In spiritual matters we can do nothing apart from Jesus Christ (Jn.15.5) – “apart from me you can do nothing.”
Category: Heads Up (Page 12 of 36)
Articles written by Pastor Steve for the White Mountain Independent newspaper
A letter to a fellow pastor and friend from John Newton – former slave and slave-ship captain, “glad preacher” of the Gospel and author of Amazing Grace. ( Newton, J., Richard Cecil. (1824). The works of the John Newton London: Hamilton, Adams & Co.)
In Matthew 14.13, after the death of John the Baptist “Jesus withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.” Matthew 14-16 can be appropriately titled, “The Withdrawal of the King.”
What a collection of characters we have encountered in this story: At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus (Matthew 14.1-12).
Matthew 14 teaches us several things about John’s character. Mark makes the point that John was a righteous man, explaining that “Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man.” Although Herod was far from righteous himself, he recognized righteousness in John and tried to protect him. Matthew tells us that Herod imagined that God had vindicated the character of His prophet by raising John.
When people read the Gospels for the first time, especially if they do so superficially, as most do, the Gospels seem to be mere collections of stories and teachings with little to connect them besides the obvious flow of events that mark the life of Jesus Christ. Even the order of events is sometimes puzzling.