“HE SENT AND HAD JOHN BEHEADED IN THE PRISON!”

Matthew 14:3-11                                                           (ESV)

“3 For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife,

4 because John had been saying to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."

5 And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet.

6 But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod,

7 so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.

8 Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter."

9 And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given.

10 “HE SENT AND HAD JOHN BEHEADED IN THE PRISON”,

11 and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.”

Having our EYES opened to SEE that living according to GOD’S WORD WILL cost us, WITHOUT A DOUBT!  John’s mother Elizabeth and Mary, the the mother of JESUS, were cousins according to Luke 1:36 (KJV).  Surely since JESUS IS GOD and HIS relative was imprisoned on HIS behalf JESUS would intervene and prevent harm from coming to him???

Scripture is very clear that WE ARE NOT GOD!  Isaiah 55:8-9 states “For MY thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways MY ways, declares the LORD.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are MY ways higher than your ways and MY thoughts than your thoughts.”  We don’t have the capability of making Godly decisions ON OUR OWN!  Herod the tetrarch (subordinate ruler) certainly didn’t have WISDOM abiding in him, so he allowed his mouth to overload his heart and it cost John his head.  

It WILL cost us to live for JESUS, WHO declared in Luke 14:33  “So therefore, any one of you WHO DOES NOT RENOUNCE ALL THAT HE HAS cannot be MY disciple.”  People will simply avoid seeing you, or they will cause so much turmoil in your midst that their company is difficult to handle.  When we SEE that our enemy is our real foe (Ephesians 6:12) and he is driving their actions, only then can we handle the rejection for what it truly is, SPIRITUAL WARFARE!

“HE SENT AND HAD JOHN BEHEADED IN THE PRISON” wasn’t anything about John doing anything wrong!  John hadn’t done anything to warrant his death.  He simply declared THE WORD OF GOD and Herod was caught by TRUTH!  Be careful planning your future, for we are NOT GOD and we have no idea when we will have to stand up and be counted for HIM.  “HE SENT AND HAD JOHN BEHEADED IN THE PRISON” can happen again.  My prayer is that I am ready if I am called to die for JESUS!!!