Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

The Contrast Between Belief and Unbelief Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29; Luke 9:7-9 What you believe is very important for it will have both temporal and eternal consequences It is common for American Christians to think that by doing good, God will bless them with health & wealth

The Contrast Between Belief and Unbelief Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29; Luke 9:7-9 The truth of what you believe comes out in your reaction when troubles and trials come into your life Two men provide opposite examples of belief and unbelief

Herod’s Belief Matthew 14:1-2; Mark 6:14-16; Luke 9:7-9 Herod Antipas the Tetarch reigns over Galilee and Perea and is a son of Herod the Great He had little interest in Jewish affairs & spent little time in Galilee - so was ignorant of Jesus until late

Herod’s Belief Matthew 14:1-2; Mark 6:14-16; Luke 9:7-9 People around Herod were claiming Jesus was Elijah, a prophet, or John the Baptist risen from the dead Herod’s superstition and guilty conscience led him to believe Jesus was a resurrected John the Baptist

Herod’s Immorality Matthew 14:3-5; Mark 6:17-20 John had been telling Herod that it was not lawful for him to have Herodius, so Herod put him in jail Herod was afraid for he believed John was a righteous and holy man and the people believed him a prophet The Herodian family is bizarre and complex - Herod had married Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife

Herod’s Immorality Matthew 14:3-5; Mark 6:17-20 The marriage of Herod to Herodias violated the prohibitions of Leviticus 18:16 and 2:21 Herodias was Herod’s niece, so their marriage also violated Leviticus 18:14 prohibition of consanguinity Rome had political authority over the Jews, and Herod’s was Rome’s puppet ruler

The Righteousness of John Matthew 14:4; Mark 6:18,20 Why then did John, a righteous man, apply the laws of Leviticus 18 to Herod? Everyone seeks to promote their morality as the code for society Christians do not impose their “own” morality on others - they declare God’s morality to all to benefit all

The Righteousness of John Matthew 14:4; Mark 6:18,20 Does the church exist to proclaim God’s word to everyone or to teach the Scriptures only to its members? Is right and wrong determined by the individual or by God’s declaration? What would have happened if John lived by today’s politically correct ideas?

The Righteousness of John Matthew 14:4; Mark 6:18,20 You can be bold if you believe the truth - John did even though it meant jail Jesus said His followers would be persecuted for the sake of righteousness - are you willing to suffer that? Herod’s fear of the people kept John alive in a prison at Machaerus

The Righteousness of John Matthew 14:4; Mark 6:18,20 Herod believed John was a righteous and holy man, and John’s actions were those of a righteous man Herod was not Jewish and Herodias only partly Jewish

The Death of John the Baptist Matthew 14:6-11; Mark 6:21-28 This was a pagan birthday party which included gluttony, excessive drinking and seductive dancing Whether Salome’s dancing was by a plan of Herodias or not, it created and opportunity for her

The Death of John the Baptist Matthew 14:6-11; Mark 6:21-28 Salome’s dance pleased Herod and he rashly promised her what she wanted up to half his kingdom - vs. 24 Even though Herod knew it was wrong, he carried out Herodias’ request through Salome to execute John

Contrasting Belief and Unbelief Herod was confirmed in his unbelief - he would not repent even after talking with John face to face Herod feared everything except what he should have feared Herod did not believe the truth and suffered the fears of this life and damnation for all eternity

Contrasting Belief and Unbelief John did not fear men or what they might do to him because he believed the Lord and served Him John knew what he believed and knew it was true and so he acted accordingly Life on this earth is not about you, but if you think it is, you will compromise truth to get what you want

Contrasting Belief and Unbelief Life is about God, and you will bear the consequences of whether you will believe Him or reject Him God proved His character and love in the Lord Jesus Christ - belief in Him leads to life, unbelief to death

Contrasting Belief and Unbelief Herod and John are opposite examples, and the one you follow will depend on what you believe

Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ