This is an excerpt from my curriculum I am writing…
Let’s see the Warrior Heart of Father God at work in the ministry of our Lord Jesus. Let’s look at the account of the death of John the Baptist, Jesus pastor, and best friend in the earth.
Mark 6:14 King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
15 Others said, “He is Elijah.” And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”
16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”
17 For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married.
18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
Hear this, truth will make strong-willed people angry. Yet, the Bible also says that the fear of man brings a snare. If you are going to succeed in life, you need to decide right up front, to be a God-pleaser rather than a man-pleaser.
19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to,
20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled ; yet he liked to listen to him.
21 Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.
22 When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.”
23 And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
See this? Any of you Bible scholars remember these words from another place in Scripture?
Esther 5:3) Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.”
See what happened here? Years before, one little queen went before a righteous king, taking her life in her hands, on behalf of her people, the people of God. This king heard her, and through this event, God moved and delivered His people. Now, we have another queen, with murder and political intrigue in her heart, appearing before a drunken tyrant. Satan or one of his demons inspired the whole thing, trying to stop the word of God out of the mouth of John from being spoken in the earth. He was successful, and the blind, drunken king yielded to his concubine, and had the man of God, murdered.
Mark 6:24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” “The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.
25 At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her.
27 So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison,
28 and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother.
29 On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Notice, the response of John’s disciples: they went and told Jesus. When horrible things happen, that’s good advice. You too need to ‘go and tell Jesus’.
30) The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.
31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
Obviously, the death of John hurt Jesus deeper than any of us can comprehend. John was perhaps the only man on the face of the planet who truly knew who Jesus was. Jesus decided, enough is an enough, I need a break, and so do you, so He headed out to the desert, away from the crowds.
32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.
33 But many that saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.
34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
Remember, Jesus only did the will of the Father, right? See here. We know the blood of Jesus has a voice in the heavens and the earth, a voice greater than Abel.
Heb 12:24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
So it was with the blood of John the Baptist. When John’s head was cut from his body, his spirit went to paradise, or Abraham’s bosom. Yet his blood was spilled, and it too had a voice, that ascended through the heavens to cry ‘justice’ before the very throne of God, our Father, judge of all the universe. Our Father, Lord Sabboeth, heard that cry, and saw the blasphemy of Satan against Himself, and immediately He acted. One of his servants had died, but there was another son in the earth, and He moved His hand against the kingdom of darkness.
NIV is not strong enough here. KJV reads And Jesus, moved with compassion towards them.
See it, Jesus moved with compassion, began to preach the gospel, heal the sick, and cast out devils, hitting Satan where it hurts. Taking back from him souls of men. Our Father is a warrior who fights for the oppressed.
You are a son or daughter of the most high. If Satan has hurt you with some horrible atrocity, hit him back with the word of God, and preach the gospel…
Let’s Pray:
‘Father, I hurt. You know, you see what was done, and you love…give me courage to pick up the sword of the spirit, and to preach Jesus to the madness and mayhem, that satan pay for what he has done in the lives of those you love…Amen’