Why John Blasted Herod
By Dennis Pollock
John the Baptist was an impressive preacher of repentance, and his incredible ministry is even more amazing when we consider that it was only a year or two in existence, until Herod brought it to an abrupt end by arresting him and eventually beheading him. In the Gospel of Luke, we are told the reason Herod put the fiery preacher in prison:
“But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.” (Luke 3:19-20).
Herod had persuaded his brother, Philip's wife, to leave her husband and become his wife and John did not like this at all. It seems highly unlikely that John would have marched right up to Herod in his palace, shook his finger in his face, and rebuked him. John stayed out in the wilderness and preached to whoever cared to come out and hear him. Most likely John mentioned Herod and his wicked act of stealing his brother's wife while preaching, using Herod as an example of how the ungodly live. I can imagine him saying something like: "We have a king in Jerusalem who is so wicked he cannot keep his hands off his own brother's wife." And no doubt someone in the audience went back to Herod and told him, "You won't believe what this hillbilly preacher is saying about you!"
John not only rebuked Herod for his adultery; he also called him out for "all the evils which (he) had done." The fearless preacher/prophet seemed utterly unafraid of King Herod. He preached repentance and righteous living and thought Herod was a perfect example of how not to live and behave.
Why John was Arrested
John was arrested not because he constantly told people: "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life,” “God wants to heal your broken heart,” or “God feels your pain." He could have preached on those topics all the time, every day for the next fifty years, and no one would ever have bothered him. Or if he had preached, "Many people are doing bad things and they should stop," everyone would have yawned and left him alone. But when he got specific about sin, his days were numbered. He was arrested for speaking out against the sins of the leaders and the people of his day and getting very specific about the who and the what.
Here's a question: "Did John have any business speaking on these issues?" Why not just focus on the positive side of things, and encourage men and women to love their neighbors and treat people well? Is there ever a time to speak out against current and specific wicked practices of the people of your day and in your society? Or should we focus on more pleasing topics, such as: "God loves you and thinks you're wonderful and wants to answer all your prayers?” By blasting Herod, John's life and ministry were ended in a way we might think prematurely. Had he been more positive he might have been able to live and preach for another 50 years. But then of course, he would not have been the man he was, and he most definitely would not have been a prophet.
Jesus, too…
When we think about our Lord Jesus we see similarities. He also spoke out against sin and wickedness, and He was killed at a young age. Jesus told his brothers: "The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil." (John 7:7). This is a powerful statement that doesn't get nearly enough publicity in the churches these days. He seems to be telling his brothers: "You are inoffensive. People like you too well, because you don't speak out against their sins." I cannot help but feel that there are ministers today who fit this bill perfectly. They continually preach hyper-positive sermons, telling people again and again that they have a great destiny in this present world, not even distinguishing between believers and unbelievers. You could attend their Sunday sermons weekly for the next 30 years and never once hear the word sin or hell or judgment mentioned. Hearing them preach, you might suppose that everybody is doing great – our world has no sin, no crime, no broken relationships, no addictions, and no angry people.
Jesus did indeed come to minister to the oppressed, the broken-hearted, the poor, and the captives, but He also blasted the oppressors, the selfish, and the hypocrites. At one point toward the end of His earthly life, He unleashed a torrent of rebuke toward the Pharisees and religious leaders of Israel. He warns: "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites." He says: "For you travel land and sea to win one convert, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves." (Matthew 23:15). This isn't exactly the language one might use to "win friends and influence people." Nor is this the kind of preaching that might result in the making of a huge mega-church. He calls these hypocritical leaders of Israel "snakes," "blind," and "fools." Jesus was in some ways much like John. Like His forerunner, He spoke out against the wickedness of His day. And like John, Jesus would eventually pay for His bluntness with His own life. Of course, this was God's plan all along, and Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection from the dead 3 days later resulted in salvation and eternal life for all who will put their trust in Him.
What About Us?
What about us, Jesus' followers? Is there ever a time when we should speak out against the sins of our generation? Or should we limit ourselves to telling people of God's love and of His wonderful plan for their lives? Some Christians will insist that speaking out against sin is the Holy Spirit's job. Our job is to remain completely positive. If someone is a sinner, let the Holy Spirit convict him or her. We like to say, "I am not the Holy Spirit. It's not my job to rebuke anyone for anything."
Throughout the Bible, the Holy Spirit has always used people to bring other people to repentance. David had sinned with Bathsheba and showed no signs of repenting or confessing his sin until God sent Nathan, the prophet to rebuke him. After hearing Nathan's strong words, David meekly declared, "I have sinned against the Lord." Throughout the Old Testament God raised prophets who spoke out forcefully against the sins of their day. On the day of Pentecost, Peter told his audience: "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:36). The Bible says, "Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?' ” (Acts 2:37). Peter did not just get up and tell them that God wanted to heal their broken hearts and fix their self-esteem issues. He told them they were sinners and needed to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
God's people serve as a conscience to the world. This is part of being the salt of the earth and the light of the world. This requires us to speak up at times and declare that some lifestyles and behaviors are ungodly and unlawful and will ultimately result in eternal judgment if they are not repentant. But we are to do more than rail against sin. We are also to proclaim a forgiving Jesus, a delivering Savior, and a God who "so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16).
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