August 18, 2024 NOTES
NOT EDITED
The Story of Jesus According to Mark, Pt 14: “The Verdict”
Mark 6:14-29
SIS – When confronted with the evidence regarding Who Jesus is,
every person must pronounce a verdict.
Last week, the theme in our study of Mark focused on “The
Summons”—or the call of Jesus for men and women to stand before the world and
give testimony as witnesses in regard to the Person, Jesus Christ. Verse 12-13 gives a summary of
the evidence:
12 So
they went out and preached that people
should repent. 13 And
they were driving out many demons,
anointing many sick people with olive oil, and healing ⌊them.
Today, we enter the courtroom of life again, but this time we enter to hear three
different verdicts pronounced by people who viewed the exact same evidence.
A verdict is a pronouncement, or a jury’s
response to the evidence presented. A
jury hears the evidence, that would be you, and then, after careful
deliberation, the jury gives a verdict.
One of the most
famous verdicts, and perhaps the most controversial, in modern history
was the verdict given by the jury in the OJ Simpson Murder trial, October 3,
1995. The evidence for Simpson’s guilt
for most people seemed overwhelming. The
media called it a “mountain of evidence.”
I was selling cars at the time in Modesto, CA. I heard the verdict on a radio of a used
car. NOT GUILTY!
Whether you agree
or disagree with the jury’s verdict, it was final and could not be challenged. That’s how they decided in light of the evidence.
In our text today, we actually see four different verdicts given in
response to the same evidence in regard to the identity of Jesus Christ:
We see four different persons, or groups, pronounce four different
verdicts in regard to Jesus Christ. Let’s read these verdicts together:
14 King •Herod heard of this, because Jesus’ name had become well known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that’s why supernatural powers are at work
in him.” 15 But others said, “He’s Elijah.” Still others said, “He’s a prophet —like one
of the prophets.” 16 When Herod
heard of it, he said, “John, the
one I beheaded, has been raised!” 17 For Herod himself had given orders to arrest John
and to chain him in prison on account of
Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,
whom he had married. 18 John
had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful
for you to have your brother’s wife!”
19 So Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to
kill him. But she could not, 20 because
Herod was in awe of John and was protecting him, knowing he was a
righteous and holy man. When Herod heard him he would be very
disturbed, q yet would hear
him gladly. 21 Now an opportune time came on his birthday, when
Herod gave a banquet for his
nobles, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee. 22 When Herodias’s own
daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. The king
said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23 So
he swore oaths to her: “Whatever you ask me I will give you,
up to half my kingdom.” 24 Then she went out and said to her
mother, “What should I ask for?” John the Baptist’s head!” she said. 25 Immediately she hurried to
the king and said, “I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head on a platter —right now!” 26 Though the king was deeply
distressed, because of his oaths and the guests he did not want to refuse her. 27 The king immediately
sent for an executioner and commanded him to bring John’s head. So he went and
beheaded him in prison, 28 brought his head on a platter, and
gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When
his disciples j heard about
it, they came and removed his corpse and placed it in a tomb.
There are for different verdicts, or responses to the evidence
about Jesus in this passage.
1. Herod
represents the verdict, (response) of the CONSCIENCE
This is one verdict no man or woman can escape: the verdict of “guilty as
charged.” Herod provides us with an
example of this universal verdict in regard to mankind. Herod displays a “guilty conscience,” but
where did this verdict of a guilty conscience come from. Look at verse 14, then verse 16:
14 Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead,
………………………………………
16 When Herod heard of
it, he said,
“John, the one I beheaded, has been
raised!
In Herod’s
particular case, his
overwhelming sense of guilt came from participating, actually directing,
the execution of an innocent man. We
read the details in verses
17-29. These details substantiate
what history has demonstrated to be true about the family of Herod, from the
time of Herod the Great who slaughtered the innocents after the death of Jesus. The Family of Herod had absolutely no moral compass.
They were vile and wicked. They were consumed by a lust for power, and every
other lust known to man. The family of
Herod had plenty of reasons to experience a “guilty conscience.”
This particular Herod is Herod Antipas, one of
four sons or Tetrarchs, of Herod the Great. Herod Antipas divorced so
he could marry the wife of his half-brother Herod Philip, named Herodias. This was against Jewish law, and the moral law of God, so
John the Baptist rebuked Herod Antipas and Herodias for this ungodly
marriage. As a result, Herod Antipas threw
John in jail. Herodias, the wife of Herod Antipas held a grudge against John
and wanted to kill him for his preaching against their marriage (v. 19). Herod Antipas threw John in jail, even though
he, himself, believed John was a godly man. Look at verse 20:
Herod was in awe
of John and was protecting him,
knowing he was a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard him he would be very
disturbed, q yet would hear
him gladly.
History is
filled with ungodly men
who know what is right but cave in to peer pressure—in this case wife pressure,
or worldly pleasure.
Verse 21 tells us that
an “opportune time came” for Herodias and her like-minded, wicked daughter, Salome, to plot the death
of John. It was Salome’s birthday. Herod
made an unwise promise to give Salome anything she wanted, up to half of the
Kingdom. Salome, guided by her wicked
mother, asked for the head of John the Baptist.
This demonstrates the depth of depravity to which a soul can sink when
it is cast adrift in the sea of worldliness.
Herod represents the verdict of a guilty conscience. The guilt comes from deep within a man or
woman when one’s actions and attitudes are demonstrated to be in rebellion
against God and His moral law. Paul
describes the “conscience” in Romans 1 (among other places)
1:18 For God’s wrath is
revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who
by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,
19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For
His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have
been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has
made. As a result, people are without
excuse.
Sadly, this is
the verdict rendered to the majority
of mankind in regard to Jesus Christ.
The verdict is “GUILTY”
The verdict amounts to an obstinate and absolute rejection of the authority of
Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This
“rejection” or rebellion leads to almost unimaginable acts of moral depravity. Mankind simply ignores the conscience for the
most part and goes merrily upon its way.
The problem
with this verdict from a guilty conscience is that it leads to condemnation
every time. The conscience can only point out one’s guilt, it
cannot remedy it. Jesus
Christ declared:
I came not to
condemn the world but to save the world because the world is already condemned.
2. The second Verdict
is that of “Religion” (15a)
15 But
others said, “He’s Elijah.”
Elijah was the great prophet of the nation of Israel. He was the embodiment of the nation’s feeling of religious
superiority over the pagan nations around them. Those familiar with the Jewish religion would
immediately be drawn to the similarity between the powerful miracles of Jesus
and the powerful miracles of Elijah.
Unfortunately, the Jews in Jesus’ day were no more ready to accept
the teaching of God’s prophet in their day any more than they were in Elijah’s
day. Israel loved to boast about her great prophets, but they
were quite unwilling to obey their message.
Elijah in this instance, represents the Jewish religion. If we bring the teaching into our day, Elijah
in this passage represents all religion.
Just like the religion of the Jews failed to make any real difference in the daily life of the nation
of Israel, so too it is with religion today.
Religion is as
likely to produce a “terrorist” as it is a Mother Teresa. Religion is absolutely impotent to bring
about lasting change in a person’s soul.
Religion abounds in the world.
There is no people ever discovered that did not have some notion of
religion. R.C. Sproul, the prominent
theologian, points out that it is as accurate to describe man as homo
religious as it is homo sapien. Religion
is a universal expression of mankind.
One verdict for those in the crowd that witnessed the evidence of
the miracles and teachings of Jesus was the verdict for the “religionists.” The verdict for “Religionists”
is GUILTY!
Notice that this verdict at least appears to move a little closer
to the truth about the identity of Jesus.
At least the religionist in the crowd recognized a connection between
Jesus and the God of the O.T.
3. A third verdict
FOR “Spirituality.” Or SEEKERS (v 15b)
Still
others said, “He’s a prophet —like one of the prophets.”
Many people have recognized
the impotence of religion and want nothing to do with ritual and religious
regimens. Many people in the world have grown weary of
long, meaningless prayers, ornate stained glass, or singing songs from another
century. We live in a day when people increasingly are
“rejecting” organized religion.
That does not mean they are
not “spiritual.” We call these people, “Seekers.” Seekers are people opened to “spiritual
experiences.” In fact, they seek out
these experiences in a myriad of ways.
One of the most “viral” video’s on YouTube is the video, “I hate religion but love Jesus”
(Jeff Bethke). A viral video is a video that spreads like wild-fire
sometimes getting close to a million views.
This “I Hate Religion” Video is up to 35M views. This does not include the
various spin-offs of the “I Hate Religion” theme.
But, make no mistake about it,
though more and more young
people are checking out on organized religion, they checking into more
and more options
seeking a “spiritual experience.”
Notice again, that just like
religion is a step further up the ladder of truth than conscience, a seeker is
even further up. But
still NOT FAR ENOUGH.
We live in a world where young people (and some older ones as well) are
starving for a genuine “spiritual experience” that would give meaning and
purpose to life.
Sadly, young
people are crying out for refreshing spiritual experience and the church is
offering nothing but stale religion.
4. The final
verdict we hear in this passage is that of
A True Believer (16-29, esp
27)
I told you earlier what lay at the base of Herod’s “guilty
conscience.” He had beheaded John at the
bequest of his stepdaughter, Salome, who was being guided by her wicked mother
Herodias.
Verse 18 shows us John’s absolute devotion and commitment to God
and His truth:
18 Mark 6:18 (NET) For John had repeatedly told Herod,
“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
Verses 27-28 give us the
result of John’s devotion and commitment:
27 The
king immediately sent for an executioner and commanded him to bring John’s
head. So he went and beheaded him in prison, 28 brought his
head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her
mother.
Such is the verdict FOR a “True Believer” who is fully committed to
Almighty God. Being a fully devoted
follower of Jesus Christ will cost you everything—it may quite likely cost you
your life.
But, it is no problem to give up your life, if you have already died with Christ.
Paul said, (Gal 5:20)
I
have been crucified with Christ 20 and
I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.
The life I now live in the body,
I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave Himself for me.
This is a painful portion of Scripture
for me to read, much less preach from.
John clearly and without any equivocation HIS DEVOTION to Jesus Christ in a way that leaves
the reader stunned by his commitment. As
a True Believer John unashamedly and unwaveringly followed Jesus Christ even to
the point of being beheaded. The Verdict pronounced for John is “GLORIOUSLY SAVED!”
Some of you are ahead of me
and have anticipated what I am going to say. Is
this the verdict on my life? Am I a True Believer who
is willing to die for my faith? How can
I read about John’s commitment even to the point of death and not be just as
committed to the Lord as he was?
How can we as church people SAY: “Jesus is God the Son—the
Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, the Great I am, the Alpha and Omega, the
Redeemer and Risen Lord, and the Soon Coming King of Glory—and NOT GIVE JESUS
MY COMPLETE AND UNMEASURED COMMITMENT?
Let me say, I think some people should stop GOING to church! When a person
comes to church professing to be a “True Believer” and hears a message such as
this about a follower of Jesus Christ who was truly committed to the point of
willingly giving up his life for Jesus—when a person comes and hears such a
message and simply walks away unchanged—that person heaps condemnation and
judgment upon himself or herself.
Way too many church-goers completely
misunderstand the Bible’s instructions about what it means to be a True
Believer. I recall reading
about a blonde lady who had a problem with her prescription. She called
the pharmacy to review the instructions on taking the medicine. She was told to
take the meds every six hours. She replied, “I’ve been doing that for two
weeks. But, the other day this little packet came out with writing that said, “Do Not Eat!” The lady
continued saying, “What can I do? It has now been four days and I am really
hungry.”
The Bible’s instruction on
what it means to be a “True Believer” are not hard to understand . . . but
following them requires ABSOLUTE
TOTAL COMMITMENT.
Sometimes, as in the case of OJ Simpson, a court verdict is
“shocking.” The verdict we see REGARDING
the life of John the Baptist is “more than shocking.” It is “soul-shattering.” This passage “rebukes” the commonly held idea
that one can be a Christian without complete surrender. This passage condemns, “easy believism.”
Getting the verdict of “TRUE BELIEVER” will cost you
EVERYTHING! It cost John his LIFE.
Reading the Word of God is like holding a mirror up to the
soul. A mirror does not create the
image, but only reflects what is there.
If we don’t like the image in the mirror, we can ignore, or we can
change it. The Apostle James says,
1:22 But be doers of the word and not hearers only,
deceiving yourselves. 23 Because if anyone is a hearer of the
word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror. 24 For he looks
at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But
the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in
it, and is not a forgetful hearer but one who does ⌊good⌋
works—this person will be blessed in what he does.
As a preacher I can preach to “impress” or I can preach to “bless.” I choose preaching to bless. Blessing
requires change I desire that our image as a church “conform” to the image of
Christ we are given in the Bible. This
means when I hold up the image of our souls TO the mirror OF God’s Word, we don’t necessarily
like what we see. But we shouldn’t curse the mirror or ignore the image. We
need to change our image to reflect God’s standards.
Everyone
here, like everyone in our text, is going to hear God pronounce a “verdict” regarding
how we live our lives. The verdict regarding Every Man’s
Conscience is: “Guilty.” The verdict in regard to the Religionist is
“Guilty.” The verdict regarding a Spiritual Seeker but not a believer, is “Guilty.”
GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY!
These three verdict will lead to a sentence of eternal damnation.
One, however, like that of John the Baptist who was a “True Believer” will lead
to the verdict: “Gloriously Saved!”
What will be the verdict on your life when you stand before Jesus, the
Righteous Judge when you die?
* My indebtedness to William Barclay for the outline and idea for
today’s message.
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