The Beheading of John the Baptist and What it teaches us Today. 
(Matthew 14: 1-12)

I.             Mathews Footnote to the Story.

So, before I try and draw some conclusions and teachable moments from this passage let’s look at Matthew footnote in verse 12.

Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

(Matthew 14: 12)

This is a reference not to the disciples of Jesus but to the disciples of John the Baptist, they’re the ones who claim the body and buried it. Then it makes this interesting little statement that they went and told Jesus. I said at the beginning this passage is obviously the story of Herod and the people surrounding him, but the last person in the story is actually about the disciples of John the Baptist. So that’s why I referred to this verse as a footnote to the story. Perhaps Matthew added it just to tell us how Jesus found out about this death and execution and martyrdom of John the Baptist.

Try and put yourselves in the place of the disciples of John the Baptist for a minute. They followed him, no doubt for several years and  they looked up to him as their leader. They admired him he was their mentor; they were disciples which means they were like his  apprentices. The whole idea behind discipleship is that you have a teacher, and you are learning the disciple is the learner. They were learning from this man so no doubt they were personally devoted to him as an individual. So when they found out that John was imprisoned that no doubt this would have had a great impact emotionally on them and then when they found out that he was beheaded they would have been devastated. It doesn’t take much imagination to see that these disciples were greatly grieved many of us have probably been there at one time or another.

We normally think of grief in terms of bereavement when we lose someone near and dear to us and that is certainly true, but it grief goes way beyond that.  Grief occurs in all the losses of life. Not just the grief that people go through when they lose a loved one, life is filled with grief that on a lesser plane. Anytime we lose anything we go through the emotions of grief. Life is full of losses. What the disciples of John the Baptist are going through here is grief and I want to make a little point about what did they did with their grief in this situation. They went and met with Jesus. I just want to point out in passing before we finish the story that’s a helpful lesson here, it’s not the main point of the passage, but it’s certainly a secondary point and a valid point and a practical point that whatever is bothering you take it to the Lord and dump it on him.

II.            Cast Your Cares Upon God.

The Bible says casting all of your care upon him because he cares for you. We must tell Jesus all of our troubles because he is a kind compassionate friend, when we cannot bear our burdens alone we must tell Jesus. We must say to Jesus, help me. 

I submit to you that is one of the most valuable spiritual lessons you can learn is to take it to the Lord whatever the problem whether it’s grief or perplexity or burdens or needs or temptations or anything else that concerns you to Jesus. One of my favourite verses in all of the Bible is in Hebrews chapter four.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

(Hebrews 4: 16)

That’s why you take it to Jesus because that’s where the mercy is and that’s where the grace is that’s where the help is. Please don’t misunderstand me I’m not opposed to you talking to a friend I’m not opposed to you talking to a counsellor I think that we sometimes need to talk to someone else about our problems. But we are social beings and that’s a critical need in our life. I just like to suggest that before you do anything the first thing you should do is talk to the Lord. 

According to Isaiah is Holy Spirit is our counsellor and that maybe we should go to the great physician who is better at healing than anyone else. He is the great counsellor that can help us better than any earthly advice.  Don’t misunderstand me I know this might come off sounding like I’m opposed to go to councillors and that’s not true at all. I think that’s part of what the body of Christ is meant to be about. We are encouraged to minister to one another, but that’s never meant to take the place of taking it to the Lord to begin with.

That’s my point, take it to the Lord and if that doesn’t do by itself then by all means go talk to somebody. But let’s always start with taking it to the Lord.

Some of you may have heard of a very famous author named Oswald Chambers. His pattern when someone came to him with a pastoral issue was to first say have you ever told God about this problem. If the person said no, he would suggest they go home and tell it to the Lord and if after that you still need to talk to somebody come back and see me.

III.           Summary.

The point of the story is that Herod had come to the conclusion that Jesus Christ was the resurrected John the Baptist. But what I think what the story is telling us is that before he arrived at a conclusion like that the narrative chose to tell us that he was probably feeling guilty about his part in the execution of John. Let me sum it all up by suggesting that this message is loaded with some spiritual insights. 

For one thing I think we could spend all kinds of time about the bravery of John the Baptist, the loss of hearing the lewdness of his daughter-in-law, the rebellious evil intent of his second wife and that’s only the beginning. One of the other unusual things I think stands out here is the fact that Herod believed that Jesus was actually working miracles, so the idea that Jesus can produce the miraculous is something believers and disciples can both ascribe to. Here’s somebody who doesn’t even know him, and is mistaken about him but he still believes he can work miracles.

I think we can talk about this passage to the sense of what it is in the whole context of the Gospel of Matthew is you know we’re walking the of Matthew you’ve come to the section where we’re meeting real opposition and rejection of Christ and one of the results of this story the one just before we looked at is that Jesus begins to withdraw and prepare his disciples for his departure. And the most dramatic of opposition raises it head in the murder of John the Baptist. It seems to me that the great point of the story is that that both Herod and his new wife Herodias made wrong decisions about John and about the Lord and for all the wrong reasons.

So let me just close by taking a minute and analysing that. Let’s start with Herod’s wife. Out of anger and then vindictiveness  she made a destructive decision not only for John the Baptist but for herself. Had she listened to John the Baptist he wouldn’t have died and she would have been better off. However, she didn’t listen to him rather out of malice, anger, vindictiveness she had her daughter participate in a plot to have him killed.

All of that tells me that you should never make a decision out of anger hate or vindictiveness, just don’t go there. Proverbs chapter 24 verse 29 says, “do not say I will do to him just as he has done to me, I will render to the man according to his works”. Proverb says, don’t ever go there, don’t do that. Well, what should you do then, the answer to that is Romans chapter 12,  which teaches that, “vengeance belongs to the Lord”.

IV.           Conclusion - Vengeance Belongs to the Lord.

17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

(Romans 12: 17-21)

If somebody has done something to you don’t even think about malice or getting even or vengeance or vindictiveness, back off give place to God and let him take care of it. In fact, he can do a lot better job than you . Herod it’s clear acted out of fear on several occasions but what is not as obvious though it is still strongly implied, he acted out of guilt. And when he acted out of fear and guilt, he made a destructive decision not only for John the Baptist by ending his life but ultimately for himself.

I think this is the point of the passage is to show that because Herold did what he did because came to the wrong conclusion about Jesus Christ, driven by guilt and fear.

That’s the sum of what Matthew was trying to tell us. Herod came to the wrong conclusion about Jesus Christ because he felt guilty I’m not the only one that has come to that conclusion one commentator said and I quote, “when he heard of the miraculous works of Jesus he was sure that John the Baptist had written for the dead his conscience was troubling him”. Another said, “even now the furies of conscience pursued him relentlessly and he was sure that Jesus must be John returned from the dead”. Both saying the same thing, that he acted out for the guilty conscience So what is your explanation for who Jesus is. Is he just a great teacher, or the son of God, the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies.

In conclusion I want to ask how he arrived at that position. In my estimation he arrived at that point because they he wasn’t being objective, not being reasonable, not being rational. He was acting out of emotion. Whether it comes to the way you treat other people or the way you can respond to Jesus Christ be objective look at facts don’t be irrational and emotional because when you do you will make wrong decisions you will make destructive decisions and it will end up hurting you as much as other people.

In the case of Herod’s wife motivated by anger and vindictiveness she made a destructive decision that was aimed at John the Baptist the perceived threat to her marriage. When you look at who Jesus Christ is look at the scripture see what it says about, just hear what God says that Jesus Christ is the son of God. Jesus Christ God died on the cross to free us from our sin. Jesus Christ rose from the dead and you can have eternal life as a free gift by simply trusting him. If you look objectively at the facts and that’s the conclusion most come to. If you look at it with prejudice or some prejudgment or with emotion, you come to the wrong conclusion every time. 

I came to the first conclusion some time ago, but when people are angry fearful or guilty and they don’t think. I don’t know how many times I’ve said to people wait a minute you’re in no position to make a decision because when you’re angry you can’t think straight, and you don’t make good decisions.

I recently talked to someone who had just gone through a bereavement, and they were very angry at God and the circumstance they had just been through with the loss of the wife. Yet at the same time he had begum dating. I said to him you’re angry and your grieving, so don’t even think about making a decision for a while, probably a couple of years before doing anything like dating. That advice goes for any great emotional experience you’ve gone through that has impact you emotionally.  Don’t go there, you’re not in a position to be objective. I that every time I’ve made a decision when I was angry or guilty or fearful, I did not make the right decision.

Every time I’ve decided based on anger, or out of anger and guilt and fear I’ve made a decision that was not profitable. Bottom line, make the right decision about Jesus Christ and make the right decision about all relationships with other people.