Ashe Alliance Church
Sunday Service 02.08.26
      • Bible Trivia
        Loading...
  • Rejoice
  • Amazing Grace My chains are gone
  • As The Deer

  • Main Idea

    Faithfulness to Jesus shapes the way others see Him—sometimes in surprising ways—and its fruit endures long after we’re gone.
    Psalm 1 CSB
    1 How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers! 2 Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 4 The wicked are not like this; instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand up in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.
    Psalm 1 gives us a lens for understanding what’s about to unfold: John, though in chains, is like the tree planted by streams of water—his life rooted in righteousness, bearing fruit that will outlast him. Herod and Herodias, on the other hand, are the chaff—powerful in the palace, but fruitless in the end.
    And here’s the remarkable thing: John’s life, his message, and even his death shape how people—including Herod—begin to wrestle with Jesus's identity. The fruit of his faithful witness remains, even when his voice is silenced. So the question for us becomes: What kind of life leads others to rightly see Jesus?

    Passage

    Mark 6:14–29 CSB
    14 King Herod heard about it, because Jesus’s name had become well known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that’s why miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He’s Elijah.” Still others said, “He’s a prophet, like one of the prophets from long ago.” 16 When Herod heard of it, he said, “John, the one I beheaded, has been raised!” 17 For Herod himself had given orders to arrest John and to chain him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. 18 John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 So Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But she could not, 20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing he was a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard him he would be very perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him. 21 An opportune time came on his birthday, when Herod gave a banquet for his nobles, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee. 22 When Herodias’s own daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23 He promised her with an oath: “Whatever you ask me I will give you, up to half my kingdom.” 24 She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” “John the Baptist’s head,” she said. 25 At once she hurried to the king and said, “I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head on a platter immediately.” 26 Although the king was deeply distressed, because of his oaths and the guests he did not want to refuse her. 27 The king immediately sent for an executioner and commanded him to bring John’s head. So he went and beheaded him in prison, 28 brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When John’s disciples heard about it, they came and removed his corpse and placed it in a tomb.

    I - Character Cast

    John the Baptist - The miracle child sent by God as a messenger who paved the way for the Messiah. He preached repentance in the wilderness and pointed everyone to Jesus, whom he baptized. He had a large group of disciples who remained faithful to him, even after he was imprisoned by Herod Antipas.
    Herod - His name was Antipas, and he was the son of Herod the Great. Herod is a dynastic name, not a personal name. He had two brothers and one sister. When Herod the Great died, his will divided his kingdom into 4, and his children were named rulers over each region. That is why he is called a Tetrarch. Though he wanted to be called a king, he would never truly be one. He was known as a builder and ruled in Galilee and Perea for 43 years. He married the daughter of Aretas, King of Arabia… a marriage that forged an alliance.
    Herodias - the daughter of one of the four sons, Aristobulus. She then married her uncle, Philip. During a trip to Rome, Herod Antipas visited his brother and fell in love with his wife. He eventually wooed and persuaded her to leave Philip and marry him. He then divorced his wife and married his sister-in-law/niece.
    Salome- Herodia’s daughter from her marriage to Philip. She is not named in Scripture, but by the Jewish historian Josephus. Nothing else is known about her apart from this story. The word ‘girl’ used to describe her is the same word used to describe Jairus’ 12-year-old daughter. If you put that beside the other description that she was of marital age, then she is likely in her mid to late teenage years.

    II - Conflict

    The issue. John called their marriage sinful. They broke many Old Testament laws. They both unlawfully divorced their spouses. They lusted. Herod took his brother’s wife, which is forbidden by Levitical law. Nothing about this union was good or righteous, and John was not afraid to call them out on it. He was bold and zealous for the God he serves. No doubt, he called them to reject sin and repent, just as he had been saying to everyone else. Evidently, John had gained enough of a reputation as a prophet and righteous man to give Herod pause. So, instead of killing him, he put John in prison… as it would seem to be punishment, but also as a means to shield him from Herodias’ murderous desires.
    The marriage. Despite John’s rejection of their sinful union, Herod liked John. To him, John was a fascinating enigma. He protected him so he could go and listen to him. He was vexed by him, but feared him because he saw John as a holy man (something even the Pharisees were forced to recognize during a clash with Jesus). On the other hand, Herodias recognized none of this and wanted to silence John for calling them out. As you can imagine, this brought marital strife and put them at odds.
    Herod’s heart. Herod was perplexed yet fascinated by John. Yet this fascination never led to repentance. He was also a crafty politician who excelled at pandering. He wanted to appease, not engage in conflict. He had no ability to make hard decisions based on conscience. He would only do what kept him popular in the public eye. This shows in his relationship with his wife, and it will also be evident later on. We can never mistake fascination for devotion. Later on, Herod would act in the exact same way when Jesus was sent to him during his trial. He was fascinated, but in the end it was only for his entertainment and the satisfaction of curiosity… never repentance and faith.
    The stage for scheming and betrayal has been set. The plot thickens. And the actions of the righteous and the wicked will be lived out for generations to witness.

    III - Calm Before the Storm

    Herod threw his own birthday party. He invited all the bigwigs: the political and military elite, along with the community’s prominent figureheads. This would be an event where Herod’s ego would be on full display, and every guest would be part of inflating it. The attention would puff him up, and the wine would soften his resolve. As Mark describes, the opportune moment had come.
    The opportune moment. But what moment? Was this Herod’s opportunity to boast… Herodias’ moment to clash… John’s moment to plead his case? Knowing how the story unfolds, this is clearly the opportune moment… the grand scheme of Herodias to force her husband into a weak position and exact her revenge. The advice of the wicked paved the path to an incredibly sinful and sinister plot to silence the voice of truth, and there were no depths she wasn’t willing to plunge to in order to get it.
    Salome. What do I mean by sinful depths? Herodias used her own daughter, a ‘princess’ of sorts… a young, teenage girl… her own flesh and blood as a seductress to entice and provoke Herod while he was at the center of attention, drunk, and in the public eye. It was typical to have female dancers at a party like this, and even though the biblical text doesn’t describe the type of dancing, it is not unlikely that it was both artistic and provocative. Even if it wasn’t as seductive as other dancers, it was inappropriate to put the daughter of a Tetrarch in such a position. But it didn’t matter. Herodias was willing to subject her daughter in such a way to get what she wanted. And it worked. It worked so well that Herod swallowed the bait, hook, line, and sinker.
    The words Herod couldn’t take back. He arrogantly and foolishly flashed his gratitude. At first, he simply told her she could ask for whatever she wanted, and he would give it to her. That is something we say to our kids today. However, he followed it with an oath. He then said, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom.” That was a common phrase that didn’t mean he would literally give half of his kingdom (and besides, he wasn’t a king, nor did he have a kingdom to give a portion of). It was a hyperbolic phrase used to express extreme delight and generosity, and the gesture was as much a display for his dinner guests as it was genuine delight in his stepdaughter’s/niece’s performance. Little did he know that by uttering that phrase, he was checkmated in a game he didn’t even know he was playing.
    This section reveals the heart of a wicked person. As Prov. 12:20 says:
    Proverbs 12:20 CSB
    20 Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil…
    Right now, the chaff of Ps. 1 is getting it’s way, but the promises of that psalm still stand.

    IV - Crisis Moment

    Bring me his head. This was her request… not a pony, land, homes, or wealth. Salome went to her mother and asked Herodias what she wanted, which was what she had planned for all along: John’s head. Amazingly and without hesitation, Salome went back to Herod and asked for it, adding two additional requirements: immediately and on a platter, which makes it seem like Salome was aware of the plan all along and eager to go along with it.
    Herod was in a pickle. Herodias had put her husband on the spot. Now, all eyes were on him. He had given an oath. Would he fulfill it or go back on his word? Would he yield to his wife’s schemes or stand up for John’s innocence? Would he do what he knew was right or cave? True to his nature, his strongest desire was to save face in front of his friends and not look like a fool, so he ordered Salome’s request and immediately had John executed.
    The proof. John’s head was brought back to Salome on a platter, as requested. She, in turn, gave it to her mother. The Messiah’s forerunner had met his end at the hands of a sinful, scheming gentile ‘Queen.’ With the additional detail of the platter, it almost seems as if Mark is showing the reader that Herodias’ murderous revenge was the real main course of the banquet. She had received the desires of her heart, and her mission was at last accomplished… or was it? It’s true that the man who had called out her sin was dead, but does that mean the truth has now been silenced or that she gets to live happily ever after?
    This story sings an age-old refrain, the truth that while you may silence a voice, you cannot silence the message. The clarion call of repentant faith in Jesus as the Messiah will continue after John is buried. John died for his devotion to Jesus, and here his disciples show their devotion, love, and care for their fallen teacher.
    The gospel will continue to go into all the world, and then the end will come, because the good news of Jesus is far greater than any one of us. John was called the greatest of all the Old Testament prophets. His life is an example to all of us. He was called by God for a specific purpose, and he remained faithful until the end.
    And what is particularly striking about the way this story is told is how John’s life influences Herod’s view of who Jesus is.

    V - Herod’s Reaction

    Now we return to the first few verses of this passage, where we see the effect this event had on Herod. We are told that Herod heard about ‘it.’ But what is the ‘it?’
    IT. The ‘it’ clearly references Jesus: His reputation and identity. The ‘it’ then refers to what came immediately before, namely Jesus sending the 12 disciples 2x2 in His power and authority to preach His message, accompanied by His miracles. Jesus’ work in the region, combined with His followers being empowered to do the same, has now caught Herod’s attention, and He somehow associates the life of John the Baptist with the fame and identity of Jesus.
    John’s life influences Herod’s view of Jesus. Three rumors circulated about who Jesus is. These same three options reappear in chapter 8, when Jesus asks Peter who he thinks Jesus is. According to the water-cooler talk in the town, Jesus is either:
    3. Like the OT prophets. This would mean that Jesus is like other prophets who communicate God’s will and plan to His people. This would mean that He is holy and influential, but not the Messiah to come, nor God Himself. Herod rejects this idea straight away.
    2. Elijah. This one is more intriguing. Elijah was a prominent prophet who was much like John. He spoke against the sins of Ahab, the King of Israel, and his wife, Jezebel. Ahab, like Herod, was a weak man negatively influenced by his wicked wife, who had murderous intent (and in Jezebel’s case, had already had many of God’s prophets put to death). The Jews believed that Elijah would return before a time of God’s judgment, based on Mal. 4:5:
    Malachi 4:5 CSB
    5 Look, I am going to send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
    Because many viewed Jesus as a prophet, they took it a step further by associating Jesus with the Elijah prophecy of the harbinger of this horrible time, even though Jesus would later tell His followers that John was, in fact, the fulfillment of this prophecy. Perhaps Herod was more inclined to believe this if he was aware of such prophecies. Even so, the text says he believed that Jesus was John resurrected.
    1. John was resurrected. This is the truth Herod chose to embrace. Mark doesn’t tell us why Herod chose among the three rumors, but I’d be willing to bet it’s because they were preaching the same message of repentance, the coming King, and His kingdom. John never performed miracles, but perhaps, in a glorified state after a guiltless martyrdom, he was giving his followers the same power. Who knows what Herod really thought. That doesn’t really matter, though it makes a lot more sense that he was utterly intrigued by Jesus during His passion event. What matters to us is recognizing that Herod's view of Jesus was directly shaped by John's life.

    🔥 Application: People will make assumptions about Jesus based on how you live.

    John’s life may have ended in a prison cell, but his influence reached the palace. His voice was silenced, yet his message still echoed in Herod’s conscience. That’s what faithful witness does—it lingers. It plants seeds that take root. It shapes how people think about Jesus.
    And why did John live that way? Because he had settled a foundational truth deep in his soul. He once said of Jesus, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
    That was more than a motto. It was the mission of his life.
    John didn’t seek the spotlight. He wasn’t building a platform. He wasn’t trying to impress the crowds or cozy up to power. He knew who he was—and more importantly, he knew who Jesus was. So he lived with one goal in mind: to point others to the One who is greater.
    And here’s the question for all of us:
    When people look at your life… what do they assume about Jesus?
    We are witnesses, too. The way we live—the choices we make, the convictions we hold, the way we handle pressure, and the way we speak truth—will either obscure Christ or reveal Him. John’s faithfulness made Herod think about Jesus. What does your life make others think about?
    Though he spent his final days in a damp, dark prison cell, John was like the tree in Psalm 1—a fruitful, flourishing tree because he delighted in the Word incarnate. Herod and Herodias were the chaff. Though they lived in power and luxury, they were hollow and fruitless… enslaved by fear, ego, and sin.
    Only one life bore eternal fruit, all because of one missional statement:
    He must increase. I must decrease.

      • Psalm 1CSB

      • Mark 6:14–29CSB

      • Proverbs 12:20CSB

      • Malachi 4:5CSB

  • On That Day
  • Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow (Old 100th)
      • Bible Trivia
        Loading...
Ashe Alliance Church
nroten@ashealliance.org
3362462979
http://www.ashealliance.org
10 members • 1 follower