Chapter # 6 Paragraph # 3 Study # 1
November 2, 2021
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
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Thesis: Mark's intention with this paragraph was to reveal the power of Herod's guilty conscience.
Introduction: As we look into Mark's record regarding "the king, Herod", we note rather quickly that he had a specific reason for telling us of Herod's treatment of John, the forerunner of The Christ. There are several indicators for this reason that we are going to consider this evening.
- I. Mark Calls Him "The King".
- A. He was called "The Tetrarch" by Matthew in his record of these events (14:1) and Luke 3:1 doubles down on this identification.
- 1. As a "tetrarch", he ruled over a "fourth" of his father's domain once his father died (Herod the Great, the baby-killer of Bethlehem's sons).
- a. According to Matthew's account of the slaughter of the babies in Bethlehem, the "king" had specifically quizzed the Magi as to "the exact time" (2:7, 16) of the appearance of "the star".
- b. That he included all male babies from 2 years old and younger indicates that he, apparently, did not trust that the "timing" of the appearance of the star was indicative of the actual date of Christ's birth.
- 1) That he sent his soldiers to kill those 2 and under as soon as he realized the Magi had not returned to him is also indicative that the two years ended with the arrival of the Magi.
- 2) Thus, the "two year" period had its beginning in regard to the answer the Magi gave Herod, or Herod pushed it back for some "make sure" time.
- c. In any case, God killed Herod the Great fairly shortly after the murder of his "Competitor".
- 1) The actual date of Herod's death is debated by those who have considered several suggested assumptions, but the most likely date was March of 4 B.C.
- 2) The record of Acts 12 regarding yet another "Herod" indicates that God was not unwilling to hold wicked kings accountable, implying that Herod the Great died under the heavy judgment of God for his treatment of the babies in Bethlehem.
- 2. Thus, we assume that Mark had a reason for calling him "the king" rather than "the tetrarch".
- a. This "reason" is most likely the fact that "king" brings forward "kingdom" themes, rather than merely "authority" themes.
- b. This makes "Herod, the king" a direct opponent of "Jesus, the Christ", and it casts him in the same mold as his father; a man willing to go to great and wicked lengths to preserve his grip on a "kingdom" (Luke 3:20).
- B. So, for Mark's purposes, he wanted his readers to see "Herod" as a "kingdom obsessed" man, willing to do whatever he needed to do to preserve his kingdom.
- II. Mark Presents Herod As Willing To Embrace A Superstition Regarding Jesus.
- A. It was a well-established fact that John and Jesus both carried on ministries at the same time.
- B. That "Jesus" could, somehow, "become" John raised from the dead reveals a reprobate mind.
- III. Mark Presents One Aspect Of Herod's Attitude That None Other Presents.
- A. In Matthew's record, Herod "wanted to put John to death" (14:5), but was prevented by his "fear of the crowd".
- B. But Mark tells us Herod put John in prison to keep him safe and because he "knew" he was a righteous and holy man.
- C. These are not mutually exclusive statements, but are, rather, a presentation of a man of two minds, both of which had the same root ("fear" of what others would think of him).
- IV. Mark Presents Herod As Fixated Upon The Most Unlikely Of All Of The Explanations For The Powers That Were At Work.
