MARK 6:14-29 Lessons 12
THE DEATH OF FALSE KINGS
I. Greetings:
II. Introduction:
Q Who were the “worst bullies” you have ever met? Who picked on you the most when you were younger (not counting brothers or sisters)?
An = See if some will share their worst bully story.
Q What happens when you cross powerful authorities? Have you ever crossed a strong bully, a boss, a teacher, a strong parent, or even the police?
An = The Proverbs have some insight in this regard: Have three different people look up and…. It might surprise you what wisdom the following Proverbs want to pass on.
>>>> Have someone read Proverbs 16:14, 19:12, and 20:2.
Q What is the message here?
An = The message of the Proverbs is that if you anger the “king” or the powerful one then expect to get hurt.
Let us look at someone who crossed an authority in Jesus’ day. This man corrected the morals of a king.
III. The Setting: The Uneasy Prince. Mark 6:14-16.
>>>> Have someone read Mark 6:14-16.
Q Who did King Herod think Jesus Christ was?
An = He thought Jesus was a man that was raised from the dead: namely John the Baptist.
Q Was such a viewpoint a bit unusual for a king? Was not Herod a bit uneasy?
An = Most kings do not think that new popular leaders are recently risen from the dead. This is even unusual for Herod. Let me show you why.
Herod was known to be insensitive to Jewish culture and disobedient to Old Testament Law: for example, he built a city on a graveyard, so that all Jews who entered his city of Tiberias became unclean.
Note: See Leviticus 18:16 and 20:21. (Perhaps have one person read out loud to the group both texts). King Herod had married his brother’s wife even though her husband was still alive. Herodias’ husband was still alive. She openly committed adultery. John the Baptist was a truly righteous man, and Herod was clearly aware that he himself was not.
IV. The Cost of Speaking the Truth: Mark 6:17-20.
>>>> Have someone read Mark 6:17-20.
Q Why was John arrested?
An = John had been making comments on the immoral and illegitimate marriage of Herod to his brother Philip’s wife: Herodias.
Q Why did John speak out against an obviously non-religious king?
An = He took a stand for public morality, for loyalty to God’s Word.
Note: What is interesting is that John seemed to have been arrested both for his own protection (probably from the angry Herodias) and to silence his preaching.
Q What does 6:20 mean? Why did Herod enjoy listening to the prophet?
An = William Lane notes that he was more weak than cruel. Herod was open to the Lord, open to the truth. Seldom do governors go to the jails to listen to prisoners. Ask our own governor, it is seldom done. There was no doubt something drew Herod to John. Something deep inside Herod’s soul longed for the truth from this courageous and sincere man of God.
Q Why did John’s disciples not fight to protect him?
An = True prophets do not have power, except that of holiness and righteousness. John died alone. Jesus died alone. When Jesus was arrested He did not allow his disciples to be arrested with Him. He was arrested and taken into custody alone.
>>>> Have someone read John 18:7-9.
Then quote Mark 14:50: “Then everyone deserted Him and fled.”
The O.T. prophets died the same way. Their followers did not die with them. It is easy to see that in the great biblical tradition, leadership would die for the people, not the people for the Prophet or true King. This is different than most modern leaders. A good prophet did not seek to acquire power, rather he sought to acquire positive moral influence.
An English professor, Arthur Lynip, once said: “The `teacher-leader’ should die for the student, or parishioner, but never the student or church parishioner for the teacher”.
>>>> Have someone read Mark 10:45.
Note: John was seen in his actions to prefigure the Lord.
Q Did Jesus’ disciples get arrested and crucified with Jesus when they arrested Him?
An = No they did not. Jesus saw that they got away. It sure would have been more comfortable to have been arrested with friends and admirers. It would have been easier being sent to that unfair court scene alone with friends. It would have been easier to be crucified with friends who respected you instead of between thieves who threw insults. Jesus was truly a man’s man.
We should be cautious when leaders use a lot of religious jargon. However, we should be very open to leaders who have the courage and love to actually do what the Bible tells them to do. Those types of people are impressive.
Note: This idea of dying alone may not seem relevant to most of you right now, but merely wait. You will be in a position of authority and when you are threatened it will be shown who you really are by “who dies” figuratively when you are under attack. When you are in charge you will be surprised at the amount of attacks and the temptation to drag someone else down with you. Real leaders speak out for the truth and are willing to pay the consequences. Having true courage, they speak with authenticity and loyalty to what is right. They know it may cost them. They are not going to let others die or pay the price for their leadership. They will pay their own bills. Phony leaders, religious or otherwise, will act and speak courageously but let others take the blame or get others to speak up for them, etc. They will let others get all worked up and do the “dirty work”.
Give an example of a good leader here if you can.
V. Sensuality and the Murder of the Soul.
>>>> Have someone read Mark 6:21-29.
Q Did Herod want to kill John? Why did it happen?
Q What led him to kill a holy man?
An = Peer Pressure and Sensuality – 1) Herod was a weak man. He lets his glands lead his life. Sexual sensuality can lead us further down and away from God. It can cloud our thinking and ability to see reality. It could lead into spiritual stupidity, and then even spiritual death. 2) Some people will give into peer pressure. They will allow the circumstances of public acceptability make them do things completely against what they want and know to be right
Q Who really died the day of the banquet?
An = Killing his openness to God, Herod killed more than John that day. Someone else besides John died. Herod killed his own soul during that banquet.
Note: End with reading II Timothy 2:9-13.[:]