has NO idea what to ask for
-- IMP: Her innocence here is on full display, “What should I ask for?”
--- “I didn’t know there’d be any reward for this, so you got any ideas, mom?”
- Herodias, most assuredly, has an idea B/C she knows Herod’s heart
-- She knew if the kid did this and pleased him, he’d want to show off for everyone
-- So Herodias tells her daughter to have this man … a man she hated … killed
-- IMP: John is killed because Herodias hates having her sin identified
∆ Point 2 – Sin upon Sin upon Sin (25-29)
- APP: Now there are multiple sins going on, all intentionally covering the first
-- When we travel down the road of sin, we spend energy trying to cover tracks
-- IMP: How exhausting is it to pretend to be righteous and live sinfully
-- When you have to constantly present a false image it can be brutal
-- This is exactly what Herodias is doing, and then Herod has to do (v16)
- Now, the fact that Herodias does what her mother asks says many things
-- She is as cruel (heart issue) as her mother and she doesn’t care who knows it
-- APP: Her merciless ways knows no boundaries because she is selfish
-- It’s a true case here of “like parent like child”: she emulates what she sees
- The contrast of Herod to Jesus is really on display for you and me today
-- (v26-28) shows how Herod deals with stress and how he needs his image
-- He’s already given his word so rather than NOT commit murder, he does it
- HUGE: When you’re about to sin, it’s ok to say “NO!” and turn away (repent)!
-- Herod on the other hand, is not concerned with Godly ways but his own
- The awesome thing here is that John leaves a tremendous legacy behind
-- Even though he has given his life for the Kingdom, his teaching lives on
-- How? (v29) His followers come and give him a proper burial
-- John’s legacy was so great: 30 years later there were still followers of his!
- Turn to and read Acts 19:1-7
-- These men (and women) met Paul and confessed to only knowing about John
-- Again, before FB and Twitter, there was faith in one that would come
-- They had not heard that Jesus had come, and died, but they believed
-- APP: Jesus teaches this to Thomas: John 20:29, “… Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
- TRANS: The death of John sets in motion opportunity for more to join Christ
-- I believe John would have approved of this, and we can see ourselves here
-- ASK: Who are you following? Is it a teacher, preacher, or the Messiah?
- Let’s tackle one more example of the ministry of Jesus …
-- Many know this story and therefore it won’t take us long to unpack at all
- Read Mark 6:30-44
∆ Point 3 – Lunch for 5,000 (30-44)
- The gospels often report of the disciples needing to get away / recharge
-- Ministry work can be exhausting, and it’s a lesson for us to see as well
-- CRITICAL: If you are worn out, take a break before you burn out!
- The disciples haven’t even had time to eat (v31) and Jesus suggests a break
-- “Come with me …” means that Jesus too would be taking this break also
-- However, those who still needed Jesus would do anything to be with him
-- They ran ahead to meet them; APP: they “cut them off at the pass …”
- When Jesus saw them, something which we can be grateful for happened
-- (v34) says that Jesus had compassion on them and began to teach them
-- No animal is as dependent on a shepherd as sheep are
-- The simple fact is, without a shepherd sheep will get lost instantly
-- Sheep won’t even eat without a shepherd telling them, “Eat right here”
-- These animals are prone to attacks because no one is there to protect them
- Jesus views these people like those without a guide or a helper
-- In His heart, he sees their need and immediately begins to teach them
-- IMP: THANK the Lord that Jesus is the same today as He was then!
- When Jesus speaks to their physical need (v37), the disciples do some quick math
-- Their minds tell them they have no enough food to help all these people
-- Why? They’ve just completed a mission trip and sadly their supplies are low
-- Not only are they without supplies, but there isn’t a Walmart anywhere! (v35)
- Being pragmatic, the disciples knew they didn’t have enough of anything (v37)
-- But Jesus asks them to calculate what they have, and they obey fully
-- IMP: Even faced with the facts, they were willing to follow Jesus’ orders
- The loaves of bread (v38) they have were not like one we get at the store
-- They would most likely have been very small bread cakes …
-- Something that would travel easily and most commonly possessed by the poor
-- IMP: However … when you are with Jesus, ANYTHING is a possibility!
- Jesus takes the food they have, offers thanks, and breaks it to share with them
-- This would’ve been common for them to see, since they ate together
-- Giving the food to the disciples to distribute was I’m sure a sight to see
- When they had distributed it and all had ate, “they were satisfied” (v42)
-- APP: When it’s a kingdom resource, the supply NEVER runs out!
-- What Jesus does is show them who they can depend on: It is GOD!
- The prayer He offered was to bless the food from God, for God’s use
-- 5,000 men had eaten their fill, and we know they traveled with others
-- Whether it was women, children, etc., they all had their fill (b/c of Jesus)
- Interestingly enough, they had 12 baskets of food and there were left overs
-- Some might comment that these represented the 12 tribes of Israel
-- Perhaps it’s much simpler: There are 12 disciples and this is tomorrow’s food
- BIG APP: Kingdom resources are enough to satisfy everyone!
∆ Big Ideas
- The contrast of these two examples is no accident; they show us both roads of life
- Herodias’ daughter blindly went along with her mother’s request to kill John
-- 1) IMP: Parents, your children will follow you into your sin if you lead them
-- Exodus 20:5 (LAW), “You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me”
- When Jesus provides, He provides everything and more than we could need
-- 2) IMP: Who are you looking to for your daily provision?
-- Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
-- Philippians 1:6, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
- Joshua asked a unique question which I know applies here (Joshua 24:15):
-- “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
- Pray
