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Daily Devotion

The Arrest of John

Created: Thursday, 04 January 2018 16:02
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Luke 3: 19 -20  ---
 
John was so plain and blunt a preacher of righteousness that he was bound to run into trouble. In the end, Herod arrested him. Josephus says the reason for the arrest was that Herod "feared lest the great influence John had over the people might put it in his power and inclination to raise a rebellion; for they seemed ready to do anything he should advise." That is no doubt true, but the New Testament writers give it a much more personal and immediate cause. Herod Antipas had married Herodias, and John rebuked him for it.
 
The relationships involved in this marriage are extremely complicated. Herod the Great was a much-married man. Herod Antipas, who married Herodias and who arrested John, was the son of Herod the Great by a woman called Malthake. Herodias herself was the daughter of Aristobulus who was the son of Herod the Great by Mariamne, commonly called the Hasmonean. Herod had divided up his realm between Archelaus, Herod Antipas, and Herod Philip. He had another son, also called Herod, who was his son by another Mariamne, the daughter of a high priest. This Herod had no share in his father's realm and lived as a private citizen in Rome; he married Herodias. He was, in fact, her half-uncle, because of her father, Aristobulus, and he was both sons of Herod by different wives. Herod Antipas, on a visit to Rome, seduced her from his half-brother and married her. She was at the same time his sister-in-law because she was married to his half-brother, and his niece because she was the daughter of Aristobulus, another half-brother.
 
The whole proceeding was utterly revolting to Jewish opinion and contrary to Jewish Law, and indeed improper. It was a dangerous thing to rebuke an eastern tyrant, but John did it. The result was that he was arrested and imprisoned in the dungeon castle of Machaerus on the shores of the Dead Sea. There could be no greater cruelty than to take this child of the desert and shut him up in a dungeon cell. Ultimately, he was beheaded to gratify the resentment of Herodias. Plato once said, "The wise man will always choose to suffer wrong rather than to do wrong."
 
Life Application: We need to ask ourselves whether in the last analysis and at the final moment we would prefer to be Herod Antipas or John the Baptist. We make this kind of decision every day. Death may not be involved but selfish desires usually are.
 
Prayer/Praise: Dear Father, every day the devil tries to tempt Your children to make the wrong decisions and do what pleases him. Father, help me to be so close to you that I will not listen to him. I want my life to please You every day that I live. My desire is to please you with all that I do or say. Hold me close to You. That will be the only way I will be able to make right decisions.   Time is fleeting away and I need You! Amen!
 
 
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