1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:05,800 Speaker 1: Let us pray. Others said that it is Elias, and 2 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:08,960 Speaker 1: others said that it is a prophet or one of 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 1: the prophets Mark six fifteen. Through the life of John 4 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:18,920 Speaker 1: the Baptist, I see that the ultimate sign of life 5 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:22,400 Speaker 1: well lived is to say that, no matter where I 6 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 1: end up, I can with full confidence say that I 7 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:32,519 Speaker 1: lived and represented Christ in everything I did. In the 8 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 1: face of persecution, I will praise You. In the face 9 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:42,160 Speaker 1: of ridicule, I will praise you. Even when my head 10 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 1: is on the chopping block and I could lose everything. 11 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: I know that in Jesus he'll restore what the enemy 12 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 1: has stolen from me. My strength comes from the fact 13 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 1: that Jesus conquered sin and death, and because he did, 14 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: conquering the trial and obstacles on the journey to my 15 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 1: destiny is a given, for greater is he who is 16 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:13,399 Speaker 1: in me than he that is in the world. In Jesus' name, Amen, 17 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 1: thank you for praying with us today. Continue your time 18 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 1: with God by listening to today's Bible story brought to 19 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 1: you by Bible in a Year dot com. 20 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 2: You know your principles, priorities, and practical healthcare needs better 21 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 2: than anyone else. That's why Christian Healthcare Ministries empowers you 22 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 2: to personalize your healthcare as an alternative to health insurance. 23 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:43,760 Speaker 2: You can have freedom over your health care decisions and 24 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 2: doctors with affordable programs, and when you join, you're surrounded 25 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 2: by fellow believers who share the same values. Learn more 26 00:01:52,880 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 2: by visiting chministries dot org. Slash pray John the Baptist. 27 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 3: In our last story, Jesus healed a man who had 28 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 3: been lame and sick for over thirty eight years. The 29 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 3: man had been sick for so long that he lost 30 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:23,920 Speaker 3: all hope of being healed. More so, he fell into 31 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:28,640 Speaker 3: a cycle of bitterness. He felt helpless, alone, and angry 32 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 3: at the world. Yet one moment with Jesus changed his 33 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:36,120 Speaker 3: life forever, and the Pharisees continued to hate him for 34 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 3: his mighty works. Now we learn about the fate of 35 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 3: John the Baptist, The man who prepared the way of Jesus, 36 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:47,239 Speaker 3: meets a bitter end. However, John's story does not end 37 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:53,239 Speaker 3: without hope. It ends with a promise inspired by the Gospels. 38 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 4: Hello, this is Jack Graham with today's episode of the 39 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:00,640 Speaker 4: Bible in a Year. Thank you, Thank you for joining 40 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 4: us in yesterday's episode, we heard how Jesus healed a 41 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 4: man who was crippled and helpless, even hopeless. Years of 42 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 4: being overlooked by society and left alone to find for 43 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 4: himself had let this man stuck and bitter, plagued with 44 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 4: a sense of scarcity and hopelessness. But Jesus changed it 45 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 4: all with his words of healing and comfort. Still, the 46 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 4: religious crowd, led by the Pharisees, hated Jesus for challenging 47 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 4: their typefisted rule over the people's hearts. Today we'll discover 48 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 4: how John the Baptist earthly story ends. This man who 49 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 4: heralded the coming of the Messiah, will die at the 50 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 4: hands of an evil, hateful king and his wife. Let's 51 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 4: listen to the word of God. 52 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 3: Now, blood sprayed across the stone walls of John's jail cell. 53 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 3: Herod's gods drove their fists into his stomach, then across 54 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 3: his head. John's grunts echoed through the prison halls as 55 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 3: they relentlessly beat him. He fell to the floor, unable 56 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 3: to prop himself up. Before he could take a breath, 57 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 3: a guard's foot went upward and cracked a few of 58 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 3: his ribs. He screamed in agony and closed his eyes. 59 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 3: All he could hear were the guards leaving his jail cell. 60 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:22,040 Speaker 3: Then all went black. John had been captured by Herod. 61 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:25,599 Speaker 3: He was taken because he called out against Herod, who 62 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:30,239 Speaker 3: stole his brother's wife, Herodias out of anger, Herod captured 63 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 3: John to silence him, so he wrought in his cell 64 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 3: until Herod decided what to do with him. Even though 65 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:41,039 Speaker 3: John was captured, Herod still feared him. He knew that 66 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:43,919 Speaker 3: he was a righteous man, and John held the quiet 67 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:49,599 Speaker 3: strength of a prophet. However, Herodias, Herod's stolen wife, teemed 68 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 3: with hatred against him. She wanted his head rolling off 69 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:56,280 Speaker 3: his shoulders. She wanted him hung from his own entrails. 70 00:04:56,880 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 3: Her contempt for him ran deep. It was herod His birthday, 71 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 3: and a large party was held in his honor. Drinks 72 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:08,880 Speaker 3: flowed endlessly, and Herod grew loud and boisterous. Herodias watched 73 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:12,159 Speaker 3: Herod laugh among his friends. She knew that he was 74 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:17,360 Speaker 3: in prime condition to manipulate Herodias sent out her daughter, 75 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:21,279 Speaker 3: a beautiful young woman, to dance before Herod and his guests. 76 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:25,839 Speaker 3: She moved sensually to the erotic music. Herod locked his 77 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 3: gaze onto her young hips. He was mesmerized and aroused. 78 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:35,840 Speaker 3: Dull of thinking, Herod blurted out, ask me anything. His 79 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:40,280 Speaker 3: words slurred in his cheeks blushed. Ask me anything, and 80 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 3: I will do it. I will give you up to 81 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:46,559 Speaker 3: half my kingdom. The room was hot, and the daughter 82 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:50,360 Speaker 3: moved sensually towards Herod, her fingers wrapped around a few 83 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:53,800 Speaker 3: strands of his hair. She leaned her lips closely towards 84 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:56,799 Speaker 3: Herod's ear and whispered, give me the head of John 85 00:05:56,839 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 3: the Baptist. Herod's eyes widened at the quest. Her words 86 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 3: sobered him. He looked at his friends. They were expecting 87 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 3: him to keep his word. Additionally, he thought there may 88 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 3: be a chance for him to sleep with his stepdaughter. 89 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:15,839 Speaker 3: Out of embarrassment, drunkenness, and foolishness, Herods sent for his 90 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:20,960 Speaker 3: men to execute John. John's cell doors opened abruptly. He 91 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:24,200 Speaker 3: saw the silhouette of two guards holding chains in an axe. 92 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:28,679 Speaker 3: John sighed deeply. He knew it was time. He stood 93 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 3: to his feet and walked towards them. They bound him 94 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 3: and drug him out to the back of the palace. 95 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 3: John thought about his life and purpose he had proclaimed 96 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:41,800 Speaker 3: and prepared the way of Jesus. Thousands had followed him 97 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:45,119 Speaker 3: and then left him to follow the Messiah. As John 98 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:47,560 Speaker 3: was shoved to his knees, he remembered the words he 99 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:51,279 Speaker 3: once spoke on the Jordan River, he must increase and 100 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:55,799 Speaker 3: I must decrease. The words held much more weight now. 101 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:59,160 Speaker 3: As John's head was shoved under the cold stone table, 102 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:02,800 Speaker 3: he thought about the Christ. His joy was complete and 103 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:06,640 Speaker 3: his purpose was fulfilled. Death would be a welcomed friend 104 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:09,560 Speaker 3: for the one who came after him, would prove death 105 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 3: to be powerless. He would strip away its sting, and 106 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 3: life everlasting would follow. John smiled, closed his eyes and 107 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 3: allowed the axe to fall on his neck. John's head 108 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 3: was handed to Herodia on a silver platter. Her pupils 109 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:27,520 Speaker 3: widened at the sight of it. However, the momentary pleasure 110 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:31,160 Speaker 3: was replaced with sickness. She thought John the Baptist was 111 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 3: the source of her embarrassment and shame. However, looking at 112 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 3: his lifeless head laying on a platter offered her no solace. 113 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 3: She still felt empty. Her revenge fell flat, as all 114 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 3: revenge does. Her soul would not be satisfied, and her 115 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 3: sins would eventually find her out The next day, John's 116 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:54,280 Speaker 3: friends gathered his body and laid it in a tomb. 117 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 3: Months had passed, and Jesus's name had become so well 118 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 3: known that even Herod's servants were talking about him. He 119 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 3: heard of his miracles and words of power. Herod's heart raced, 120 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:08,280 Speaker 3: for he had a feeling that Jesus was John himself, 121 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:12,200 Speaker 3: risen from the dead. It was wrong, of course, John 122 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:15,880 Speaker 3: was buried and de dirt and would not raise again. However, 123 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:19,559 Speaker 3: Jesus would one day die, and unlike John, he would 124 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 3: rise again. He would rise above the sting of death. 125 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:26,440 Speaker 3: He would rise above the power of sin and darkness. 126 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 3: He would rise where all men fell, and those who 127 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:36,719 Speaker 3: believed in him would rise with him. 128 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:40,960 Speaker 4: Today's reading begins in a prison cell. John the Baptist, 129 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:44,120 Speaker 4: the prophet who foretold the coming Messiah, had angered the 130 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 4: Jewish ruler, King Herod. This was the son of the 131 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:50,560 Speaker 4: maniacal Herod the Great, who tried to have an infant 132 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:54,360 Speaker 4: Jesus kill. And like his father, this Herod was not 133 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:57,120 Speaker 4: opposed to spilling the blood of those who challenged him 134 00:08:57,520 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 4: or spoke out against him, precisely what John the Baptist 135 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:05,080 Speaker 4: had done. He'd called out Herod for stealing his own 136 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 4: brother's wife, a wicked woman named Herodias. The rule of 137 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:13,400 Speaker 4: these two and their persecution of John is reminiscent of 138 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:18,079 Speaker 4: some of Israel's evil kings and queens, like Ahab and Jezebel. 139 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:21,720 Speaker 4: They had no regard for men of God, so, as 140 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 4: John said in a cell, they were still not satisfied. 141 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 4: He needed to be disposed of, canceled. But Herod was 142 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:33,120 Speaker 4: also fearful of the people who loved John, so he 143 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 4: was reluctant to have him killed. His wife Herodias, however, 144 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:41,320 Speaker 4: had no interest in such caution, so she hatched a plan, 145 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 4: an evil plot, to ensure that John would be put 146 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 4: to death. She sent her daughter Salome to dance for 147 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 4: Herod and his court on his birthday. Herod, surely intoxicated 148 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 4: from his partying, was pleased with Salome's dance and vowed 149 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:00,040 Speaker 4: to give her whatever she asked. This is all a 150 00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 4: dangerous promise to make, and Herod would soon regret his offer, 151 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:09,600 Speaker 4: for at her mother's direction, she made her request. She 152 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:12,600 Speaker 4: wanted the head of John the Baptist on a platter, 153 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:17,160 Speaker 4: and so John, after having served God's purpose for him 154 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 4: on earth, went quietly into death. That day his head 155 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:24,440 Speaker 4: was cut off without any ceremony or dignity for this 156 00:10:24,559 --> 00:10:27,600 Speaker 4: man of God. But there is no doubt that when 157 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 4: he entered eternity he was in the presence of God, 158 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:35,680 Speaker 4: immediately rejoicing in heaven, and heard the words well done, 159 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:38,840 Speaker 4: good and faithful servant. He had announced and made a 160 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:41,480 Speaker 4: way for the coming of the Lord, the Messiah Jesus, 161 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:44,240 Speaker 4: who was going to take away the sins of the world. 162 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:50,080 Speaker 4: In Matthew fourteen, verses thirteen to fourteen, here's what we read. Now. 163 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 4: When Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a 164 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:56,680 Speaker 4: boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the 165 00:10:56,720 --> 00:10:59,800 Speaker 4: crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 166 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:03,160 Speaker 4: When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd, and 167 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:08,080 Speaker 4: he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Jesus 168 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 4: mourned the death of his forerunner and friend and family member, 169 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:16,480 Speaker 4: John the Baptist. This man had meant so much to 170 00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:20,240 Speaker 4: the Lord Jesus, and though he isolated himself in grief 171 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:22,880 Speaker 4: for a while, he soon saw the need of the 172 00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:27,080 Speaker 4: people who followed him. Christ had compassion and mercy upon 173 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:31,040 Speaker 4: each one. It's another sign of God's unending grace and 174 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:34,079 Speaker 4: mercy and his willingness to hear and answer the Christ 175 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:37,640 Speaker 4: of his people. You see, Jesus is God, and in 176 00:11:37,679 --> 00:11:41,439 Speaker 4: his deity he can heal. He is also man. In 177 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:46,199 Speaker 4: his humanity he had compassion for people, so as God 178 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:50,400 Speaker 4: and man, he loved each one. Jesus knew that soon 179 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:54,720 Speaker 4: he also would die. He would be killed, crucified, and 180 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:57,720 Speaker 4: herod himself would also have a hand in it. But 181 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:01,560 Speaker 4: unlike John, whose body remained in the gun, Jesus would 182 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 4: rise victorious, conquering sin and death as the Savior, the 183 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:09,720 Speaker 4: redeemer of all who would call upon his name. John's 184 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:13,640 Speaker 4: life was well lived because he fulfilled his purpose. He 185 00:12:13,679 --> 00:12:17,079 Speaker 4: served with courage and boldness and faithfulness all the way 186 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 4: to heaven. Oh, that the same might be said of 187 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:24,000 Speaker 4: each of us as we live and die and then 188 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:28,760 Speaker 4: experience the eternal reward of our Savior and our God. 189 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:32,920 Speaker 4: Dear Lord, we thank you for the tremendous example of 190 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:37,319 Speaker 4: John the Baptist, and how his bold, courageous, faithful life 191 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:41,040 Speaker 4: shows us how to live and how to die. May 192 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:44,040 Speaker 4: we live in your grace, and may we die in 193 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:47,840 Speaker 4: your peace, And all along may we fulfill your purpose 194 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:52,160 Speaker 4: for our lives in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you for 195 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:55,560 Speaker 4: listening to Today's Bible in a year. I'm Pastor Jack 196 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:58,840 Speaker 4: Graham from Dallas, Texas. You can download the Prey dot 197 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:02,560 Speaker 4: com app and Bible Study in Prayer the priority of 198 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:06,600 Speaker 4: your life. And if you appreciate this podcast, please share 199 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:09,640 Speaker 4: it with someone else. I also want to encourage you 200 00:13:09,679 --> 00:13:13,479 Speaker 4: to go to Jack Graham dot org. That's Jack Graham 201 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:16,920 Speaker 4: dot org for we have resources that are free and 202 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 4: available for you so that you may know Christ and 203 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:22,200 Speaker 4: grow in him. God bless you