Death by Dancing (The Last Days of John the Baptist)

Mark chapter six and we're going to begin reading in a moment in verse 14. The book of Mark begins with the story of John the Baptist. His early ministry and here in Mark chapter six, we have the conclusion of John's ministry which concluded in a jail cell in and around the area of Jerusalem. Again, as I mentioned, the the message isn't about dancing this morning. It is about John.

And it is about this this verse here. Proverbs chapter 29 and verse 25. Proverbs 2,925 says, the fear of man bringeth a snare but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. Let me read that again. The fear of man bringeth a snare but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.

Let's read it together. See, it's up here. If you would, Proverbs twenty nine twenty five. The fear of man bringeth a snare but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. Now, you might think as we read that that that doesn't apply to John here because John wasn't all that safe.

But he was. It was Herod that was ensnared and it was John who was free and as we read this, I think and as we go through this this morning, I think that'll jump out of the story at us. Mark chapter six and beginning in verse 14 and King Herod heard of him that is he heard of Jesus and what he was doing is miracles and his teaching. So, King Herod heard of him, Jesus, for his name was great, was was spread abroad and he said, that John the Baptist was risen from the dead and therefore, mighty works do show forth themselves in him. So, when he heard about Jesus, he thought that John had risen from the dead.

That wasn't obviously not the case. That was his first thought. Verse 15, others said of Jesus that it is Elias or Elijah and others said that it is a prophet or as one of the prophets but Jesus of course is much more than a prophet. Jesus is the son of God. He is the God man.

He is God and he is man and he is the savior of the world and the Messiah of but going on forward, verse 16, but when Herod heard thereof, he said it is John, whom I beheaded? He is risen from the dead. Herod was a little bit scared. He thought, oh boy, the guy I killed, he's come back to haunt me, okay? Obviously, that wasn't the case.

Then, it goes on to tell us the story of John's beheading. Verse 17, when 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, that is against John, and would have killed him but she could not. For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and a 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 whatsoever thou wilt and I will give it thee.

He swear unto her, whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it to thee unto the half of my kingdom. Boy, is that rash? I mean, all she did was a dance at a birthday party and he's offering her half of his kingdom but anyway, going forward. Verse 24, she went forth and said unto her mother, what shall I ask? And she, her mother 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 sake and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her And immediately, the king sent an ex an executioner and commanded his head to be brought and he went and beheaded him that is John in the prison and brought his head in a charger on a platter 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 his corpse and laid it in a tomb. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Lord, we thank you for your word and you have chosen to record this incident in the scriptures for a reason that we might learn something today from the life of John and the life of Herod. Lord, I pray that you might open our hearts and our understanding to receive your word that the Holy Spirit would take the sword of the spirit, the word of God, and use it mightily to bring conviction. Faith understanding, and challenge to the hearts of your people that are here today and we pray Lord if there's one who's never trusted in Jesus as the Lord and savior of their life that today would be their day of salvation.

In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen. This is the tale of two men. One, who despite the light of God he received, yet in the end chose the praise of men over the praise of God. His name would be Herod and the other, the praise of God above all else.

That would be John. One who chose the fear of the Lord, the beginning of wisdom and honor. John. And the other, the fear of man and a snare for his soul and his actions therewith. And that would be Herod.

The question this morning is this, which best describes you? Which best describes you today? John or Herod? The fear of man, the fear of God. As we look at these two men, let's also look into our hearts to see which one more resembles us in some of our thoughts, actions, and specifically in our faith.

First of all, I want us to see this about John. John was a close friend and minister of Christ Jesus. John was a special man and he was a special man to his second cousin who is Jesus Christ in in the flesh. You see, Jesus's earthly mother, Mary, and John's mother, Elizabeth, were cousins. Thus, that made Jesus and John second cousins.

But that physical relationship is not what defined their relationship. Their relationship was one of servant to master. One of savior to saved. One of king to herald. It is John who introduced Jesus Christ to the world.

God himself introduced his son at John's baptism when he said, this is my beloved son and whom I am well pleased. It was John who pointed Jesus out to others later on and said, behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He was a man prophesied in the Old Testament to come to prepare the way for the king of kings and Lord of lords. To be the forerunner of Jesus Christ and he fulfilled that ministry well. He not only introduced Christ but he taught others about Christ.

He taught them about Christ before Christ was revealed. He taught them about Christ after Christ was revealed as the Messiah. Before Jesus came to be baptized, he was not yet revealed to the world as the son of God and the Messiah but Jesus was John was already teaching about the Messiah who was to come. Just hadn't revealed who the Messiah yet was. When John pointed to Jesus and said, behold the lamb of God, some of John's students left John to become students of who?

Of Jesus. Because they knew what John had been teaching and the one they were waiting on and John had just told him who he was. John not only taught about Jesus but he worshiped and served Jesus Christ as his Lord. He ministered separately after the revelation of Christ but not independently of Christ. Jesus and his disciples taught and baptized.

John and his disciples taught and baptized. The two ministered separately but not independently of Christ or of God. They ministered separately but yet at the same time together. When people came and asked John, well, well, Jesus is baptizing people and you're baptizing people and aren't you upset? John said, no, I'm not upset.

He's the reason I'm here. As I'll get to in a moment, he must increase and I must decrease. There was a fellow in our church here. His name's David Vogt. Some of you remember David and Cheryl Vogt.

They were church planners in Canada and in Maine. And they ministered with us here for several years. Part of the ministry. While they were not playing a church and I enjoyed having them. Now, they have taken another church down in Saint Pete and they minister there and I minister here.

We don't do a lot of joint ministries together but we're ministering and serving the Lord, same Lord and savior Jesus Christ. We may be we may be ministering separately but we're not independent of the Lord Jesus Christ and it is a joy to be ministering with others. Doesn't mean you have to get together with everybody. It is a joy to know that somebody else is preaching and teaching the word of God. And John was happy that Jesus was here and that he was preaching and teaching the the word of God.

They ministered separately but not independently of Christ. He was a faithful minister and friend of Christ and so, can you be John finished his course as we will see the end of his course on Earth here in our lesson today. As Paul declared to Timothy that he was finishing his course as he awaited his execution in Rome. We are not to fulfill the ministry of Paul or of John but the one God has called us to as they did. In so doing we as Abraham may be called the friends of who?

The friends of God. Jim Elliot and Nate Saint finished their course. They they were many of you know their names. Some of you may not. They were missionaries.

They went to Central, I think it was Central America to minister to native tribe there called the Alka Indians. Upon their arrival, they were killed by the Indians to whom they went to minister. You say, well, that's tragic. Well, in a way it is and it must have been hard for their families but they finished their course. Their course just finished a little earlier.

Then, some, including their wives who later went back and ministered and won some of those men who killed their husbands to the Lord. Now, that takes faith and that takes mercy. Some God calls into the ministry while others God calls to secular jobs but all of us who know Christ have a purpose, a ministry to fulfill as Christ's servants. In our homes, in our church, in our neighborhoods, at work, and as we do, we show ourselves to be the friends of who? We show ourselves to be the servants and even the friends of Jesus Christ.

John fifteen fourteen and fifteen, Jesus said this to his disciples. He said, you are my what? Friends. You're my friends. Now, that's a step up from servant.

Jesus said, you're more than just my servants. You're my friends. You're my friends if you do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth, I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth but I have called you friends. For all things that I have heard of my father, I have made known unto you.

Jesus said, you're more than my servants, you're also my my friends. I've included you into an intimate circle where servants are not normally included or invited because I want you to be more than servants. I want you to be my friends and God wants us and Jesus today wants us to be his friends and he gladly claims those who come to him and follow him to be not only his servants but to be his friends. Unlike other human masters who care little for their servants and employees or subjects Jesus Christ is different. When we choose to love and serve Christ, we become not only his servants but even his friends and what a privilege it is to be called the children and the friends of God like John and Abraham and his disciples.

John was a servant of Jesus Christ. More than that, he was a friend. Friend. On the other hand, Herod was no friend of Christ. It was this Herod called Herod Antipas.

His father was Herod the great. This Herod was his son named Antipas. It was this Herod who would later humiliate Christ before his crucifixion and send him back to Pilate for execution. It was this very same man whom Pilate sent Jesus to after his first trial who had Jesus beaten and mocked and sent him back for execution. This man, no friend of Christ.

He may have feared Christ. He may have feared John but he feared man. And it would seem after the death of John the Baptist that his heart went completely cold. Be careful Do not pass up your day of grace and reject the voice of Jesus Christ who is calling to you Calling you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Calling you from sin to salvation, calling you from hell to heaven.

Do not pass up your day of grace. Do not squelch his voice. Do not reject it. For there may come a day when his voice no longer calls. To your hardened heart.

Some people say, I'll I'll wait till I'll oh I'm older. It may be too late when you're older. It may be that you will never be older. People day, die, in Florida, daily on the highways. And for many other reasons.

Not to speak of the country or the world. I think somebody dies every seven seconds. Something like that. Around the world. And not all of those people are 70 and 80 and 90 years old.

Some of them are five and 10 and twenty and thirty. We do not know when we may meet our maker. Our day of grace may pass. It seemed that Herod's did. Maybe here.

He was not the friend of Christ but Christ wants to be your friend today. Number two, John was not only God's Jesus's friend but John's ministry lessened as Christ increased. I mentioned this verse just a moment ago. John said to those who tried to drive a wedge between him and Jesus, he said, he must increase but I must decrease. As Jesus ministry grew in Galilee and Judea, John's took a back seat.

Not only did it take a backseat to Jesus's ministry but eventually as we see here in our lesson, he ended the last few months or years of his life in prison. He was executed and beheaded. John did his part faithfully and he is considered to be one of the greatest of the prophets. But as Jesus's ministry grew, John's went backstage so to speak. In Luke seven twenty eight, it says, for I say unto you, Jesus said, among those that are born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

What a privilege we have in the church age to have received the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ and to be part of his family and part of his kingdom in a way that that John did not have opportunity before Christ's death and resurrection. But John is said to be one of the greatest of the prophets by Jesus His ministry wasn't nearly as long as the ministry of some. His death was sad and and tragic. He spent the last few years as mentioned of his life in prison but yet Christ calls him one of the greatest and one of the things which made John the greatest of prophets was that humility whereby he gladly accepted his role as the herald of the king. Whose job it was not to magnify himself but to magnify his savior, Jesus of Christ.

He wasn't the king. He wasn't the Messiah. He wasn't sent to make a name for John. He was sent to make a name for who? For Jesus.

He was sent to prepare the way for the Messiah. Like a herald is sent to a town in ancient days before the king arrived and he made preparations for the coming of the king. So, that when the king came, everybody was out there in the streets ready for the parade to praise and that was that was John's ministry and he was glad to do it. He was a man of great humility. And his life, life touched the lives lives of many others and his name is known around the world and has been for centuries.

Because he came in the name of Messiah. And he pointed to Jesus. Conversely, the life and works of Herod Antipas. Now, you may have heard of Herod but you heard of Herod the what? The great and probably not of Herod Antipas.

The life and works of Herod Antipas are not nearly as widely known as those of John and his works did not largely impact others for good. Like John did. John was just a prophet who lived out in the middle of nowhere. Told others about the Messiah. Herod was a ruler of men.

In his day, people didn't bow down to John. Some people bow down to Herod. He thought he was great stuff. He came and chose to magnify who? Himself.

Well, John chose to magnify Christ. One of them had an astounding impact. The other little for good. Because one pointed others to Christ. Other, the other was all about himself.

Why are you here? Why are you here? And I don't just mean a church but why are we here? Are we here to make a name for ourselves or we here to point men to Jesus? Which it is?

Which is it? In Matthew five sixteen, it says, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. I don't care if you remember my name. I really don't. But I do hope you remember his name.

And I hope that as you come to our services, you don't see me or other people I I hope you see Jesus because that's why we're here. I hope you've come here today to worship Jesus. I hope you haven't come here for others to see you. But that you might see more of him. And others might see him and you.

Why are you here? Sorry to say there are too many people in the ministry today. That are here to make a name for themselves and not make a name for Jesus. There are too many Christians walking around today that think they're here to make a name for themselves. And not so much a name for Jesus.

The Bible says in James four ten, and in first Peter five, humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up. For God resisted the proud and give it grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time. John the Baptist, my friend, is exalted today. He is in heaven with his savior.

His name is exalted in God's word. His ministry is spoken about all over the world. Why? Because he was willing to what? Humble himself.

Because he was willing to see the big picture. Because he cared more for God and others. And it wasn't all about him. It was about Jesus and Jesus exalted him. If you will serve the Lord Jesus Christ, if you will put others first, he will exalt you.

Also, third thing I want us to see and final point this morning is this, John was recognized by his enemies as a just man. John was recognized as his by his enemies as a just man. John was bold. He was bold in behalf of his God. He came before Herod and he told Herod to his face, you cannot have your brother's wife.

It is a what? It is a sin before almighty God. It is not right. And Herod got mad. Not so much Herod but who?

Herodias, his brother's wife that he had married. She got angry. And therefore, John got thrown into what? Prison. Now, did John, was do you think John was aware that that might happen?

I'm sure he was. He knew who this man was but he had a message from who? He had a message from God and he was bold in giving his message. Christ has called us to be bold as well in telling others the truth. I'm afraid to say that isn't one of our greatest characteristics in Christian today.

Paul said, I am not ashamed of the gospel. For it's the power of God and the salvation to everyone that believe it to the Jew first and also to the Greek and if I asked you, you would say, pastor, I am not ashamed of the gospel. Praise the Lord. I hope you're not. But I tell you, sometimes we really do act like it.

We are given many opportunities that we pass up because there's something more important to us because we're afraid that somebody might close the door in our face, that somebody might call us a name, that somebody might not receive what we have to say, that we might embarrass ourselves by getting our tongue tied. If that was the case, I would never be up in this pulpit because my tongue gets tied around my eye tooth and I can't see where I'm going most of the time or what I'm saying. I stick my foot in my mouth a lot. But it's not about me It's about Jesus and we need not be ashamed. We need to be bold.

Paul asked others to pray for him that he would be what? That he would be bold in giving forth the gospel. John was bold. He was not afraid of Herod. John was honest.

He didn't spin his message or words to curry favor with others. John was not a what? Politician John was not a politician. Now Herod, politician. John, prophet.

John was not at all a politician and Herod was not at all a prophet. John did not spin his message. He didn't change his words to curry favor with men. He simply proclaimed the message of God put in his mouth. Now, God doesn't put messages in my mouth the same way he did in John's but God has given me the message right here in his word to speak.

We don't need to cut corners. We don't need to compromise and we don't need to spend messages in order to keep the world our far back. We need not fear men. We need to fear who? God.

God who has given us a purpose, a ministry, a mission, and a message. John, what a wonderful example. He could have softened his message. He could have compromised said, well, yeah, it's just this one area, Herod. But no, he spoke the truth.

He spoke the truth in love, not out of hate or anger or condescension. But he spoke the truth. How many times do we water it down? Have you ever been guilty of watering it down? I have.

I can think of a few times when I was a little more diplomatic than I should have been. But not John and Herod recognized that. John was sincere. He practiced what he preached and he meant what he said. How about you?

Do you practice what you preach? Do you mean what you say? John did and Herod recognized it. John was a man of principle and conviction and others around him knew it and even though it got him arrested, it also garnered him respect and the year of his critics as well as his friends. If you look in Mark chapter six and verse 20 again, we read this, for John feared Herod.

Is that what it says? No, it says what? For Herod feared John. Knowing that he that was John was a just man, a righteous man, a good man, and a holy that he shooed, that he separated himself from sin, that and Herod observed him. That means he watched him closely.

Even while he was in prison. He observed him. When he heard him, he did many things and he heard him gladly. That phrase and he did many things can also be interpreted. He was perplexed.

He was torn because on one hand, he feared who? Man. On the other hand, he feared who? John. And though he heard what John had to say and he respected John and he went back to him time and time again when John was in his prison to hear his words.

He was a man torn apart inside. Because he feared the people. He feared his family. He feared his wife. He was a man of great fear.

Though he was a man of great power and often those who have power, you will find are actually people of great fear. They fear other people. They fear failure. They fear the loss of that power above all else. Herod was a man of great fear.

The sad thing was he feared men. More than he feared God but this man he recognized that there was something different about John He even kept John safe from the plans of Herodias for a time. When and listen, was moved by his words. And like his nephew's son, Agrippa the second, who would later sit and listen to the testimony of the apostle Paul. He shared in this statement that Agrippa made to Paul was Agrippa said, almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

Almost, almost, but almost isn't what? Isn't good enough. Almost isn't enough. You're either a Christian or you're not. You're either born again or you're not.

You're either saved by grace through faith in Christ alone or you're not. Agrippa was not. Here at Antipas was not. What ensnared them? What ensnared their soul and kept them from God and kept them from heaven and kept them from Christ and kept them forgiveness.

It was the fear of what? Fear of man. What kept John on the straight and narrow? What what kept John with his eyes fixed on the prize? It was the fear of who?

The fear of God more than the fear of man. In the end, Herod showed himself to be a man of no integrity or conviction, prone to rash decisions which cornered him into doing what he knew to be wrong. Just to save face before his family and friends. That's what it says here. It says, for his oath sake, he went and had John beheaded.

He knew it was wrong. He didn't want to do it in his heart but he did it anyway. Because he didn't want to be embarrassed. In front of his visitors. And because he feared his wife more than he feared God.

He revealed who he was. John's message served to give Herod a clear choice like the prophets of old, Elijah and Jeremiah to the kings of Israel. Their message was often ignored and shunned by men but it was God's way of sifting the softhearted from the hard, sifting the tares from the wheat. They fulfilled their purposes. John did his.

We measure success often by the numbers. God measures success by faithfulness. And John was faithful. To the end. God wants you to be faithful.

That's all he has. Nothing more, nothing less. That's all he asks of me. It's all he asks of you. It's all he asks of John.

John, when he died, didn't have a great following. He didn't have a big church. The people who he ministered to were the guards around his sail and the Herod, Herod from time to time who came and then in the end and his weakness and because of his fear ensnared himself, killed God's prophet. God is still looking for a few faithful Johns men and women today to be his mouthpieces and is his examples before a lost world which must hear regardless of how they will respond. It wasn't John's prerogative to make Herod do anything.

It was John's prerogative to simply declare the word of God and the truth and that is ours as well. Some will receive and some will reject. The gospel. Some will receive and some will reject your advice. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't give it.

I'm afraid there are times looking back There are times when I could have spoken a little louder. I could have been a little more blunt. With the truth and I can do better and probably so can you. Be more like John John, a man, a friend of who is a friend of Jesus. John, the man who in humility understood that he must increase.

He must decrease as Jesus ministry increased and pointed people to Christ. John, who was a man character and faith who was faithful to the end. John died tragically would seem the end of our story as a result of a dance and a rash degree but his life did not end there. The Bible tells us that he went to his wife. Reward.

He went to his reward. Matthew five ten to 12. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men shall revile you and and persecute you and shall say, all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding what?

Glad. Glad. For great is your reward in heaven. For so persecuted they were the prophets which were before you. Jesus was talking to his disciples.

When they were would get discouraged because they were being afflicted and persecuted and thrown in prison and beaten. And rejected. Jesus wanted them to know. It's worth it. It's worth it.

And my friend, it's worth it. We don't, I mean, seeing that reward, we've seen that prize yet but it's there. We see it through eyes of faith. And it's worth it. Our life doesn't end when we leave this place.

It's only begun when we get to the next one. The day came for John when he went to his reward. The day came for Herod as well. Because he died also. What was his reward?

Well, like the rich man in Luke chapter 16, Herod opened up his eyes where? In hell. Tormented in the flames where he still resides today. Two thousand years later. Awaiting his final judgment and the lake of fire.

Which do you want to be and which are you? John or Herod? Jesus's friend or his foe? Jesus's servant or his enemy Are you here? To exalt you?

Are you here to exalt him? If you are his foe today, you can become his friend. For Christ died for his enemies. To make them his friends. And he opens up his heart and he reaches out today to invite you to He died for your sins on the cross.

He rose again from the dead. He is seated at the right hand of the father where he is waiting. His long suffering not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentant. That's you. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

That's you. Would you receive him today? We'll give a hymn of invitation in just a moment. Would you come? We can show you how today how you can be saved and know it.

If you're already his friend and servant, what kind of friend and servant are you? A faithful one, I hope. Laying up treasure in heaven, pointing others to Christ. Are we living more for ourselves or for Jesus? Maybe some of us today need to repent too.

And make some changes. In our life. Let's pray. Dear God, thank you Lord for your word. Thank you Lord for the example of John.

Lord, I pray that our testimony would be such that others would recognize would see Jesus in us as they saw Jesus in John. So much so that when Herod heard that Jesus was ministering, he thought that John had risen from the dead. Because the two of them were so much alike. Lord, I pray if there's one here today that's never trusted in Christ as Lord and savior. I'd help them.

Pray that you'd help them to see at this very moment that they are lost and if they die without Christ, they will spend eternity apart from you in hell. But did you send your son, you took their punishment on Calvary's Cross and you rose again from the dead and you invite them to come to you and I pray they would as we sing this hymn of invi and Lord, I pray that we who know you in particular would be more bold in particular would not be ashamed Lord, would not water down our messages, would not be diplomatic with our words would not compromise. But Lord that we would be your heralds also and that we would show ourselves to be your friends And then we would humbly point others to Jesus Christ. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.