BIG IDEA: Like the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, many people refuse to acknowledge Jesus’ authority over their lives.
Summary
Keep the context in mind. Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and inspected the temple affairs. On Monday, Jesus cleaned house. Now on Tuesday Jesus’ authority is challenged by a delegation of the Sanhedrin, the powerful Jewish religious council consisting of Pharisees, Sadducees, and others.
Again, the key issue is authority. Notice v. 28: “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” The religious leaders are questioning Jesus’ authority to preach and teach in the temple (Luke 20:1) and to cleanse the temple (Mark 11:15-17). In their minds, he was the lowly son of a carpenter from Nazareth and they are the religious elites that have control over the temple and its affairs – not Jesus.
I encourage you to watch the sermon for more. Even though there is no temple today many religious people still struggle the same problem the religious leaders did. They refuse to give Jesus his rightful authority over their lives. They want the salvation and blessings of Jesus without the commitment of discipleship. But this is not the way of Jesus. Jesus has all authority (Matt 28:18; Col 1:15-20; Mark 8:34-35; Luke 6:46). Will you submit to the his authority in every area of your life?
Last week, we read about Jesus sending out his disciples in order to advance the kingdom of God. The main idea from last week’s text was that:
Even in the face of rejection or death, disciples of Jesus are to advance God’s kingdom through word and deed.
One of the things we talked about last week was facing rejection for the sake of Christ. Today, we will see that being a faithful disciple of Christ leads to persecution and sometimes even to death.
In our text today, we learn the circumstances that led to the death of John the Baptist.
Who was John the Baptist?
If you remember from Mark 1, John the Baptist was the forerunner to Jesus. He prepared the way for Jesus and told people to repent, for the king was coming. John was the forerunner of Jesus’ message and ministry and he is also the forerunner of his death.[1]Daniel Akin, Christ-Centered Exposition: Mark, 129.
Jesus started his ministry after John was arrested (Mark 1:14). For some period of time during Jesus’ early ministry, John was in prison.
This morning, we see why John was in prison and what happened to him because of his faithfulness to Christ. If we want to hear the wonderful words of Jesus, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” then we need to learn from this text this morning.
Sermon text: Mark 6:14-29
As disciples of Christ, we must live righteously while calling sinners to repentance (14-20)
14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 17 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. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, 20 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.
In vv. 14-16, we see that Jesus’ popularity continued to spread.
Jesus and his disciples have caused quite a stir in the region because of his radical message and his signs and wonders.
The fame of Jesus had spread to the house of the local ruler. Mark calls him “King Herod” (14), but Herod was really a tetrarch, which is a governor of a territory. He was one of the sons of Herod the Great. Herod the Great, under Roman rule, ruled part of Palestine. Herod Antipas, the Herod mentioned here in Mark 6, ruled over the region of Galilee.
It’s probable that Jesus’ message troubled “King Herod” (6:14). What was Jesus message? Look at Mark 1:15. As Jesus and his disciples were proclaiming the kingdom of God, they were saying that God is king, which implied neither Herod nor Caesar was king.
The word on the street was that Jesus was some sort of prophet.
Some thought he was John the Baptist and had been raised from the dead (14)
Others thought that Jesus was Elijah (15)
Still others said he was like one of the prophets of old (15)
But notice what Herod said in response to the stories about Jesus: “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised” (16).
Herod was sure that John the Baptist had come back from the dead to condemn him. Herod’s conscience haunted him, for he had John the Baptist beheaded.
In vv. 17-18, Mark recounts the relationship between Herod and John the Baptist.
17-18
Herod had put John in prison because John was outspoken about Herod and Herodias’ adulterous and incestuous affair.
Notice that Herod had married Herodias, but Mark calls her “his brother Philip’s wife.” If you think you have a dysfunctional family, wait till you hear about the Herod Family.
Herodias was Herod’s niece, who was already married to his half-brother. So, Herodias was married to one of her uncles (Philip) and then left him for her uncle Herod. According to Josephus, who was an early church historian, Herod fell in love with Herodias and proposed to her. Herodias saw the marriage as an opportunity to climb the social ladder and agreed to marry Herod as long as he divorced his current wife. So, Herod divorced his wife, which eventually set off a border war a few years later. Herod had married his niece who used to be married to his half-brother.
So, Herod sinned by divorcing his wife, committing adultery, and being in an incestuous relationship with his niece (Exod 20:14; Lev 18:6, 20:21). Herod is nowhere close to a moral man. He’s a man that loves power, sex, riches, and fame and he will do whatever it takes to have those things.
And thus, v. 18 tells us that John the Baptist repeatedly told Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” The verb is in the imperfect tense, which means that this was not a one time event.
19-20
As John confronted the couple about their sin, Herodias wanted to get rid of him. People don’t like to be reminded of their sin. There are people that will leave a church that preaches the Bible because they don’t want to be told about their sin. They would rather have their ears tickled (2 Tim 4:3). These people love darkness more than light. Herodias wanted to remain in a position of power just as much as Herod. She valued status and power more than obeying God’s law. And thus, she held a grudge against John for his witness against her sin.
But notice that Herod had John put in prison. This was in a sense a compromise – it silenced John’s proclamation to the people, but protected John from Herodias. Herod was a weak man. He respected John enough to keep him alive, but he refused to turn from his sin.
Verse 20 is interesting to me. Herod respected John and he listened to John.
I think v. 20 reveals what we should learn from vv. 14-20:
As disciples of Christ, we must live righteously while calling sinners to repentance (14-20)
Even though John the Baptist was speaking against Herod and his sin, Herod “heard him gladly” and “feared” him, knowing that he was “holy” and “righteous.” The text also says that Herod “kept him safe.”
The message of the gospel is offensive to many. People don’t want to be told that they are sinners and that they are in danger of God’s wrath if they do not repent and trust in Christ. That is not a popular message.
Our message is hard for people to hear but it helps us if we live righteous and holy lives as we share the message.
One of the biggest barriers to the gospel for many people is their perception that many Christians are hypocrites. They claim to be Christians, but they live in unrepentant sin.
We must tell people the truth. We can never capitulate on the truth. We must warn sinners about the wrath to come. We must call them to repentance. John never wavered on the truth. John repeatedly called Herod and Herodias to repentance (v. 18). John was willing to speak up against sin – in this case, sexual sin more specifically.
Like John, even when we are the minority, we must speak against sexual sin. We must speak against homosexuality. We must speak against transgenderism. We must speak against body mutilation and puberty blockers. We must speak against pornography. We must speak against adultery. We must speak against fornication. We must speak against abortion. We must speak against sexual abuse.
But we must never do so in a condescending way or from a position of pride. We must remember that we were all at one time dead in our sins. We are simply beggars telling other beggars where to find bread. We cannot give people eternal life, but in grace and truth, point people to Jesus, the Bread of Life, who can give eternal life!
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus was full of grace and truth and we as his followers should graciously speak the truth.
As disciples of Christ, we will be hated by the world for speaking against sin (21-29)
21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 For when Herodias’s 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.” 23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 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.” 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison 28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
In vv. 21-29, Mark recounts the circumstances surrounding the death of John the Baptist.
21-23
As we’ve seen, Herod had imprisoned John to shut him up and to keep him safe from Herodias. Mark tells us that “an opportunity came” on Herod’s birthday.
Herod was having a big birthday celebration with “his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee” (v. 21). These parties were often vulgar and obscene. You might think of a bad bachelor’s party or Mardi Gras. Notice what happens. Verse 22 says that Herodias’ daughter came in and danced and pleased Herod and his guests.
In Graeco-Roman culture, dancing at banquets was reserved for hired female entertainers to provide artistic and erotic dances for the male dinner guests. The dancing was certainly not seen as an appropriate activity for honorable women, especially the host’s own daughter. Here, we see Herodias prostituting her own daughter in order to get what she wants. She is hardened in her sin.
Remember, Herodias’ daughter is Herod’s great niece. This man is a pervert and a sexual predator. In his drunkenness, he offers to give her whatever she wants, up to half the kingdom. This was a figure of speech, as “his kingdom” belonged to Rome. The point is, he wanted to give her a gift for the dance that she just gave.
24-29
Notice in v. 24 that Herodias’ daughter “went out.” At the banquet, men and women would have dined separately. Thus, the daughter went out from among the men and went to her mother and asked what she should ask of Herod. Her mother says, “The head of John the Baptist.” The girl goes to Herod and asks for John’s head on a platter. Verse 26 tells us that Herod was “exceedingly sorry,” but he did not want to break his word, especially in front of his guests.
So, Herod gives in to peer pressure and orders that John be beheaded. Though Herod respected John’s integrity, in the end Herod had John killed because of pressure from his peers and family.
What we do under pressure reveals our faith.
What we do under pressure reveals our faith.
We see this in Mark 4:16-17 in the parable of the soils.
Mark 4:16-17
16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.
We see this sort of thing all the time in our world. Politicians that sell their souls to stay in office. Pastors compromise or even abandon their theological views for money and fame.
How many people have heard the gospel and begin to think about eternal things, only to give up on their budding faith because of what their friends or family think of them? We see people that claim to be Christians, yet now support homosexuality and transgenderism because their family or friends are practicing homosexuals or transgenders.
Pastor Tom Ascol says it like this: “If your commitment to the authority of Scripture is limited by cultural sensitivities then it’s not really Scripture’s authority to which you are committed.”
For instance, there are people who believed homosexuality was a sin for decades but then the law changed and so did their stance. Or their child or grandchild came out as gay and they changed their minds. That person is not committed to Scripture as their foundation but their feelings and cultural sensitivities.
We cannot bow to the culture. We must stand firm on the Word of God.
We cannot bow to the culture. We must stand firm on the Word of God.
You see, John the Baptist may have lost his head, but Herod and Herodias lost their souls.
This passage shows us that those who are faithful to Christ are not promised earthly comforts, no matter what Joel Osteen, Kenneth Copeland, or Joyce Meyer says.
What is the bigger eternal risk? Is losing your relationship with your child or grandchild or them losing their soul because everyone ignored their sin and pretended it was okay? God calls us to lovingly confront people in their sin for the good of their eternal souls.
Conclusion
In closing, I want us to see how easy it is to reject Christ.
It all starts with sin. Herod divorced his first wife and married Herodias. By doing so, he committed adultery and incest. Despite John’s repeated warnings, Herod never repented and sought forgiveness from God.
Second, we see Herod’s pride. He is a proud, arrogant man. His oath in v. 23 reveals his pride. He is willing to give a great gift to his stepdaughter (and great niece) for a sensual dance.
Third, we see Herod lives for the approval of others. Once he realizes he is wrong (v. 26), he is unwilling to admit he was wrong. Rather, because he wanted to please his guests, he doubled down on his sin.
Fourth, we see the influence of his family and friends. Rather than leading his home, he was influenced by his wife and her daughter to put John to death. We must not allow family and friends to influence us to sin against God.
Finally, we see that Herod’s indecisiveness led to a hardened heart. Herod liked John (v. 20), but he never repented. He put off seeking forgiveness and eventually he suffered for his sins, and he will for eternity. Do not put off seeking God’s forgiveness, lest you find your heart hardened.
In summary, don’t live in sin. Do not sin to please others. Do not go to hell because of your sin. Repent and trust in Jesus.
With those warnings in mind, I want to pose a few questions and I will be done.
Are you willing to leave the love of the world behind and obey Christ even if it leads to death?
Will you love Jesus more than your own life?
Are you willing to speak against sin and call people to repentance like John the Baptist, and will you do this in a spirit of love and humility as you live a righteous and holy life?
Whose approval do you value more? Do you live for the approval of men or the approval of God? We cannot compromise God’s Word to accommodate sin. By doing so, we are condemning sinners to hell by not warning them of their sin against a righteous and holy God!
If you are living in sexual sin, will you forsake your sin this morning and for the sake of Christ and his Word?
Or, will you like Herod and Herodias, turn your back on those who are telling you the truth?
The Apostle John wrote, “The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17). John the Baptist knew that was true and he was willing to die for the cause of Christ rather than compromise.
Matthew 10:28
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
John 16:33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
By living for Christ even in the face of death, like John the Baptist we will hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Who is Jesus? Everyone has an opinion, and everyone wants Jesus in their corner. Many agree that Jesus was a moral teacher. Some would call him a philosopher. Social justice activists claim that Jesus would support their causes. Politicians claim Jesus would support their policies. Recently, Gavin Newsom, governor of California, said that providing abortions is a way to love your neighbor and quoted from Mark 12:31.
But who is Jesus, really? Today, we begin a new sermon series through the Gospel of Mark. If you would, go ahead and turn there. As Christians, we should get our picture of Jesus from the culture. We should not learn of Jesus from liberal churches and pastors who don’t really believe the Bible. Instead, we should go straight to the original sources.
That’s what the Gospels are. The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are historically accurate records of the life of Jesus Christ. More specifically, the Gospels are carefully constructed narratives that proclaim the gospel message of Jesus.[1]Robin Sydserff, Teaching Mark: From Text to Message, 91. Collectively, the Gospels give us his lineage, his birth narrative, his ministry, and his teachings. They tell us about his death on the cross for sin and his resurrection and that one day he will return in glory to judge the nations.
There is no more important question that you will ever answer than, “Who is Jesus?” Thus, we will spend a little over 50 Sundays answering that very question by walking through the Gospel of Mark.
I’ve provided an overview of Mark in your bulletin. I’m not going to read that to you, but I do want to hit some highlights.
Overview of Book
The Gospel of Mark was written by John Mark. Mark served with Paul and was also a close companion of Peter. In fact, Peter provides the source material for Mark. In Mark, the details of the stories are vivid and there are often more details provided than the other gospel accounts. This is because Peter was the leader of the disciples, and he provided an eyewitness account.
The Gospel of Mark was probably written in Rome and for Gentile Christians in Rome. It seems Mark was writing to Gentiles because he took time to explain Jewish customs in addition to translating Aramaic expressions and using Latin terms and measurements.
Mark does not provide a purpose statement for his gospel like Luke or John but there are at least four purposes for his writing.
To demonstrate to non-Christians that Jesus is the Son of God because of his authority over nature, demons, death, and sickness.
To provide an apologetic that in spite of his crucifixion, which was a death reserved for criminals and slaves, that Romans should follow Jesus even though many Jews had rejected him.
To show that Jesus, not Caesar, is the true Son of God, Savior, and Lord.
To teach Christians about the nature of discipleship.
There are a lot of opinions about what it means to be a Christian. Mark writes for us the words of Jesus so that we can know what it means to follow Jesus as his disciple.
The structure of Mark can be broken down several ways but I want to give you two. One way is to look at the geography of Jesus’s ministry. Another way is to basically cut the book in two halves with the first teaching us about who Jesus is and the second teaching us why Jesus came.
I’m ecstatic to begin Mark today and I hope and pray it will be a blessing to our church. I pray it will help us to know Jesus, to love Jesus, and to follow Jesus in all of life for the rest of life.
Sermon Text: Mark 1:1-8
The Gospel is the Fulfillment of Old Testament Scriptures (1-3)
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,
“Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, 3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’”
1
At the time of Mark’s writing, Jesus had been crucified, dead, buried, resurrected, and ascended probably about 25 years.
Mark’s very first words: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
The rest of the Gospel sets out the facts. Jesus is the Messiah (Christ) and he is the Son of God. The word gospel means “good news.” Thus, Mark has set out to explain the good news about who Jesus is, what he came to do, and what it means to follow Him.
First, who is Jesus?
“Jesus” is the Greek name for the Hebrew Joshua: “Yahweh (God) is salvation.”
“Christ” is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Messiah: “the anointed one” or “the anointed king.”
Initially a title, “Christ” became part of the name of our Lord. But not only is Jesus the Messiah.[2]Daniel Akin, Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Mark, 5. Jesus is the very Son of God. He is the eternal Son of God who took on human flesh to save his people from their sins.
Second, what did Jesus do?
Jesus did a number of things during his ministry, but of course the main reason that he came according to Mark was not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).
Third, what does it mean to follow Jesus?
During Jesus’ ministry, he called people to follow Him. Throughout Mark, we get a picture of what it means to follow Christ as his disciples.
In today’s times, Mark’s message would be something like this: I want you to know and trust that Jesus is indeed the Messiah and the Son of God and to follow Him.
In today’s times, Mark’s message would be something like this: I want you to know and trust that Jesus is indeed the Messiah and the Son of God and to follow Him.
This is really the aim of this sermon series. During our time in the Gospel of Mark I want you to get to know Jesus more fully so that you will trust and follow him more passionately. If you’re reading this and you’re not a Christian, I want to encourage you to examine the message of the Gospel of Mark and to trust in Jesus Christ and His life, death, and resurrection as the atoning sacrifice for your sins.
2-3
By referencing the Old Testament, Mark is making it clear that Jesus’ coming is a fulfillment of Old Testament promise and a continuation of God’s saving activity. In simple terms, the Old Testament Scriptures point to Jesus (John 5:39).
Mark’s quote in vv. 2-3 combines material from Exodus 23:20, Malachi 3:1, and Isaiah 40:3. Why does Mark only mention Isaiah? In New Testament times, it was customary to refer to the more famous source, which here is Isaiah.
Exodus 23:20 is God’s promise to send his messenger before the Israelites on their exodus through the desert to the Promised Land.
Malachi 3:1 warned that God would send a messenger to prepare the way for the Lord who comes in judgment. The Lord Jesus would judge his people to refine and purify them.
In contrast, Isaiah 40 is a message of hope and comfort. Isaiah 40:3 spoke of a messenger preparing the way for God who was coming to restore his people by bringing them back from Babylon to the Promised Land.
Putting these texts together, John the Baptist is the “messenger”, “the voice calling out in the wilderness” who prepares the way for the Lord who is coming to bring judgment and salvation.[3]Sydserff, Teaching Mark, 122.
Thus, the blended citation to these Old Testament Scriptures is meant to draw attention to the messenger, the Lord, and the wilderness.[4]William L. Lane, The Gospel of Mark, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, 46.
Remember, there is a 400-year gap between Malachi (the end of the Old Testament) and the early events of the New Testament. The Old Testament anticipated a Messiah and the Israelites were looking for him. Here, these verses signal a new exodus and deliverance, which is exactly what’s needed when you’re suffering like the Roman Christians were.
John the Baptist serves a messenger/forerunner of Jesus (4-8)
4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Why does the Gospel of Mark begin with the story of John the Baptist rather than Jesus’ birth? Here are three reasons:
Mark portrays Jesus as a servant.
Mark is writing to a Gentile audience. Genealogies were more important for Jews than Romans.
Mark is writing to a Roman audience. In Roman culture during biblical times, Roman officials were always preceded by a herald. Thus, Roman Christians would have perceived that Jesus was important because he had a messenger who prepared the way.
4-5
John was baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
John was not teaching salvation through baptism, but rather that his baptism was preparation for the forgiveness of sins that Christ would accomplish through his death and resurrection.[5]Akin, Exalting Jesus in Mark, 8.
We cannot miss the radicalness of these Jewish people being baptized. While the Jews did practice ceremonial washings, they were not immersed. The only time that immersion was practiced was when a non-Jew converted to Judaism. Therefore, to tell Jewish people that they had to be baptized and to repent like non-Jews would have been offensive. Craig Keener writes, “Most Jewish people thought that if they were born into a Jewish family and did not reject God’s law, they would be saved; John told them instead that they had to come to God the same way that non-Jews did. The point of John’s baptism is that everyone has to come to God on the same terms.”[6]Craig Keener, The IVP Bible Backgrounds Commentary: New Testament, Mark 1:4-5.
The Jews were now being asked to do something they had never done before in their history! The idea of Jews being baptized was unheard of and was a radical departure from Jewish custom! To call all Israel to baptism implies that in some way all Israel is defiled. This was why John was called “The Baptizer.” There had never been anyone like him.
John was baptizing in the Jordan River, the very river where Israel entered the promised land after spending 40 years in the wilderness. All of this was meant to symbolize that a new exodus had arrived. Just as Israel had been delivered from slavery to the Egyptians, Jesus would set his people free from the bondage of slavery to sin.
6-8
I would venture to say that if I had been dressed like John the Baptist I would not have been called by my church to be their pastor! Note the following characteristics about John.
John’s residence: in the wilderness
John’s wardrobe: clothing made of camel’s hair and a leather belt
John’s diet: locusts with honey for dessert
John lived in the wilderness and dressed like Elijah (2 Kings 1:8), a prophet who called his people to repentance. John’s lifestyle contrasted starkly with the religious leaders of the day who lived in luxury and loved positions of authority.
John’s message (7-8)
John’s baptism was preparation for the forgiveness Christ would accomplish by his death and resurrection. It was a washing signifying that the baptized were ready for the coming kingdom of God.
John: “After me comes someone who is much greater than I. I am not even worthy to take his shoes off.” Removing one’s shoes was something done by servants and slaves. It was behavior seen to be beneath a free Jew. And yet, John said he was not worthy to even remove Jesus’ shoes.
John: I have baptized you with water, but he will Baptist you with the Holy Spirit. I don’t have the power to do this, but he does!
John was saying the water he baptized with will clean the outside. It would prepare them for the baptism to come but when Jesus baptized them with the Spirit, he would clean the inside.
You see, when you receive the Holy Spirit, He permeates every part of you.
We need more Christians like John the Baptist. He was not concerned with fame, money, position or looking good. There are a lot of Christians (and pastors) that are more concerned with having a clean appearance than having a clean heart. Churches are should not seek to grow bigger and bigger to pat ourselves on the back.
There are a lot of Christians (and pastors) that are more concerned with having a clean appearance than having a clean heart.
Rather, our focus should be like John – we should humble ourselves and point people to Jesus as we recognize that only he can save us from our sins through His death and resurrection. In turn, our lives will be changed as we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
John had one message (John 3:30) – I am not worthy. Jesus is worthy. Follow him.
John was not a man that was afraid of death but told his audience they were a brood of vipers and called them to bear fruit in keeping with repentance (Matt 3:8). He was beheaded because he challenged King Herod and called him out for his sexual sin with his brother’s wife (Mark 6:14-29).
God, give us more Christians and pastors like John the Baptist
Conclusion
Mark’s message: “Behold, the son of God!”
Jesus was anticipated by the OT
John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus
We’re told in Matthew’s gospel that the religious leaders argued with John the Baptist. They did this because they were more concerned with appearances than having their hearts cleansed by Jesus.
What about you? Are you more like the religious leaders who cared more about looking spiritual than being spiritually cleansed? I pray that we would like John the Baptist who truly wanted to decrease so that Christ might increase.
Maybe you’re reading this and you have been baptized with water but you’ve never had your heart penetrated and permeated by the Holy Spirit. If so, repent and trust in Jesus.
May we be like John the Baptist. If so, you will know you were completely unworthy of God’s goodness, but because of Jesus you have had your life changed and now you want to point others towards him.
Mark’s words should pierce us this morning. They remind us that Jesus came and obeyed God perfectly because we couldn’t. We should repent of our sins, trust Him in all of life, be baptized, and then point others to Him. This is our mission as a church and our mandate as followers of Jesus!
