Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
Part of the background of the guilt of Herod Antipas (Mark 6:14-16) is found in verses 17-20: “For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her. For John had said unto Herod, ‘It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.’ Therefore 0 had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not: for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man, and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.” The family tree of the Herods was a twisted one, indeed. Philip I and Antipas were both sons of Herod the Great but were half-brothers; Herodias was their niece. She had married her Uncle Philip I. Later, Antipas visited his half-brother in Rome, became involved with Herodias, eloped with her, and soon married her. Certainly all of this unsavory intrigue provided ample grist for John’s necessary rebuke of Herod Antipas. Herodias, equally at fault, did not have the authority to execute John but hated him. Curiously, Antipas respected John, even “feared” him. Antipas had power, but John had the truth – and Antipas knew that the prophet was right. However, the king also knew that repentance would include a repudiation of his wrong relationship with Herodias. This tension caused Antipas not only to fear John but also to want to kill him (Matthew 14:5). “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8), and Antipas was a double-minded man married to a two-timing woman. One simple principle that emerges is this: we must do more than hear the truth; we must heed it and respond rightly in repentance.