Matthew 14:3-5…..Ready

Matthew 14:3-5…..Ready

 14:3 Now (Displays a literary flashback to explain the reasons for Herod’s guilty conscience for having killed John.-{V. 2}) Herod had arrested john and bound him and put him in prison (Prison at Machaerus in Perea, four miles east of the dead sea.) because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, (i.e. Herod had arrested John to please his wife’s wishes.) 4 for John had been saying to him: (Expresses no mild rebuke, but to repeatedly reprove over and over again, either privately or publicly.) “It is not lawful for you to have her.” (A reference taken from Leviticus  prohibiting marrying your brother’s wife while he was still alive or not divorced.-(Lev.18:16,20:21) Only after he was deceased could you marry her-(Deut. 25:5-10) John condemns the marriage as adulterous because because Herodias was not a widow. Or the marriage was incestuous due to the fact that it was legally his niece, daughter of his half-brother Aristobulus.)  5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people because they considered him a prophet. (Herod feared that if he executed John the people would revolt and riot because they considered John a prophet.)

Continued From Book

“Teaches how those who hate the voice of truth will do all they can to get rid of it so they can go on in their sins” ⇒  We go to great lengths to conceal sin, to excuse and justify our sin. We don’t like it when people show us our sin and failures. If someone points out an inconsistency or sin in our life we instinctively defend it in doing whatever it takes to excuse it or justify it.

“Teaches how faithful Servants of God will declare the whole counsel of God, both the Old And New Testament” ⇒ Faithful servants of God just don’t stay in one lane. Rather, they are called to share the fullness of God’s truth, without picking and choosing what is convenient or comfortable. This means being willing to address every aspect of God’s Word, even those parts that may be challenging or unpopular in the current culture.  Many pit the Old Testament against the New Testament. They talk about Jesus’ love, they talk about Jesus’ compassion, His example, His teachings,  etc. And that Old Testament stuff  were too embarrassed to talk about it as much, or that  it’s out of date, we’re under a New Covenant. Or they’ll even pit Jesus against Paul. They’ll say I’ll take my view of woman and their ministries from what Jesus says, but not Paul. Or they become selective in what they will believe and obey. They’ll  take a Jesus that fits their worldview, “I like the part of the loving and forgiving God” and just ignore the God that holds them accountable. We need to remember the whole counsel of God is from Geneses to Revelation.  As believers who are commitment to the truth will stand firm in the faith, confronting sin and upholding God’s standards, not only in their private lives, but also in the public sphere.

“Calls for standing for the truth and what is right even if people get offended and angry by it.” ⇒ Be prepared for consequences in telling the truth. There is often a price to be paid for standing for the truth. If you stand against an employer you should be prepared to lose your job. If you stand against evil people you should be prepared for attempts at intimidation. You should be prepared for a lawsuit or even a visit from law enforcement. You should not be surprised when this happens and you should be willing to take what comes without giving in to the pressure. John the Baptist went to jail. He likely knew it was a possibility when he spoke up. Paul and the other apostles were imprisoned many times. It comes with the territory. If you tell the truth, there will often be a price to pay.

“Even today, we need the courage to proclaim the Gospel to the sinful world around us. We need to tell people the truth about their sin and their need to repent even if it means ruffling their feathers, even if it means suffering the consequences for doing so later on.” ⇒ We should never be shy about declaring the truth. We say we believe, but how much do you really believe what the Scriptures say? If you were threatened with jail for declaring what is righteous before God, would you continue to proclaim the truth, or would you back away? John’s goal in life was to serve the Lord, and if that meant imprisonment, then so be it. He would not compromise the message of the Lord and so he was put in prison.

Additional Notes & Applications 

Challenges believers in calling others out on their sin no matter who they are. Telling others their doing something wrong may be hard and unpleasant, but it must be done. Will you confront people with the truth no matter how much it hurts?

Teaches how as believers we need to make our voice heard when it come to difficult issues.

Calls for always standing in the strength of God even in the face of the powers of culture and politics that surround us.

Teaches how John knew his faith was not simply a private matter; it had implications for every square inch of life. So he felt compelled to hold his leaders — particularly those who claimed to follow God — to a higher standard.

Teaches though condemning someone else’s behavior may not be the most prudent thing to do. But if you don’t speak up your simply condoning the behavior.

Displays how John could not remain silent; he refused to sweep it under the rug. John was so convinced that character matters that his head was served on a platter.

This is not saying that were to point a finger at them or shout at them when we see a person doing something wrong, but rather were to speak the truth to them in love, letting them know their going down a wrong path in whatever the issue may be.

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