SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6/1/2022 10:24 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-1 “Herod’s Reason”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matt 14:3-11
Message of the verses: “3 For when Herod
had John arrested, he bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias,
the wife of his brother Philip. 4 For John had been saying to him, "It is
not lawful for you to have her." 5 And although he wanted to put him to
death, he feared the multitude, because they regarded him as a prophet. 6 But
when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before them
and pleased Herod. 7 Thereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatever
she asked. 8 And having been prompted by her mother, she *said, "Give me
here on a platter the head of John the Baptist." 9 And although he was
grieved, the king commanded it to be given because of his oaths, and
because of his dinner guests. 10 And 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.”
Matthew writes these verses as a flashback of events
that began a year or so later, just before Jesus started His ministry—to the
time when Herod had John arrested,…bound him, and put him in prison as seen in
Matt. 4:12. This also reminds me of what
John the Baptist said in the 3rd chapter of John’s gospel. 30 “He must increase, but I must decrease”
John 3:30. I do not believe that John
the Baptist knew how it was that he would decrease they way that it worked out,
but it was all in the plan of God.
We
will go back a bit further as we look at John’s life, a few highlights. It was even before John’s birth that the
angel declared that he would “be great in the sight of the Lord, and…be filed
with the Holy Spirit, while yet in his mother’s womb” (Luke 1:15). In Matthew 11:11 Jesus said the following "Truly
I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone
greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of
heaven is greater than he.” MacArthur
adds The forerunner of the Messiah was a remarkable man, single-mindedly
dedicated to fulfilling his divine mission of paving the way for the Lord and
Master. In genuine humility he was happy
to have his own fame and influence decrease as that of Jesus increased.” We look already at the verse that MacArthur
is referring to, John 3:30.
Matthew
3:2 gives us what is probably the theme of his preaching “"Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” There
were hundreds of people who came to John for baptism, probably thousands of
them and his desire for them was to get ready for the coming of the
Messiah. John would baptize them as a
symbol of their desire for a cleansed heart.
John confronted their sin and called for holiness; yet despite his
somber message and sober lifestyle, John was amazingly popular and respected by
the people. We read in Matthew 3:5 that “Jerusalem
was going out to him, and all Judea, and all the district around the Jordon.”
That
had to be a very wonderful time to be alive as God was preparing the people
through the ministry of John to receive the Messiah, but not many did receive
Jesus as we look at after Jesus was crucified that there were only 120 people
in the upper room that had named the name of Jesus as their Lord and
Savior. I truly believe that we are
living in the last days of the church age, and I also believe that the church
in our world needs a great revival before our Lord returns to take His bride to
heaven. I pray for revival of our
churches most every day, and look forward to the Lord coming to take my family
and me to be with Him in the air as we read in the different passages that speak
of the Rapture of the church. John the
apostle ended the entire Bible with these words “20 He who testifies to these
things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen”
(Rev. 22:20-21).
6/1/2022 11:09 AM
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