Setting: Traditional Worship
Length: 33:40

Audio starts automatically. You can follow along with the notes.
Downloading options are found below.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Title: John the Baptist Remembered
Main Scripture: Matthew 14:1-12
Main Topics: plan of salvation, humility, Herod's family, Herod the Tetrarach, John the B., Jesus, Salome

As you listen, select, copy, and paste the following outline:

Introduction

-it is quite sobering to consider how much Herod’s family has affected the lives of Jesus and John the Baptist

-tragedy intensified by the fact that he was the victim of such corruption, manipulation, selfishness and drunkenness

-the great forerunner

-my purpose this morning is to shed light onto the bigger picture of salvation

-and as I consider Jesus who is now exalted…

 -and involving us is not always something that involves a happy ending

 -John’s life is a noble example

-Herod the Tetrach is one of the sons of King Herod

vs.3-12 are a flashback:  Machaerus


-v.4 says that John spoke against Herod, saying:
          "It is not lawful for you to have her."

-John was referring to the OT law:  Lev.18:16, 20:21
         

-he was afraid of the people, because they considered him a prophet, v.5

-not only this, Mark tells us that Herod actually respected John
          * Mark 6:20
…Herod feared John…knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. 

When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled, yet he liked to listen to him.                                  
Mark 6:20

-Luke 6:19-20
Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him.  But she was not able to do so, because Herod….protected him…
         

-how are they going to kill John?

On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for them

-and the Bible tells us that Herod was so pleased that
he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.
-in fact, Mark 6:23 tells us that he promised to give her…even up to
half his kingdom

8 Prompted by her mother, [Salome] said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist."

9 The king was distressed,

10 and had John beheaded in the prison.

vs.12  John's disciples came and took his body and buried it.

-The Bible goes into great detail about the unstable mind of Herod

-the fact that the Bible goes into such detail make this whole thing seem so wrong

-did he not come in the spirit of Elijah?

-after 400 years of silence between the old and new testaments, John suddenly appears and reignites God’s plan of salvation…John was truly a great man in the history of salvation

-the very least, it would seem appropriate if he witnessed what Christ was doing and his death, resurrection, ascension, and exaltation

-but John went straight to jail
-never saw Jesus’ ministry take off
-did not witness his death, resurrection, and exaltation
-but died unceremoniously at the hands of a dancer

-we think that if we live for the Lord, we will live a long and prosperous life
          -but John was cut off in his prime!
-we are believe that if we do the right thing, we will be rewarded
          -but John ended up in prison

-now that Christ is raised and exalted, much of God’s great plan of salvation has been accomplished

-and somewhere in that great plan, we have a very small part

-John understood his place

Horatio Spafford comes to mind

He must increase but I must decrease, John 3:30

The following sermon also mentions John the Baptist:

Listen to this surprising sermon about the disciples of John:

For more insights into John and his disciples, click:

Another sermon on humility:

Click the following sermon for further perspective on tragedies and personal suffering:

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

To download
RIGHT click over the headphones and click "save target as"

Click back to sermons & presentations:

For more topics, click PT Writings:

For new releases, click the jukebox