THE EXECUTION OF JOHN THE BAPTIST HAS GOT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST INTRIGUING, TANTALIZING, AND SADISTIC PASSAGES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. ONE MIGHT EVEN QUESTION HOW THIS PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE COULD EVEN QUALIFY FOR A SUNDAY SERMON!
JUST THE MARRIAGE ALONE, JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS CORRECT IN REBUKING HEROD FOR TAKING HIS BROTHER’S WIFE. THE MARRIAGE WAS A BREAKING OF THE LAW. LEVITICUS 20:21, “IF A MAN MARRIES HIS BROTHER’S WIFE, IT IS AN ACT OF IMPURITY. HE HAS VIOLATED HIS BROTHER, AND THE GUILTY COUPLE WILL REMAIN CHILDLESS.”
EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS RELATIONSHIP WAS WRONG, LAWLESS AND DEFILED. HEROD FEARED JOHN AND WANTED TO PROTECT HIM AS HE WAS SEEN AS A RIGHTEOUS AND HOLY MAN. ALTHOUGH HEROD WAS PERPLEXED BY JOHN, HE ENJOYED LISTENING TO HIM SPEAK.
HOWEVER, IT WAS HERODIAS (HEH-RO-DEE-OSS) WHO THOUGHT OTHERWISE. SHE HATED JOHN AND NURSED HER GRUDGE AGAINST HIM TO THE POINT OF WANTING TO KILL HIM. SHE COULDN’T AS HEROD PROTECTED HIM WHICH MADE HER SEETHE ALL THE MORE.
HERODIAS WAS LOOKING FOR ANY POSSIBILITY TO SET JOHN UP FOR DEATH. I BELIEVE THE BIRTHDAY PARTY WAS A STRATEGIC BATTLE PLAN OF INTRICATE DETAILS TO FINALLY END JOHN’S LIFE.
THE DARKNESS OF THIS PLAN IS THAT HERODIAS IS WILLING TO USE HER DAUGHTER IN A DEPLORABLE AND LEWED FASHION. THE FACT THAT SHE IS WILLING TO USE THE HIGH RANKING OFFICIALS OF BOTH GOVERNMENT AND MILITARY AS PART OF THIS HOMICIDE IS TESTIMONY TO AN EVIL HEART.
HABAKKUK WARNED US IN 2:15, “WHAT SORROW AWAITS YOU WHO MAKE YOUR NEIGHBORS DRUNK! YOU FORCE YOUR CUP ON THEM SO YOU CAN GLOAT OVER THEIR SHAMEFUL NAKEDNESS.” SHAMELESS LEWD BEHAVIOR ALL SPAWNED BY INSATIABLE DRUNKENNESS EASILY EXECUTES HER PLAN AS WELL AS JOHN THE BAPTIST.
HEROD MAKES A HASTY DECISION WHILE INTOXICATED WITH NOT ONLY WINE, BUT THE LEWD AND SEXUALLY CHARGED DANCE OF HIS STEP-DAUGHTER SALOME. HIS FATAL MISTAKE WAS HIS RASH DECISION TO NOT ONLY GIVE HER ANYTHING EVEN UP TO HALF HIS KINGDOM, BUT THAT HE PROMISED IT AND SEALED IT WITH AN OATH.
HEROD, SWEARING BY AN OATH, SEALED JOHN’S FATE AND WAS A COSTLY MISTAKE. MATTHEW 5:34-37, “BUT NOW I TELL YOU: DO NOT USE ANY VOW WHEN YOU MAKE A PROMISE. DO NOT SWEAR BY HEAVEN, FOR IT IS GOD'S THRONE; NOR BY EARTH, FOR IT IS THE RESTING PLACE FOR HIS FEET; NOR BY JERUSALEM, FOR IT IS THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING. DO NOT EVEN SWEAR BY YOUR HEAD, BECAUSE YOU CANNOT MAKE A SINGLE HAIR WHITE OR BLACK. JUST SAY ‘YES’ OR ‘NO’—ANYTHING ELSE YOU SAY COMES FROM THE EVIL ONE.”
SALOME ASKS FOR THE HEAD OF JOHN THE BAPTIST TO BE GIVEN TO HER IMMEDIATELY. THE PRESSURE OF PUBLIC OPINON WAS MORE THAN HEROD COULD BEAR DUE TO THE OATHS HE HAD MADE IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS GUESTS. HE COULD NOT BREAK THIS OATH.
HEROD SENDS THE EXECUTIONER AND BECOMES DEEPLY GRIEVED BY THIS GHASTLY TRICK PLAYED UPON HIM BY BOTH HIS WIFE AND HER DAUGHTER.
CRUSHED WITH GRIEF, HEROD IS SOBERED BY HIS ARROGANCE AND TRAMPLED BY THE WEIGHT OF HIS PRIDE AND BIG MOUTH. HE HAD ACTED ON IMPULSE AND MADE RECKLESS PROMISES WITHOUT THOUGHT OR REASON. HE WAS TOO PRIDEFUL AND FEARED WHAT OTHERS MIGHT SAY OR THINK.
HE LACKED THE MORAL COURAGE TO DO THE RIGHT THINGS OUT OF FEAR OF APPEARING WEAK. HE MADE PROMISES HE COULDN’T KEEP, BUT HAD TO MAKE. HE GOT PLAYED AND IT COST JOHN THE BAPTIST HIS LIFE AND HEROD WOULD SUFFER MENTALLY FOR THAT.
AND THERE IS OUR LESSON: DO NOT SUCCUMB TO THE TRICKS AND TEMPTATIONS OF THIS WORLD THAT SEEKS TO LURE YOU AWAY FROM GOD. SATAN IS SEEKING TO DEVOUR YOU AND DESTROY YOUR FAITH AND TRUST IN GOD. DON’T COMPROMISE. DON’T GIVE IN.
1 JOHN 2:15-17, “DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD OR ANYTHING THAT BELONGS TO THE WORLD. IF YOU LOVE THE WORLD, YOU DO NOT LOVE THE FATHER. EVERYTHING THAT BELONGS TO THE WORLD—WHAT THE SINFUL SELF DESIRES, WHAT PEOPLE SEE AND WANT, AND EVERYTHING IN THIS WORLD THAT PEOPLE ARE SO PROUD OF—NONE OF THIS COMES FROM THE FATHER; IT ALL COMES FROM THE WORLD. THE WORLD AND EVERYTHING IN IT THAT PEOPLE DESIRE IS PASSING AWAY; BUT THOSE WHO DO THE WILL OF GOD LIVE FOREVER.”
HEROD WAS TRICKED AND DECEIVED BY SOMEONE HE ADMIRED. HE WAS SEDUCED BY A TEENAGER WHO EXPOSED AND DEMEANED HERSELF WITH A STYLE OF DANCE RESERVED ONLY FOR PROSTITUES. HE BECAME SO SELF-ABSORED THAT HE LOST HIS SENSE OF JUDGMENT AND MADE TOXIC DECISIONS THAT LEFT HIM IN BITTER ANGUISH.
WE MUST EMBRACE HOLINESS! PURSUING SANCTIFICATION WILL HELP US COMBAT BAD DECISIONS, COMPROMISING, AND ALLOWING THE WORLD’S STANDARDS TO LEAD US INTO QUESTIONING GOD’S FAITHFULNESS. HOW, THEN, DO WE KEEP FROM “LOSING OUR HEADS?” HOW DO WE STAND? TWO GREAT PLACES TO START:
FIRST: LEARN TO FLEE! WE AVOID SITUATIONS THAT COULD BE OVERWHELMING TO OUR WEAKNESSES. SOMETIMES, IN A DARK PLACE, WE MUST CHOOSE TO LEAVE AND GET AWAY. WE RECOGNIZE THE DANGER AND GO TO A SAFE PLACE.
2 TIMOTHY 2:22, “AVOID THE PASSIONS OF YOUTH, AND STRIVE FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, FAITH, LOVE, AND PEACE, TOGETHER WITH THOSE WHO WITH A PURE HEART CALL OUT TO THE LORD FOR HELP.” LIVING IN A FALLEN WORLD MEANS WE CAN’T AVOID TEMPTATION, BUT WE CAN DECIDE HOW WE WILL RESPOND. THE FIRST THING WE NEED TO DO IS FLEE WHEN TEMPTATIONS ARE PRESENT.
SECONDLY, IS STRENGTHENING OUR DISCERNMENT: SATAN IS A CRAFTY TEMPTER. HE WILL MAKE THE TEMPTATION LOOK EVER SO INNOCENT AND APPEALING TO YOU.
THAT IS PRECISELY WHY PAUL WARNS THAT WE NEED TO TEST EVERYTHING TO SEE IF IT IS GOOD AND TO FLEE FROM EVERY EVIL. 1 THESSALONIANS 5:21-22, “BUT TEST EVERYTHING; HOLD FAST WHAT IS GOOD. ABSTAIN FROM EVERY FORM OF EVIL.”
THE APOSTLE JOHN WARNED US NOT TO BELIEVE EVERYTHING WE SEE OR HEAR! WE ARE TO TEST EVERYTHING TO DETERMINE IF IT IS REALLY FROM GOD. 1 JOHN 4:1, “… DO NOT BELIEVE EVERY SPIRIT, BUT TEST THE SPIRITS TO SEE WHETHER THEY ARE FROM GOD, BECAUSE MANY FALSE PROPHETS HAVE GONE OUT INTO THE WORLD.”
YOUR REPUTATION FOR INTEGRITY IS PRECIOUS, AND YOUR REPUTATION AS A CHRISTIAN IS THE ONLY EXAMPLE OF CHRIST MANY NON-CHRISTIANS WILL EVER SEE.
SO, WHEN CONFRONTED WITH THE INEVITABLE TEMPTATION TO COMPROMISE YOUR INTEGRITY AND WITNESS, REMEMBER TO FLEE AND ALSO TO DISCERN!
FINALLY, REMEMBER THAT SATAN HAS BEEN PLAYING THESE SAME OLD TRICKS SINCE THE GARDEN OF EDEN. AND, GOD HAS PROMISED THAT WITH EVERY TEMPTATION, HE WILL PROVIDE A WAY OF ESCAPE IF WE CHOOSE TO RELY ON HIM AND HIS POWER!
HEROD MADE POOR CHOICES, COMPROMISED, AND ALLOWED OTHERS TO INFLUENCE HIM INTO MORAL AND ETHICAL FAILURE. DON’T LOSE YOUR HEAD! DON’T ENDANGER YOUR FAITH, BELIEFS OR LESSEN THE LIGHT OF CHRIST SHINING FROM WITHIN YOUR LIFE.
LET US GO FORTH HEARING 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13, “THE TEMPTATIONS IN YOUR LIFE ARE NO DIFFERENT FROM WHAT OTHERS EXPERIENCE. AND GOD IS FAITHFUL. HE WILL NOT ALLOW THE TEMPTATION TO BE MORE THAN YOU CAN STAND. WHEN YOU ARE TEMPTED, HE WILL SHOW YOU A WAY OUT SO THAT YOU CAN ENDURE.”
