The Ruler and the Martyr

May 3, 2025 | Read and Think About Mark 6:14-29

Today’s passage contains nothing uplifting.  But it happened, and the Bible recorded it. The murder of John the Baptist at the hands of a terrible man and his spiteful wife was the end of the person who prepared the way for the Lord.

They called this terrible man King Herod, but he wasn’t really a king.  The Roman government allowed him some control over Jerusalem and surrounding areas because he could help deliver what they wanted – a people submissive to Rome.

His hateful wife, Herodias, despised John the Baptist for saying the truth, that the marriage of Herod and Herodias was not righteous.

The account of what happened shows us there was deep evil at work in the world then.  There have always been people like Herod and Herodias.  Equal parts powerful and fearful, calculating, desperate to keep what power and status they have, always feeling it’s never enough, and super sensitive to perceived threats. 

Herod’s own stupidity and hubris was the opportunity Herodias had looked for.   

Seeing no other way out of his ridiculous pledge, he put his own artificial pride over the life of a righteous man. 

And tragedy followed. 

Though his life was cut short, John the Baptist had a marked impact on the world even to this day.   He opened people’s hearts to the coming of the Savior.  Just like the people then, we all sin and fall short of the glory of God.  We all need Jesus as our Savior. 

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Congratulations in finishing module 1!  Our look at John the Baptist covered some things the Bible says about him.  We also looked at the theme of his preaching – repentance and forgiveness – and saw how this played out in the lives of people then, which allows us to think about how this plays out in our lives today.

If you would like to keep reading, our next module will begin in a couple of days and contain readings about Jesus’ earthy family.  This will focus on His mother, father, and siblings, who played an important role in the events of Jesus’ life and beyond. 

Becoming Less

May 2, 2025 | Read and Think About John 3.22-36

It has been some months since John the Baptist came on the scene preaching and baptizing.  Strikingly, Jesus had come to John the Baptist to be baptized, and only then did he begin his public ministry. By this point, Jesus has been performing miracles and teaching the teachers about the Kingdom of God and being born again. 

And now we have a full view of the shift in John the Baptist's own ministry. Whereas before many had been following John the Baptist, Jesus now is the One who is “trending,” so to speak.  How will John the Baptist respond?  Will he grieve the loss of influence?  Will he miss the rush of people coming to him to be baptized and receive his insights on how to live?  Will he be jealous of the One “everyone is going to?”

Far from it. In verses 27 to 30 of the passage, John the Baptist gives his motivation in life, the true source of his joy: "He must become greater, I must become less."

What a counterintuitive path to joy and peace in this life.  In a previous post (The Major Difference), we read the words of Jesus, saying:  “the one who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

In this post, in John the Baptist, we have a living example of one who humbled himself and was exalted, in this life and certainly in the next.  Becoming less was joy to him on this earth, knowing that Jesus Christ was being magnified. 

• Peace be with everyone!

Lamb of God

April 30, 2025 | Read and Think About John 1.19-34

Our last three posts have branched off to think about a paralyzed man who received both forgiveness and physical healing from Jesus, a sinful woman who washed Jesus’ feet in thanksgiving for mercy and forgiveness shown to her, and a parable Jesus told which contrasted an arrogant Pharisee with a humble tax collector. 

These accounts say something about the effect John the Baptist had on the people, how he stirred up in many hearts the desire to turn from past sins and receive forgiveness.

Now, we are back to John the Baptist himself, as we start to close out this module.  In some prior posts we looked at the mission of John the Baptist.  Today’s reading is about the testimony of John the Baptist, concerning Jesus. 

With 12 words, John the Baptist testified to the mission of Jesus on earth:  “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”  John 1:29. 

Let this powerful testimony sink in!  Our greatest need is the need for forgiveness from our sins. 

There is a note in the margin of my NIV Bible, part of which I have set out below.  Since it is expressed so well, I will not even try to comment on it further! 

“Every morning and evening, a lamb was sacrificed in the temple for the sins of the people (Exodus 29:38-42) …. To pay the penalty for sin, a life had to be given – and God chose to provide the sacrifice himself….  Jesus paid the price of your sin [and mine] by His death.  You can receive forgiveness by confessing your sin to him and asking for his forgiveness.”

May the peace of the Lord be with you, as only He can provide!