And now, Lord, as we come to your word, give us the illumination of your Holy Spirit. Open our minds to understand the scriptures, to soften our hearts to receive them with faith, and strengthen us to obey what you teach us. Show us Christ in your word, and by that word, conform us more and more to your likeness. We ask this in his name, and God’s people say. Amen. Our text this morning is Mark chapter six, Mark six, beginning at verse 14. Listen to God’s word.

King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’s name had become known. Some said John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and this is why the miraculous powers are at work in him. But others said he is Elijah. And others said he’s a prophet, like one of the prophets of old. But when Herod heard it, he said, John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.

For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. For John had been saying to Herod, it is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife. And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man. and he kept him safe.

When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. But an opportunity came when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. For when Herodias’ daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests.

And the king said to the girl, ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you. And he vowed to her, whatever you ask me, I will give you up to half my kingdom. And she went out and said to her mother, for what should I ask? She said, the head of John the Baptist. And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.

And the king was exceedingly sorry. But because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to break his word to her. And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. And he went and beheaded him in the prison and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. As far as God’s word, the grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of our God endures forever.

Please be seated. Congregation, what does it mean? to be faithful to God. You know, sometimes we imagine that faithfulness will bring visible blessings. If only we obey the Lord, perhaps our circumstances will improve. Perhaps people will appreciate our integrity. Perhaps our lives will become more peaceful.

But what happens when obedience brings suffering instead? What happens when telling the truth costs us friendship? Standing by our convictions causes the approval of others. When faithfulness seems to accomplish nothing except making our circumstances worse. The passage here confronts us with those kind of questions.

Here in Mark 6, we encounter two very different men. One is seated upon a throne, the other sits in prison. One possesses political authority and wealth and influence, the other has been stripped of his freedom. One is surrounded by powerful friends. The other is about to be murdered. And yet the man on the throne is a slave while the man in prison is free. Herod is enslaved to his sinful desires, his guilty conscience, the opinions of other men. John the Baptist is free to obey God even when obedience costs him his life.

But Mark tells us this account for more than a lesson about courage. Remember where we are in this gospel. Last Lord’s day, we saw in verses seven through 13, Jesus has sent out the 12 to preach repentance. And we’ll see in verse 30, Lord willing, that they will return to give a report of their ministry. And so sandwiched between those two events, Mark recounts the death of John the Baptist. Now, this arrangement is deliberate.

The disciples are being sent out into a world that rejected John and will soon reject Jesus himself. They have to understand that proclaiming the kingdom of God does not guarantee acceptance or safety, and neither must we expect such guarantees. So the passage sets before us three responses to God’s word. Herod resists it, John remains faithful to it, And Jesus Christ fulfills God’s saving purposes through his own suffering and death.

So let’s look at the text before us today. The first segment here is in verses 14 through 26, the whole incident with regards to why John is where he is and his circumstances. And here we see that the word of God exposes the sinner who refuses to repent.

We have the news reaching Herod Antipas about the growing fame of Jesus. He is Herod the Great, Herod the Great’s son, who is ruling over Galilee itself. So it’s not the Herod in the birth narratives, this is his son, Herod Antipas. And people are asking who Jesus might be. Some think he’s Elijah, that he’s a prophet like those of ancient Israel.

But Herod comes to the conclusion in verse 16, John, whom I beheaded, has been raised. Now, look at these words here with me. Herod doesn’t merely say, John’s been raised. He says, John, whom I beheaded. And so his own guilt comes to mind. John is dead, but Herod cannot escape what he’s done. The man who possessed the authority to order John’s execution cannot command his own conscience to be silent. This is a sobering truth here. We may silence the messenger, but we cannot silence God whose word the messenger proclaims.

Herod’s imprisoned John because John has been confronting him because of Herod’s unlawful marriage to Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. Philip is known as Herod Philip I, and Herodias had divorced her husband in order to marry Herod Antipas. And if you study the history of the Herodians, I mean, it makes the old soap operas look pretty tame. If you look at that, it’s just a mess. And John has been declaring to Herod Antipas in verse 18, it’s not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife. And it’s not a one-off thing. This has been a continual reminder to him from John to Herod. Now John’s not offering his personal opinion. He is declaring God’s moral law.

Leviticus 18.16 and Leviticus 20.21 prohibits such an unlawful union and the exceptional provision for levitic marriage in Deuteronomy 25 doesn’t justify Herod’s conduct. That’s where you have a deceased brother and you marry in order to bring up a seed and an inheritor for your deceased brother, but Philip is very much alive.

Now Herod may have been a ruler, but he is still accountable to God. And that remains true of every human being, no matter what place or station. that we occupy. Kings are accountable to God. Presidents are accountable to God. Judges and pastors are accountable to God. And so our husbands and wives and parents and children, employers and employees, no earthly position places a person beyond the authority of God’s word.

But let’s consider Herod’s response to John’s preaching. Verse 20 says, Herod fears John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man. He protected him from Herodias, although John’s preaching perplexed him, and yet he heard him gladly. What a remarkable description here. Herod enjoys listening to the man who condemned his marriage. He recognized something righteous in John. He was interested in what John had to say. He was even troubled by it. But there was one thing Herod would not do. He would not repent. And it’s not something that was just unique to Herod.

I mean, you encounter people all the time who will listen to the preaching of the word, who know that they are guilty and not repenting of a particular sin, and yet they will hear the preaching gladly. perplexing as it is, but they will not repent. So Herod wants to keep John as preacher while keeping Herodias as his unlawful wife. And here the passage kind of hits close to home, doesn’t it? It is possible to enjoy sound preaching without submitting to the word preached. It’s possible to appreciate Christian doctrine and attend worship faithfully and possess considerable biblical knowledge while stubbornly protecting some cherished sin.

James 1.22 warns us, but be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving yourselves. Notice that last expression, deceiving yourselves. There’s a particular spiritual danger, and repeated exposure to the truth without repentance. We begin to mistake familiarity for faithfulness. We know the language of scripture, we understand the doctrines of grace, we may even agree with every article of the Westminster Confession, yet we may still be saying to the Lord, you may command me in every area of my life except this one.

Perhaps it’s an unwillingness to forgive. Perhaps it’s pride carefully concealed beneath sound theology. Maybe it’s bitterness towards someone who has wronged us. Perhaps it’s dishonesty in business or a secret habit of impurity or a refusal to reconcile with a brother or sister. We must ask ourselves, is there something God has plainly commanded that I am deliberately refusing to obey? But here we have to make an important distinction.

A true Christian still struggles with sin. The believer does not attain sinless perfection in this life. Indeed, the more clearly we understand God’s holiness, the more painfully we may recognize our remaining corruption. There’s a great difference between a believer who struggles against sin and a person who makes peace with it.

One cries, Lord, I hate this sin, help me to put it to death. The other says, Lord, I intend to keep this sin, whatever your word may say. The first is the struggle of sanctification. The second is the language of rebellion. And we must not confuse the two. Now notice, Herod’s refusal to repent eventually enslaves him.

We see at his birthday banquet, he is surrounded by nobles and commanders and influential men. Now there are some who say, see, every time you look at a birthday party in scripture, things go sideways. So good Christians don’t have birthday parties. No, you cannot draw that legitimately from the texts that are here. But at this birthday banquet, he’s surrounded by nobles and commanders and influential men.

And Herodias’ daughter dances before the gathering, and Herod makes a reckless promise. He offers to give her whatever she asks, even up to half his kingdom. She goes and consults her mom, who demands the head of John the Baptist. Now Herod is deeply distressed. Yeah, verse 26 tells us, because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to break his word to her. That’s a terrible snare. Herod fears the opinions of men more than he fears God. He knows John is righteous. He doesn’t want to execute him. Nevertheless, he’s unwilling to appear foolish before his guests, so he orders the murder of an innocent man. And he does so knowingly. Proverbs 29, verse 25 declares, the fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. Herod’s a ruler, but he is not free. The man who commands soldiers cannot command himself, and that same fear of man can govern our conduct.

We remain silent when we ought to speak. We laugh at something wicked because everyone else is laughing. We refuse to admit wrongdoing because confession would embarrass us. We soften a biblical conviction because we dread someone’s displeasure. Perhaps we tell ourselves these are small compromises, but sin rarely announces where it intends to take us.

Herod’s murder of John began long before the executioner entered the prison. It grew out of sinful desire and unlawful conduct and resistance to correction and pride and fear. Every step along the way made the next easier. Someone might ask whether Herod was obligated to fulfill his oath.

Well, and we’re supposed to keep our oaths and vows. Well, an oath cannot make murder righteous. Herod should have repented of his foolish promise rather than committing a greater evil to preserve it. See, God never requires us to sin in order to keep a sinful promise. Now we have to ask a more personal question. What hope is there for those of us who have feared men rather than God? What hope is there for the person whose conscience accuses him? The answer is not simply try harder, do better, It is not to promise that we’ll never compromise again. Our hope is in Jesus Christ. Consider Peter on the night of our Lord’s betrayal. Peter was so afraid of human opinion. He denied knowing Jesus three times. And yet the risen Christ didn’t abandon Peter to his failure. He restored him. And that same Savior receives guilty sinners today.

If your conscience accuses you of sin that Scripture truly condemns, do not suppress it, but neither should you remain forever beneath its accusations. Flee to Christ. Confess your sin. Turn from it. Trust His finished work. And as we heard in our assurance of pardon today, and from first John chapter one, verse nine, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The declaration that comes from heaven must be ringing in our ears rather than the supposed condemnation of men.

If you have truly repented, your conscience continues to trouble you. Remember, your forgiveness rests upon the blood of Christ and not upon the strength of your feelings. Romans chapter eight, verse one declares, there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Herod remained enslaved because he would not repent.

Those who come to Christ in faith discover a savior who not only forgives their sins, but gives his spirit to make them willing and able to obey. So that word that exposes our guilt directs us to the savior who alone can cleanse it. A second thing I want us to notice here, faithfulness to God’s word may cost us everything in this life, Mark 6, 27 through 29.

Notice here, the scene is shifting from Herod’s banquet to John’s prison. Herod orders the execution. An executioner enters John’s cell. John is beheaded. His head is brought to Herodias, his daughter, who gives it to her mother. And Mark records these terrible events with remarkable restraint. There’s no miraculous deliverance. No angel opening the prison doors. No voice from heaven stopping the executioner. John dies.

And from the standpoint of this present world, it appears that evil is triumph. Herodias has obtained what she wanted. Herod remains in power. The faithful prophet lies dead. but we must never measure the faithfulness of God by the immediate circumstances of his servants. John had not failed. He had been faithful. Jesus himself says of John in Matthew 11 verse 11, among those born of women, there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Think about that. The man whom Jesus commends so highly in his earthly ministry in prison, executed at the whim of a wicked ruler.

That should correct many of our assumptions about success. We’re tempted to measure ministry by numbers and influence. recognition, comfort, or visible accomplishments. We may assume that a faithful pastor will necessarily preside over a growing congregation or an obedient Christian will enjoy an increasingly peaceful life. But scripture teaches us to measure faithfulness differently. First Corinthians four verse two says, moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. And that’s our calling. not to manufacture success, nor secure the approval of men, nor to guarantee a comfortable life, but to be faithful to the Lord who has called us.

Somebody may object here, you know, would John not have accomplished more if he had been less confrontational? Perhaps he could have lived another 20 years. And imagine the ministry that could have been accomplished during that time. But that assumes that a longer ministry must necessarily be a more useful ministry.

Now scripture does call us to wisdom and prudence. Christians ought not to provoke needless controversy or confuse personal abrasiveness with courage. Yet there are times when silence on our part would be disobedience. John could not preserve his ministry by abandoning the very message God had given him to proclaim. and neither may we. Parents must sometimes teach their children truths that the surrounding culture despises. Christians must sometimes refuse practices that others consider to be harmless or acceptable. Pastors must proclaim the whole counsel of God, even when particular portions of scripture make hearers uncomfortable. And all believers must be prepared to bear the cost of confessing Christ. But let us understand something important here. We’re not called to seek suffering. We’re called to obey Christ.

Sometimes obedience brings peace and blessing. Sometimes it brings rejection and hardship. Hebrews 11 describes believers who escaped the edge of the sword and others who were killed with the sword. Both groups live by faith. The difference was not that one possessed stronger faith than the other. God in his providence appointed different paths for his servants. John’s faithfulness led him to prison and death, but his suffering didn’t mean that God had forgotten him. And that is a precious truth for suffering Christians.

Perhaps you sought to honor God, and you’ve experienced painful consequences. Perhaps you have spoken the truth with love and you’ve been misunderstood. Perhaps you have faithfully served the church without seeing the fruit you’d hoped to see. Perhaps physical weakness or advancing age has limited the work you once performed. Don’t conclude that your obedience has been wasted. God doesn’t measure your life by the standards of a world that prizes strength and influence and visible accomplishment.

He calls you to trust him. And to consider also what happens after John’s execution. Notice here, verse 29, when his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. That is a quiet act of love and honor. The world is dishonored, John. His disciples treat his body with dignity.

But the tomb was not the end of John’s story. Day will come when John the Baptist will rise from the dead. The body that Herod dishonored will be raised in glory, and John will stand before his risen Redeemer beyond the reach of every earthly tyrant. And that is the hope of every Christian.

Our confidence is not that obedience will always preserve our earthly lives. Our confidence is that Christ has conquered death Or maybe someone hears this account here and thinks, I don’t have John’s courage. I fear that if I face such a trial, I would fail. And that fear may be sincere. But the Lord is not asking you to find sufficient strength within yourself. He calls you to depend upon him. Grace that enables Christians to persevere is not a natural quality possessed by unusually courageous people. It is a sustaining grace of God.

Paul heard the Lord’s promise in 2 Corinthians 12.9, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. That promise doesn’t mean that we shall never tremble. It means that our weakness doesn’t exhaust the power of Christ. You may fear what obedience will cost tomorrow, but God has not commanded you to live tomorrow with today’s strength.

He commands you to trust him today, and he promises grace sufficient for what he appoints for tomorrow. That’s why the Christian can face the possibility of death with hope. Romans chapter eight, verses 38 and 39 assure us that neither death nor life nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. John, he lost his earthly freedom. He lost his public ministry, lost his life, but he did not lose Christ. Have you belonged to Christ? Neither will you.

In the third place notice here, Jesus Christ is the faithful savior who secures our final victory. This great truth, all this account is directing us to this end. You see, John the Baptist is not simply an admirable man who died courageously. He was the forerunner of Jesus Christ. His ministry prepares the way for Messiah. Now his death anticipates the suffering and death of the one who’s coming, he announced. Look at the parallels here. Think about this.

John was a righteous man condemned by corrupt authorities. Jesus is a perfectly righteous son of God who will also be condemned by corrupt authorities. Herod knew John was righteous, but permitted his execution. Pilate will find no guilt in Jesus and yet hand him over to be crucified. Herod feared the opinions of his guests. Pilate is going to yield to the demands of the crowd.

John is executed and laid in a tomb. Jesus will be crucified and laid in a tomb. There’s a profound difference between these two deaths. John died because he faithfully proclaimed the truth. Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life, died to accomplish the salvation of sinners. John could declare God’s law to Herod, but John could not atone for Herod’s sin. He could expose Herod’s guilt, but he could not remove it. He could warn Herod of judgment, but he could not bear that judgment in his place. Jesus Christ can.

And that’s the glorious difference between every faithful servant of God and the Savior himself. John’s death was the death of a witness. Christ’s death was the death of a redeemer. Mark 10.45 explains why our Lord came. For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. Jesus did not merely die because men hated the truth.

He died according to the saving purposes of God. He bore the penalty of sin for his people. He endured the judgment they deserved. He accomplished a redemption that no prophet or apostle or martyr or ordinary believer could ever accomplish. Unlike John, Jesus rose from the tomb on the third day. Death could not hold him. The rejected king is now the risen and exalted Lord. And because he lives, his people shall live also.

So what’s that mean for us? We’ve been confronted here with Herod’s cowardice and his guilty conscience and his refusal to repent and his enslavement to the opinions of others. But is there not something of Herod in every one of us? Have we never been ashamed to speak the truth? Have we never resisted the correction of God’s word? Have we never protected a cherished sin? Have we never feared the opinion of another person more than the approval of God? And if our salvation depended upon possessing the courage of John the Baptist, who among us could stand? but our salvation does not rest upon our perfect courage.

It rests upon the perfect righteousness and atoning death of Jesus Christ, and that changes everything. The Christian does not obey in order to purchase Christ’s acceptance. He obeys because he has been accepted by Christ, and in him, He does not endure suffering in order to earn eternal life. He perseveres because eternal life has already been given to him through faith in the Son of God. He does not fight against sin in the hope that one day he may become worthy of grace. He fights against sin because grace has united him to the Savior who has conquered sin and death. And when he fails, he returns again to the same Christ whose blood cleanses us from all sin. That is the foundation of faithful discipleship. It’s not self-confidence. It’s not any hope in ourselves. It’s all of Christ, all in him.

The risen Lord who forgave Peter’s denial is able to restore the fearful believer. The Lord who strengthened Paul in weakness is able to sustain his people through suffering, and the Lord who was raised from the grave will raise all who belong to him. Let us not imagine that the cost of discipleship is somehow greater than the grace of the Savior. Jesus has already paid the infinitely greater price of our redemption, and he will not abandon those whom he has purchased with his blood.

Whose approval will you seek? Maybe you’ve been listening to scripture while resisting its authority. Certainly don’t take the path Herod did. Don’t be satisfied with admiring the truth Repent and believe the gospel. Maybe your conscience accuses you of sin.

Don’t flee from Christ. Run to him. Come to him, confessing your guilt. Receive the cleansing he freely provides. Maybe you fear the cost of obedience. Don’t imagine that you must face it in your own strength. Look to Christ who is able to sustain you. Perhaps you have suffered because you sought to Obey the Lord. Don’t interpret your suffering as evidence that he has forsaken you. Remember John the Baptist. Remember the promises of scripture. Above all, remember the risen Christ.

One day, every earthly kingdom will pass away. Every throne will be emptied. Every human judgment will be overturned wherever it has contradicted the judgment of God. Jesus Christ will appear in glory. And on that day, the question will not be whether we secured the approval of men, accepted or acquired influence or preserved our earthly comfort. The question is whether we belong to Jesus Christ. And all who belong to him shall stand not in their own righteousness, but clothed in his.

So hear his word. Repent where the word exposes your sin. Believe the word of the gospel that announces your Savior. Fear God rather than man. Speak the truth in love. Remain faithful when obedience becomes costly. And remember, the final verdict concerning your life doesn’t belong to Herod or to any earthly ruler. It belongs to Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen king, and its grace is sufficient for all who trust in him. Let’s pray.

Our gracious God and heavenly father, we thank you for your holy word, which reveals our sin and searches our hearts and directs us to Jesus Christ. Forgive us, Lord, for those times We have feared men more than you. Forgive us for hearing your word without obeying it, for protecting sins that you command us to forsake, and for measuring faithfulness by the approval of the world. Give us true repentance, give us tender consciences governed by scripture, and teach us to flee to Christ rather than hide from him. strengthen us by your Holy Spirit to walk in obedience, not trusting in our own righteousness or courage, but resting upon the finished work of our Redeemer. When faithfulness becomes costly, sustain us with your promises. When we’re weak, remind us that your grace is sufficient.

When we suffer, assure us that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus. Make us faithful witnesses to your truth. speaking with both courage and compassion, preserve your church from cowardice, bitterness, and pride, and above all, fix our eyes upon Jesus Christ, who was rejected by men, crucified for our sins, and raised in victory, and that we would live and die in the confidence that we belong to him, and that his kingdom shall never end. We ask all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and God’s people say, amen. In response to God’s word, let’s take our Trinity hymnals and turn to 481 and sing, turn your eyes upon Jesus, 481.