0288. Herod Puts John in Prison

Herod Puts John in Prison

"For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her" (Mar_6:7).

We have before us a saddening scene: Herod is hardening his heart. He had heard John preach, he had known the sin of his heart and life, but he had turned away from John and his message.

There is usually one predominent sin which keeps the sinner away from God. He is willing to do "many things," but he is unwilling to do the one, essential thing.

In the case of Herod, the one thing was a woman, Herodias by name. To accept John’s preaching, and to follow Christ, meant that Herod would have been compelled to restore Herodias back to Philip. This Herod would not do.

Herod came to the parting of the ways and refused the right; from henceforth his pathway would necessarily be away from God.

The Gospel is a two-edged sword. When received it leads to salvation, and to the following of Christ; when rejected, it leads to condemnation, and separation from Christ. The one who rejects the Lord Jesus and chooses in His stead some known sin will very swiftly take his way into deeper and deeper rejections.

How shameful it is that Herod, who, but a short while before, had heard John and heard him gladly, should now, himself, lay hold upon John and put him in prison.

The question that confronted Herod was the old question of Christ or Barabbas. One of two things had to be done. It was Herodias or John’s Christ. It could not be both. "No man can serve two masters." John was holy, and just, and good, and he stood for righteousness; Herodias was evil, and unholy, and corrupt, and stood for unrighteousness.

When Herod chose Herodias, he kept at his side one who had a quarrel against John. Continually the woman nagged at Herod, until, finally, Herod cast John into prison.

Let those who choose Barabbas know that Christ must die; if, on the other hand, Christ is chosen, Barabbas must die. It is either the one or the other; both cannot live.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR