On Sunday mornings at Westlake Baptist we have been going through the Gospel of Mark since Easter Sunday. \u00a0I can’t speak for anyone else, but I can say that I have enjoyed the time of study, and I have found God challenging me personally on a lot of things. \u00a0This past week, I preached out of Mark 6. \u00a0Specifically we focused in on Jesus calling and commissioning the disciples to go out and preach the Gospel. \u00a0However, there is another story in that chapter that fascinated me. \u00a0It is the story of King Herod trying to figure out who Jesus was.<\/p>\n
This section of Mark’s Gospel begins with the phrase, “King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known.” \u00a0There was this traveling Jewish preacher who had stirred everyone up and got them talking about the things He said and did. \u00a0Jesus had created such a ruckus with His ministry that even the king had heard about him. \u00a0I know this is a very different time that we are living in, but I am sure of this; President Trump has never heard of, nor is he aware of the pastor of Westlake Baptist Church. \u00a0That isn’t a knock on the President. \u00a0It is a fact, that he has bigger and more pressing matters to tend to, and I’m just not that important. \u00a0But here, king Herod has heard of Jesus and is hearing reports from people on what Jesus is saying and doing as He travels around from town to town. \u00a0There is something about Jesus that strikes fear in Herod’s heart. \u00a0So much so that Herod is curious about what people are saying about Jesus, and who do they think He is. \u00a0The first report that Herod gets is someone says, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. \u00a0That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” \u00a0I’m pretty sure that Herod didn’t hear anything else, because this was Herod’s worst nightmare. \u00a0So much so, that Herod is convinced that this is in fact a resurrected John the Baptist. \u00a0Why would this be a problem, if in fact John the Baptist had been resurrected? \u00a0Mark does a good job in recounting Herod’s relationship with John the Baptist in Mark 6:17-29. \u00a0Here is a condensed version.<\/p>\n
Herod was having an inappropriate relationship wit his brother’s wife. \u00a0John the Baptist came to Herod at one point and told him that what he was doing was wrong and that he needed to stop it. \u00a0Herod doesn’t like it but sees fit only to put John the Baptist in prison, but Herodias (the woman in question) certainly cared. \u00a0In fact in Mark 6:19 it says that she held a grudge against John the Baptist and wanted him killed. \u00a0One evening at a later point in time, she would get her wish granted. \u00a0It was Herod’s birthday. \u00a0Herod wanted to show off his power and prestige and so he threw a good old fashioned birthday bash for himself and many others in his kingdom. \u00a0While they are partying and drinking too much, Herodias’ daughter comes in and starts to dance for Herod. \u00a0In his drunken stupor, Herod enjoys it a little more than he should and he asks the young woman what she would like him to give her. \u00a0He says he is willing to give her up to half of his kingdom. \u00a0She goes and tells this to her mother. \u00a0Herodias being opportunistic tells her to ask for John the Baptist’s head on a platter. \u00a0When she goes and tells this to Herod, he is afraid, but he grants her wish. \u00a0So Jesus is scaring Herod because Herod think this is the prophet that he put to death come back to get his revenge. \u00a0As we like to ask on Sunday mornings, so why does any of this matter to us today?<\/p>\n
There are a few lessons we can learn from this story.<\/p>\n
I will close this blog with one of my favorite verses, “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Rom. 5:20). \u00a0There is no one alive today who has sinned so much that the grace of God cannot overcome and forgive that sin. \u00a0If you would like to talk about what this means or what it looks like to trust Jesus Christ, I hope you will reach out to us either here on the blog, on Facebook (search Westlake Baptist Church), or e-mail us at westlakebc@gmail.com. \u00a0We would love to tell you how God’s amazing grace saved a wretch like us.<\/p>\n
Pastor Justin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On Sunday mornings at Westlake Baptist we have been going through the Gospel of Mark since Easter Sunday. \u00a0I can’t speak for anyone else, but I can say that I have enjoyed the time of study, and I have found … Read More