The Death of John the Baptist, Part 2

In this part of the sermon: Martin offers corrections regarding John's direct reproof of Herod and Herod's initial murderous intentions, clarifying that Mark 6:18 and Matthew 14:5 explicitly state these. He…

Martin clarifies that his description of the dancing and semi-drunkenness at Herod's feast was based on historical studies of Roman parties, not pure imagination, to maintain accuracy.

the embellishments even the legitimate embellishments of the imagination. However in describing the nature and circumstances of the dancing of Herodias' daughter and the semi-drunkenness of the guests you may have thought that that was purely imaginative on my part and I should have said that I described it in that way because those who have studied into the history and pattern of Roman feast and birthday parties of this nature are unanimous in their description of the drunkenness that went on in such occasions and any dancing by a woman was indeed of the nature

11:41 - 12:26 Read in full sermon

Driving home: there is no mental and spiritual torture like unto the torture of an awakened conscience that is fully rejecting what it knows to be right and true

Martin quotes Matthew Henry to summarize the point about a guilty conscience needing no accuser but itself, reinforcing Herod's internal torment.

what it knew to be right and true in doing some further reading this week I found this comment in Matthew Henry which summarizes the point that I sought to make last Lord's day a guilty conscience needs no accuser or tormentor but itself Herod charges himself with the murder of John which perhaps no one else dare charge him with I beheaded him and the terror of it made him imagine that Christ was John risen from the dead he feared John while he lived and now when he thought

13:54 - 14:37 Read in full sermon

Driving home: the way of him that is laden with guilt is exceeding crooked

This analogy illustrates the overwhelming power of Herod's 'offensive linemen' sins (lust, man-pleasing) against the 'teenagers' of his enlightened conscience, explaining why his vices ultimately prevailed.

and honor but there are two hundred horses tied to his spirit pulling him in the direction of his carnal lust and his passion to be a man pleaser his two besetting sins my friend you put a hundred horses against two hundred and apart from a pause or two in the tug of war there's no question who's going to win no more question than if you take ten teenagers of average build and put them on the end of a rope and then get ten men who are offensive linemen with one of our professional football teams on the other end of the rope and say we're going to have a tug of war I mean it's over before there...

30:34 - 31:17 Read in full sermon

The point: Honestly assess your conviction and conclusion about Jesus's identity: do you confess him as he claims to be, and do you comply with his demands?

Used as an example of someone who could not live with Christ's claims and cling to an idol (riches), showing that Christ brooks no rival in the human heart.

there's no sin that you can now cherish because he will brook no rival in the human heart he will say to a noble upright religious young man I see in your heart there is a gross form of idolatry and though you as a good Jew would never bow down to a God of wood or stone or pagan idol young man you have an idol in the form of your riches smash it you'll have treasure in heaven he went away sorrowful and I wonder what conclusions he came to about Christ after that

50:07 - 50:51 Read in full sermon

The point: Honestly assess your conviction and conclusion about Jesus's identity: do you confess him as he claims to be, and do you comply with his demands?

Examples of would-be disciples who had excuses (domestic matters, burying the dead) are used to show Christ's demand for supreme allegiance and immediate commitment.

you see he couldn't live with the claims of who Christ really was and cling to his idolatrous opinion he had no attachment to money one had to go he says to some would-be disciples you want to follow me I promise you nothing but myself foxes have holes the birds have nests the son of man hath nowhere to lay his head someone says oh I'm willing in my heart Lord I just got a few domestic things to attend to he says let the dead bury the dead go thou preach the gospel Lord I've just got a few matters to attend to with my relatives he said he that puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fi...

50:51 - 51:32 Read in full sermon

Driving home: a child of God is invincible that is you can't destroy him till his work is done

John the Baptist's harsh reproof of the Pharisees, telling them God could raise up children for Abraham from stones, illustrates his fearless preaching and the worthlessness of mere lineage in the new order.

you know humanly speaking why he was beheaded but you see the real issue is deeper John had a task to perform and while he was doing that task no one could touch him you go back and read some of John's preaching and if you think he made it hot on Herod you see how he made it hot on the Pharisees a generation of snakes he says you know how much God needs your Jewish bloodlines he needs them like he needs a bucket of stones what to say within yourself we have Abraham to our father we be sons of the covenant we don't need to go through this ritual that acknowledges symbolically what you're tellin...

54:29 - 55:13 Read in full sermon

The point: Train yourself to view news of terminal illness or tragic accidents as 'God's door' to take you home, if you are a child of God.

The metaphor of 'God's door' is used to describe John the Baptist's death, explaining that God sovereignly used Herod's wickedness and the circumstances of the feast as raw materials to construct a way for John to enter His presence when his work was done.

my work's done and when my work's done I don't want to see I don't want to sit around whittling I don't want to sit around making cat's cradles when my work's done I want to go home so you know what God did God made a door through which he'd take him home and he used some pretty strange materials he used the rough raw materials of the lust of Herod and Herodias he used the raw materials of this unprincipled foul woman who had exercised such a horrible influence upon her daughter he used the climate of that horrible birthday celebration

56:42 - 57:24 Read in full sermon

The point: Train yourself to view news of terminal illness or tragic accidents as 'God's door' to take you home, if you are a child of God.

Martin reads a hymn to illustrate the believer's prospect of heaven and the hope that removes fear of death, contrasting it with the 'timorous mortals' who shrink from crossing the 'narrow sea' of death.

I was looking in our hymn book and if I knew this hymn was there I had forgotten it and in closing this morning I want to read these words you may want to follow as I read them hymn number 597 there is a land of pure delight where saints immortal reign infinite day excludes the night and pleasures vanish pain there everlasting spring abides and never withering flowers death like a narrow sea

61:05 - 61:46 Read in full sermon