The father of the man in our scripture was called “Herod the Great.” He was not a Jew or an Israelite, but an Idumean – by nationality he was unfit for his office over Israel. He was made ruler over Israel through his support of various Roman leaders and armies. He was such a master at political maneuvering that he’d put a lot of modern Senators to shame. Not to mention that he had no conscience against slaughtering anyone who opposed him. He is the man who ordered the deaths of the children of Bethlehem. Herod the Great had several children through a succession of wives. One of his sons was Herod Philip, and upon the death of his father, Philip ruled east of the Jordan According to an article in ISBE – Philip was the best of the family. He was retiring, dignified, moderate and just – definitely not qualities which guaranteed success in a godless Roman world. Philip was not strong enough to resist the powers contained in other family members – including that of his own wife.
Another of son of Herod the Great is the man of Matthew 14 – Herod Antipas. His mother was a Samaritan, which meant that he had even less Jewish blood in his veins. To him was granted rule over Galilee and Perea – north and east of Jerusalem. It was a quarter of the territory originally held by Herod the Great. That is why Herod Antipas is called a “tetrarch” – when it came to the Romans But still in some ways he was a king – and that was his favorite term before the people of Israel. At some point this Herod Antipas wanted the wife of his brother Philip – so he simply took her. Herodias appears to have considered her new husband a step up in the world, and so she consented, bringing along at least one of her children. But she didn’t come along as a shy little girl – Herodias was as ruthless as her father-in-law had been and eventually came to dominate her new husband. While Philip ruled east of Jordan where John the Baptist had most of his ministry, Herod Antipas ruled in Galilee, while Pilate, the Roman, ruled over Jerusalem. Each had basically the same political power – absolutely dependent upon whims of the Roman Caesar.
At some point, perhaps brought on by curiosity, Herod Antipas wanted to meet the new religious phenomenon – John Baptist. John, who probably had more sympathy for Philip than for Antipas flatly condemned the new marriage with Herodias. For that, the prophet of God was incarcerated in Herod’s prison. And when a drunken birthday party, loosened Antipas’ tongue, he made a promise to the daughter of Herodias – a promise which he should never have made – anything that she wanted. She demanded the decapitation of John, and the life of the Baptist came to an end. Herod Antipas reminds me of a typical bully – He was a weak and characterless individual, often run over by people around him – first his Father, then the Romans and eventually by his stolen wife. To make up for his inadequacies, he was a ruthless bully when it came to others.
Later when Herod heard about the ministry of Christ – the guilt within him began to work in overdrive. The pointed cogs of his conscience began to whirl around inside him – chewing up his heart. A conscience, someone said, is what hurts when everything else feels good. It is that sixth sense which tells you not to do something – after it is already done. In Mark 6:16 we read the tortured words of Herod Antipas – “It is John, whim I beheaded; he is risen from the dead.” Thinking about Christ, Herod was terrified, because his conscience stabbed him like pain from a bad tooth. It is not an ache confined to tetrarchs and kings – even people like ourselves can feel this pain. And that is the theme of our message this morning.
Notice, first, the voice of that frightened conscience.
When Herod killed John, it appears that he had little recognition of any wrong doing. It doesn’t surprise me any more to see the depths to which sinful man can fall. We read of quiet, productive, respectful people who become murderers. We have known professing Christians who have sunken to the depths of homosexuality and trans-gender surgery. And these people have the audacity to return, telling us that they have done nothing wrong. We look at what Herod did, and we would say, “murderer.” But Herod would have probably said, “I am King. John was just a subject, a serf, a vassal, a stepping stone. Like my father before me, I have the right to squash any bug who bugs me.” Most people, rightly or not, think of themselves as kings or queens of their own little fiefdoms. Herod may have hesitated for a moment before ordering the execution, but he probably didn’t loose a great deal of sleep once the deed was done. Whatever reluctance there had been for a moment, it was outweighed by pride and his lust for Herodias. John’s head was brought in all bloody and pale, and the bloody woman was pleased. Herod was probably royally rewarded after all the guests went home that night. And then the whole matter was placed in a small darkened corner of the royal memory. How many personal dirty little secrets do you have hidden in the dark recesses of your mind?
Eventually news of the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth came floating into the palace. For months that ministry had been touching and blessing the homes of the poor and needy in Israel. And now, finally, the Roman King hears about Christ. Who is this miracle worker? Someone says, “Well, it appears that this is the Elijah that the Hebrew scriptures had prophesied to return.” Another person says that he is a new prophet just as Moses had been so many years ago. Everyone had his own little theory about Christ, provoking new thoughts in the mind of Herod. Finally a little light was thrown on in that corner of his mind where Herod had hidden John the Baptist. “Oh, no! I know, who he is! That is John the baptist, whom I beheaded! He is risen from the dead.”
The thing to note at this point is that we all do things which are easy to silence and hide. We have lied, or stolen, or slandered the name of someone, but we have so many duties and responsibilities that have moved on and quickly forgotten that sin. And then too, we do so many good things, that surely these offset our evils. One way or another those little indiscretions get shoved into the corners of our hearts, hidden from view – perhaps for years. But then something lights a candle in that corner and reminds us of what we truly are – or what we have done. It is like some scene in horror story which could been written by Poe or Hitchcock. The villain began a remodeling job, putting up new brick wall in the basement. When the job was just about complete, he murdered his wife and put her dismembered body in the wall. But when he put last brick was set in place, he didn’t realize that the family cat was trapped inside. Oh, what bellowing, hollering and shrieking came from that cat – locked inside the wall. And finally the man goes insane because of a cat – imitating his conscience. In Herod’s case everything was fine, until a report reaches him of Christ. Then screaming from basement come the dying sounds of that entombed cat again.
Notice again, at the time when the murder was committed, Herod didn’t worry about responsibility. But when he heard of the Lord Jesus, all the other players in the story were forgotten. There was the temptress, the servants, the visitors to the party, the oath – all unimportant. If necessary, the blame could have been laid on any of their backs. But under the influence of that conscience, Herod said, “It is John whom “I” beheaded.” I am told that the original Greek puts heavy emphasis on the little personal pronoun – “I.”
And, if there ever had been any, all the euphemisms were gone too. Earlier Herod might have talked about John’s “death,” John’s “passing,” John’s “decease.” But now the language is crystal clear, “I cut off his head.” “I ordered that an ax be brought down on the back of that neck, slicing through the skin then a couple of the vertebra. It severed his spinal cord in less than a second then proceeded through several arteries and veins before severing his wind pipe. Having passed through it all, with blood spurting out that quivering head fell on silver plate.” “I beheaded John the Baptist.”
Oh, please listen to me this morning: Unless your mind, heart and conscience are cleansed by the grace of God, all the details your most horrendous crimes will be vividly brought before you for all of eternity. You may be able to sere, silence and separate yourself from your conscience today, but when you enter the Lake of Fire, your conscience will be given more life than it ever had before.
We also notice here that Herod’s conscience was awakened to the realities of Spirit World.
Many commentators tell us that Herod’s family were basically Sadducean in their religion. That is – they were semi-religious, but in a secular sort of way. They parallel those who claim to be Christians, but who deny most of what is found in the Bible. Sadducees deny that there is a Heaven or a Hell, that there are angels, miracles. Whether Herod was a card-carrying member of Sadducean synagogue – he was certainly a Sadducee in practice. And to be honest that is the way that most people are even today. “Me deny the Bible? How can I deny what I know nothing about?” But look at the man’s life; it’s a constant denial of God’s authority. Look at your life.
What would been the answer if you had earlier asked Herod if he ever expected to see John the Baptist again? “Are you kidding? The man is history, his disciples came and took away his body. I don’t believe any of that trash about life after death.” But then comes the awakening of his conscience. What would the answer be if you asked Herod if there was a Hell for unforgiven murderers? Both before and immediately after the death of John, Herod would have said, “I deny it.” But what about now?
The habit that some people have of denying judgment, Hell, retribution and Christ are just feeble attempts to hope and to hide. You say that you don’t know or can’t see these unseen things – like Heaven and Hell – right now? That is probably true as you try your very best not to see. None are so blind as them that will not see. But as I pointed out last week, hell and the Lake of Fire are real. Herod’s eyes shall behold, and his body and soul shall feel the wrath of God’s holiness. Just scrape off that frost on your heart and honestly ask your conscience, listening to the reply. It says, “You are going to Hell, because you’re an unrepentant sinner.” When your conscience is permitted to speak, if you listen long enough, it will talk about Hell.
By the way, what was it that ignited that royal conscience two thousand years ago? Wasn’t it the message that Christ was in Herod’s kingdom? The Son of God came into the world to give life; to heal the sick and to raise dead souls. But a corollary to His positive ministry is a passive negative side. Biblically, we can make Christ the minister of condemnation and death. When Herod’s conscience cried out, it was because of the work of Spirit of Christ. If that man had sought out the Saviour and confessed his sin, there would have been a very happy, happy ending. But Herod simply shuddered and pushed that conscience into the corner once again.
And that is my last point for this morning.
Herod’s conscience, once partially stirred, went back to sleep again. I cannot tell you how many months into Jesus’ three-and-a-half ministry this event took place. For the sake of argument, let’s say that Jesus still had two years of ministry ahead, or perhaps it was thirteen months. Most of Christ’s ministry was within the confines of Herod’s Tetrarchy. The Son of God was teaching, preaching and working miracles just outside the front door of Herod’s palace, so to speak. The King had been curious about Christ, but that curiosity hadn’t done him any good. He might have been curious about John, but that curiosity just got the man into trouble. His curiosity about Christ didn’t do him any good either.
We don’t hear anything more about the Tetrarch and the true King until we come to Luke 23. “And the whole multitude of them arose, and led (our Lord Jesus) unto Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King. And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it. Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man. And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place. When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean. And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.
Where was Herod’s conscience in Luke 23? Herod was happy to see Jesus, because it satisfied a curiosity that he had carried since Matthew 14. But the man’s conscience was apparently perfectly still and powerless. There wasn’t a trace of his old conviction, or the earlier fear that John had somehow arisen from the dead. Herod and his men of war commenced to mock Christ and laugh at Him.
And that is perhaps our most important lesson this morning. Do not fool with a partially awakened conscience. When the Holy Spirit of God convicts of sin, and your conscience agrees, respond – properly respond. It is possible to feel so broken over your sin that you may think that suicide in order. But then the next day, you may sin again, more horrendously than you have ever done before. When the Holy Spirit convicts you of your sin and your need of a Saviour – bow immediately.
If Herod had sought out the Saviour in Matthew 14… If he had confessed his sin and asked, believing on Christ, for God’s forgiveness… If he had truly felt the burden of his sin and repented of it.. Oh what we might be saying about Herod this morning. But Herod silenced his conscience and ignored the Holy Spirit.
During my years in the ministry, I have seen hundreds of people behave like Herod Antipas. Under the pain of conviction, they uttered a few superstitious comments. But instead of humbly bowing before the crucified Christ, they walked away doing whatever they could to stifle the pain and silence the conscience.
Are you behaving like Herod this morning? If that is the case, then you have no guarantee that your future will not be the same as his. Based upon the testimony of the Word of God, I tell you that man is in Hell today. There is no reason for you to join him. Repent before God, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.