Luke 3:18-20

Luke 3:18-20 And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them. But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.

Luke 23:6-12 On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform some miracle. He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. That day Herod and Pilate became friends — before this they had been enemies.

Acts 12:1-3 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Acts 12:31-23 On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

Herod beheaded John, killed the apostle James, imprisoned Peter, and ridiculed and mocked Jesus, yet he was not killed for those dastardly acts. He was killed for accepting the praises of men and not giving their praise back to God. Is this not hard to understand? Would we not have had him killed for killing the blessed John the Baptist, or for ridiculing the Son of God, or for persecuting the church? Yet God stayed his hand and waited until this proud, evil man failed to give God the rightful credit for Herod's power and his life. What do such horrible events do with our "seed faith" beliefs? Does God not care what the world does with his children, his holy servants, even his begotten Son? Yes, God does care, and He takes care of his own. But sometimes we just don't understand everything He allows or his eternal plans. All of the Christians who died at the hands of Herod are now with the Father God. But Herod is not. Herod won the world, but he lost his soul. The others died to the world and won victory over sin and death. Does Jesus save to the uttermost? Yes, He does. Does this mean our lives will always be smooth and understandable? No, the above scriptures indicate that, BUT GOD IS ALWAYS WITH US REGARDLESS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES. HE IS ALWAYS IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING CHILDREN, but this process is not always understandable to us. We walk by FAITH and not by sight, and true seed faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Even though John's brother was killed by the wicked Herod, we see John in his long life remain faithful to the Lord. John believed he had a home not made by men but by God. Because his faith stayed strong, he is now known by millions as the apostle of LOVE. In the scriptures, we see Peter supernaturally escaping Herod's clutches, for an angel led him out of prison. Was that unfair to John? James is killed, Peter escapes. Should not John have complained bitterly of the unfairness of this situation? Could not an angel have delivered his brother James from prison as well? John could have grown bitter; he could have said God is unfair. John's faith did not wain; it multiplied as he walked with God. He probably learned more about God's loving nature than any other apostle. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16) John knew if our eyes are fixed on this world, we will never really experience God. We will never know him in power and truth. Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. (John 2:15-17)

Yes, John the Baptist was beheaded. A lot of what happens to us is sometimes radically wrong; therefore, is not well understood in the context of a LOVING FATHER, but as the apostle John understood, this life is but a wisp of smoke. Outside of Jesus, this life has no eternal value. Herod died and was eaten by worms, indicating eternal death to God's presence. But when Christians die, we are transported to the portals of heaven to be with God forever. We can choose the life we will inherit. Your faith in Christ unlocks those portals of heaven, but bitterness and resentment and a life of self-interest can close those gates to God's domain of love, his presence. Live for God, his heavenly kingdom; there is really no other way than the way that has been made through Christ out Lord.