This sermon can be viewed at:
https://youtube.com/live/V9wecKzUDd4?feature=share
King Herod is standing face to face with Jesus of Nazareth, the famous miracle worker. But we get insight into the soul of King Herod as he looks into the eyes of the Son of God.
A LOOK AT KING HEROD:
From a human perspective, King Herod was a man of noble birth even if he did have a dubious ancestry. We know something of Herod’s personality from the Jewish historian, Josephus. King Herod was a good speaker (Acts 12:22).
He had a code of honor which he wrote and he generally did not break his word. We see that in the example of Salome, his wife’s daughter from her prior marriage, who danced and pleased King Herod so that he made his oath to give the girl whatever she wanted (Mark 6:14-28).
King Herod should have repented of his rash vows and not put the preacher to death because he did not like his message. But that was not King Herod’s character.
GOD’S GRACE REACHES OUT TO KING HEROD:
King Herod was afraid of John, Mark tells us in Mark 6:20. King Herod respected John. He knew John was a righteous man. He knew John was a holy man. King Herod respected John to such an extent that he kept him safe.
When King Herod heard John, he was very perplexed, but he used to enjoy listening to him. Mark uses an imperfect tense verb to show that Herod continued to enjoy listening to John preach the gospel to him. John’s preaching to Herod was grace. God’s grace reached out to King Herod in the person of John the baptist. King Herod could have been saved. All he needed to do was repent of his sins and believe the gospel which John was preaching, which included being baptized for the forgiveness of his sins in anticipation of the coming Messiah.
At the birthday party recorded in Mark 6, while Salome is dancing, John is not in Herod’s mind. His sin is not in his mind. His conscience is not in his mind. His resolve to defend John is not in his mind anymore. Because of the heightened emotions of this birthday celebration, all he can think about is bragging. His kingdom is so large, he can swear to give half of it to his step-daughter.
KING HEROD AND JESUS:
Years go on… God is gracious to King Herod. Not only does God give King Herod opportunity and time to repent of his sins, but He also brings another preacher into King Herod’s sphere. This time it will be His only begotten Son (Luke 23:7-8, 11-12, 15).
Here was Jesus, standing in front of him! And with all the time in the world, Herod threw questions at Jesus – and the Savior answered him not a word (23:9). Jesus answered him nothing! Think about that…
Jesus tried to reason with the high priest Caiaphas.
Jesus pleaded with governor Pilate.
Jesus grieved over Judas.
But in front of King Herod… Jesus says nothing and does nothing. Why was Jesus not more gracious? Why was Jesus not more compassionate? We cannot answer the question entirely, but Jesus did say on one occasion: “Do not cast your pearls before swine” (Matt. 7:6). King Solomon had said, “Do not answer a fool according to his folly” (Prov. 26:4). King Herod had questioned Jesus at some length, Luke tells us, but the one question he should have asked apparently never left his lips: “What must I do to be saved?”
In the words of Hosea the prophet: “Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone” (4:17).
Here is the point I draw from King Herod: the moment of decision to respond to Christ may be one in which no word of Him, no thought of Him, and not even His name will be consciously in someone’s mind!
It was in that hour back at Machaerus when King Herod fought against his conscience; in the hour when he decided to keep his wicked oath to Salome; in that hour when he made a serious decision to offend the holy nature of God and spurn the gospel of grace, King Herod made his decision about Jesus. He made that decision drawn out of pride, lust, murder.
King Herod is not the only one in human history to whom the God of heaven was stone-cold silent. A person can allow himself or herself to become so worldly-minded – their eyes are fat, their heart is full, his pride is stroked – that no word of Christ, no call to goodness, no call to prayer, no call to trust, no call to come to God, can ever, because of the baseness of his / her heart, reach his soul.
Do not love the world; love Christ and His truth and respond every time your heart is touched.
Paul Holland
