Meaningless Endings
Notes
Transcript
An incestuous weak-willed petty tyrant kills John the Baptist for the sake of a dance. This is a brutal injustice and meaningless tragedy. This is the Kingdom of the World. Jesus, fully human, mourns the death of his friend… but not as the world might. This is not the end of John’s story. John will see the full coming of the Way He prepared, resurrected to all the justice he deserves, and glory and righteousness beyond what he could hope for. Maranatha!
Avatar 2
Avatar 2
A couple years ago, this movie came out: Avatar: The Way of Water. Avatar 2. We went in the actual movie theater, pretty rare nowadays, and watched it in 3d. It was awesome. Beautiful scenery, cool underwater scenes.
But then the greedy capitalist humans are about to attack… and the visual went out. Couldn’t see anything… but the sound continued, right into the epic last battle.
It was actually hilarious for a bit. KK used her phone flashlight to do shadow puppets, and someone else did the same and they fought out some of the fight scene.
Then the sound went out too and they refunded our money.
And it was an epic snowstorm, KK got stuck, had to abandon the car, I think you heard that part of the story.
So as far as we know, all those blue people all just died. Terrible ending to a beautiful island people.
Ready for another story with an abrupt, brutal and terrible ending?
Herod the Tetrarch
Herod the Tetrarch
1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus,
2 and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.”
Who is Herod?
Who is Herod?
Not the “Herod” at Jesus’ birth. That guy, in history, is called “Herod the Great” for the incredible buildings he led during his lifetime. Including the Temple Mount that still stands today. Not so “Great” with the whole slaughtering all babies in Bethlehem thing.
He had several sons, including this one named “Herod”, who ruled as “ethnarch” over Galilee and Perea.
A “tetrarch” is a ruler of a “fourth” of a region. That’s the “tetra” part… so he isn’t even the “ruler” of Galilee… just a part of it.
And he hears about Jesus, and it’s like the ghost come back to haunt him. “John the Baptist” risen from the dead. After all, it is the same message “Repent, here is the Kingdom!” Maybe they even look a bit alike, they are cousins, 2nd or 3rd perhaps.
Why is haunted by the specter of John? Because he killed him.
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.”
This is some soap opera stuff. Salacious enough that it is not only recorded here in the Bible, but also in the writing of Josephus.
All in the Family
All in the Family
Herodias’ name sounds like “Herod” because she is Herod’s grandaughter by a different Mom then Philip (her first husband), but he’s essentially her uncle.
By yet a different wife, Herod “the Great” has Herod Antipas… and Herodias leaves Philip for Herod Antipas.
And John the Baptist, rightly by the Mosaic Law, calls this out as gross.
Oh, I mean "not lawful.”
Salome, her daughter by the first husband ends up marrying yet another uncle/grand-uncle, also named Philip like her Dad-Uncle.
This is the family. Royalty, of a kind, so it’s all “okay.” Keep it in the family.
5 And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet.
Note, Herod wanted to kill John too. It is the fear of the people, it is John’s popularity, that stays his hand. It is the fear of a weak man that is keeping John alive for the moment.
But Herodias has other ideas.
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.
A big party for a rich man. I imagine the party went late, wine flowed, perhaps the bad Karaoke has begun.
And Salome dances so well, or so beautifully, or so crazy… something that pleased her Step-Dad / Uncle / Great-Uncle. He swears a stupid oath.
And either before or right then, Herodias makes her wish through Salome.
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.
Destiny of the Greatest John
Destiny of the Greatest John
11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
The Greatest man born-of-woman… and what is his destiny?
A man who himself was announced by angels, named by angels, a miracle birth out of barrenness and old age. Born to a priest, raised and called to ministry… and all the nation it says was going out to hear him speak and declare the coming Kingdom. Baptizing to repentance.
He came to Prepare the Way.
Elijah come again, one of the greatest prophets… don’t know if it was exactly reincarnation, or in the “spirit and power” or how that works… but John was a powerful figure.
And at what seemed like it should be the start of his ministry.
He’s a young guy, a touch older than Jesus, so maybe 31, 32?
You expect a whole career in front of him, a lifetime of service. At least let the man see the fruits of his labor. Let him see Jesus’ death… so that he can see Jesus’ resurrection!
Wouldn’t he be a POWERFUL figure in the launching of the church!? These fishermen and tax collectors have very little experience, John has already been in ministry, preached to thousands, he knows how to baptize… it’s like his whole thing!
Like a footnote. It doesn’t even happen “on screen” here in Matthew, but just a recollection of what Herod did earlier… John is suddenly and brutally killed.
Killed, not even by someone greater… killed by a petty local tyrant. A small town bully. A guy who got a cozy government position because of who his Dad was… and even his Dad got the job just because he was willing to kiss up to the Roman Emperor.
Killed at the whim of a woman who, when her sin was called out, acted to silence the voice of truth rather than repent.
Killed by the dance of a little girl, manipulated by her Mom to ask for someone’s decapitated head. How twisted is that!???
Killed by the foolish oath of a weak man who saw the Prophet of YHWH as captive entertainment and a political pawn instead of the voice of His God.
Meaningless, meaningless, everything is meaningless.
This is the story of the Kingdom of this earth.
Our world preaches “absolute freedom” and “personal power.”
You have the freedom to do whatever you want, say whatever you want, be whoever you want.
Until, and this is the truth of the Kingdom of this world, you have “freedom” until someone comes and takes it from you.
There’s a always a bigger bully. And your own personal crusade for right and wrong comes to a sudden and meaningless end as soon as you become a bit player in someone else’s drama.
John has the courage to speak truth, God’s truth. And a wannabe-King shuts him up.
The Grief of Jesus
The Grief of Jesus
12 And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.
13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.
Jesus mourns the death of his cousin.
He is acquainted with sorrow.
Shortest verse in the Bible, at the grave of Lazarus, “Jesus wept,” even though he knew he was about to resurrect Lazarus.
This is a truth, a revelation of the incarnation. This is who Jesus is.
He want, he needs at some deep human level, to be alone for a minute. I believe to mourn, as well as surely to pray. To grieve.
As Isaiah prophesied:
4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
As Hebrews reflects:
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
He understands our needs, our sorrows, our grief because he has felt them.
He feels the tragic and sudden death of John.
Toy Story 4… the toys are on the conveyor belt… roll credits
The End of John’s Story
The End of John’s Story
If there is any hope for the people of God before Jesus… and I certainly believe that there is, there is certainly hope for John the Baptist. Though he did not see Jesus death and resurrection, he certainly knew Him as Lord, as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Maybe we could make a case for John the Baptist being the very first Christian martyr.
He believes in Jesus, knows him as Lord, knows him as Savior in an early partial sense.
And I believe this is how it works for all those who perished before Jesus’ death and resurrection. They had faith, and it was accounted to them as righteousness. They are looking forward, ultimately, to Jesus… and are ultimately saved by his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead, just as we are.
So… is Jesus going to see John again? Absolutely! Certainly! Without a doubt… and very soon.
John’s story is not over.
There is coming a day where he will see fulfillment in full, redemption in full, justice in full.
John, who wore a camel shirt, who ate locusts and honey, will FEAST at the table wearing white robes of righteousness. Where the Word and Will of a two-bit bully like Herod means nothing… and justice rolls on like a river and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Jesus grieves, but he grieves differently from the rest of the world… and he teaches us to do likewise.
It is not that we do not grieve. But our grief is fundamentally and radically different. Because we grieve for the separation, we weep at the end of the Chapter, but we know the story is not over.
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
We look forward to that day when all things are made new, where we are reunited with those we miss, the absolute coming fulfillment of the Kingdom of Jesus.
An incestuous weak-willed petty tyrant kills John the Baptist for the sake of a dance. This is a brutal injustice and meaningless tragedy. T
This is not the end of John’s story.
John will see the full coming of the Way He prepared, resurrected to all the justice he deserves, and glory and righteousness beyond what he could hope for. Maranatha!
