#68 Lu. 9:7-9  JESUS AND HEROD THE TETRARCH

Introduction:

    Jesus and His disciples traveled throughout Galilee.  He I preached the
gospel and healed great numbers of people.  Then He sent out the twelve.
The twelve went throughout all of Israel preaching the gospel and also
healing the sick.  The fame of Jesus was spread throughout the land.  In our
text Luke shows us how Herod the Tetrarch, the chief Roman governmental
official in Galilee reacted to the news about Jesus.

I.  Herod hearing the news about Jesus

    V. 7, "Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him..."  The
particular Herod in our text is not in Jerusalem.  He is the tetrarch of
Galilee.
    Like his father before him, he was an immoral, evil man.  He had taken
his brother Philip's wife away from him.  He lived a life of drunkenness and
revelry.  He lusted after Salome, his step-daughter, and promised to give
her anything up to half his kingdom.  She asked, instead, the head of John
the Baptist and Herod gave it to her.
    For a long time Herod was so busy with his revelry that he paid little
attention to Jesus even though Capernaum was not far from his headquarters.
But finally Jesus became the chief topic of conversation even in his own
place and among his chief officers.  They told him of all the news that they
had heard about Jesus.

II.  Herod disturbed by the news of Jesus

    (V. 7), "...and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that
John was risen from the dead."  One of the things that was reported to Herod
was that, in the opinion of some, Jesus was John the Baptist come back to
life.  This disturbed Herod.
    In all probability most of the men who now reported to Herod about Jesus
had been present in the palace when John the Baptist was beheaded.  Some of
them may have actually seen John's head laying on the platter.  No doubt
they had lived in fear that God would bring some kind of severe punishment
on Herod for his deed.  Perhaps, they also feared that this punishment would
fall also on Herod's court and they would thus suffer for Herod's crime.  It
was easy for their imagination to run wild and to assume that Jesus was John
the Baptist.  No doubt they told Herod that some people believed Jesus to be
the Messiah, but they were more persuaded to believe that He is John.
    Herod's own conscience bothered him about John.  He had never really
wanted to kill John.  Since it had all taken place he had never felt good
about what he had done.  He, too, feared punishment from God because of
John because he, too, counted John as a prophet of God.  Therefore Herod
likewise found it easy to believe that Jesus was John the Baptist come back
to life again.  He not only believed that this was so, but he feared that it
was so.

III.  Other opinions about the identity of Jesus

    V. 8, "And of some, that Elias had appeared..."  Some tried to reassure
Herod and calm his fears by telling him that they believed that Jesus is not
John the Baptist.  Rather they believed that He is the Old Testament
prophet, Elijah.  To make their argument sound more convincing, they could
cite Scripture to support their position.  They had misinterpreted the
Scripture, but they could cite Scripture.
    Still others did not believe that Jesus was either John the Baptist or
Elijah.  They were, however, convinced that He was one of the Old Testament
prophets come back to life.  (V. 8), "...and of others, that one of the old
prophets was risen again."  In their mind, this, too, eliminated the
possibility that Jesus is John the Baptist.
    As I mentioned earlier, they no doubt informed Herod that some of the
people believed to be the Christ, the promised Messiah, but Herod was
inclined to go along with those who thought Him to be John.
    V. 9, "And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I
hear such things? And he desired to see him."  The bottom line is that Herod
was uncertain just who Jesus was.  He feared that He was John, but he hoped
that he was wrong.  He wanted to see Jesus for himself and find out.  If
this was John he was sure that He would recognize him.  He had seen John.
He was not inclined to think that Jesus was Elijah nor one of the other Old
Testament prophets.  Neither did he believe that He is the Christ.  Thus he
was almost certain that He was John and this caused him to be much afraid.
    If Herod ever realized his desire to see Jesus before the trial of Jesus
the Bible says nothing about it.  He did see Jesus in His trial because
Pilate sent Jesus to him.  What is even more important is that he will see
Jesus again one day.  He will stand before the throne of Jesus as Jesus
stood before his at the trial of Jesus and he will be judged by Jesus.  He
will be even more afraid in that day.  Jesus will pronounce judgment on him
and sentence him to the Lake of Fire and Brimstone.
    What a shame that he never believed in Jesus as the Christ.  He could
have been forgiven of the sin of stealing his brother's wife.  He could have
been forgiven of the sin of living a drunken life.  He could have been
forgiven of beheading John the Baptist.  He could have been forgiven of all
his sins.  He could have gone to heaven instead of hell.

V.  The news of Jesus today

    The fame of Jesus is far greater today than it ever was during His
lifetime on earth.  Some of the opinions of men about Him are more radical
than ever.  Some acknowledge that He is man, but deny that He is God.  Some
acknowledge that He is God, but deny that He is eternal God.  They say that
He became a God and that anyone can do the same thing.
    But the Bible teaches that Jesus is Eternal God.  He was with God the
Father in eternity before the world was ever formed.  He spoke and the world
came into existence.  He created mankind and all that is.
    God the Father sent Him into the world to become a man and sent Him to
the cross to die for lost sinners.  He died on the cross, He arose from the
grave, and He ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of God
the Father on the throne of God.
    I am here to tell you that I called on Jesus when I was sixteen years of
age and Jesus saved my soul.  I asked Him to save me and He did.  I am also
here to tell you that if you will trust in Him, He will save you.

Conclusion:

    I am asking you to trust Him now to save your soul.  I am also going to
ask you to commit your life to Him to serve Him.  I am going to ask that if
you need a church home that you consider Pleasant Hill.