{"id":36961,"date":"2025-08-11T22:00:06","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T05:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/?p=36961"},"modified":"2025-08-05T16:08:23","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T23:08:23","slug":"mark_6_14-29","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/mark_6_14-29\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Story Does Not End Here"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mark 6:14-29\u00a0 \u00a0(CLICK HERE FOR\u00a0BIBLE VERSES)<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Mark 6:14-29.\u00a0With an open mind and a humble heart, read this passage and see what sticks out to you in this passage.\u00a0 Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?\u00a0 After you\u2019ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Mark 6:14-16 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n14\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
\n15\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Others said, “He is Elijah.” And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”
\n16\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 14-16: King Herod hears about the movement that Jesus is leading.\u00a0 While others think Jesus is the second coming of the prophet Elijah, and others a modern day prophet, King Herod can\u2019t help but think that Jesus is actually John the Baptist raised from the dead.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 It\u2019s because King Herod was haunted by a dark cloud of guilt, shame and regret for unjustly killing John the Baptist.\u00a0 Herod feared that God was now coming back to get him.\u00a0 What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0We can try to hide from our sins, but the guilt, shame and distress of what we have done will ultimately catch up to us, unless we have a right view of who Jesus is<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Mark 6:17-20 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n17\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married.
\n18\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
\n19\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to,
\n20\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 17-20:\u00a0 Starting in verse 17, Mark flashes back to the time when John was still alive and had spoken out against Herod and Herodias, saying that their marriage was unlawful.\u00a0 Why was their marriage unlawful?\u00a0 Herod was originally married to someone else, and Herodias was married to Herod\u2019s half brother Philip.\u00a0 But Herod and Herodias fell in love and in order to marry Herodias, Herod divorced his original wife, while Herodias had also divorced Philip.\u00a0 By divorcing his first wife and marrying the wife of Herod\u2019s brother, Herod violated the Jewish law which says that you are not to sleep with your brother\u2019s wife (Leviticus 18:16) and not to marry your brother\u2019s wife (Leviticus 20:2).<\/p>\n

Herodias held a grudge against John for speaking up this way, to the point of wanting to find a way to kill him (v19).<\/p>\n

In contrast, Herod respected John and tried to protect him.\u00a0 John\u2019s sermons puzzled Herod yet intrigued him (v20).\u00a0 Given time, and without the influence of his wife, maybe, just maybe, Herod would have eventually repented of his sin.\u00a0 As we will see, however, it did not turn out that way.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0 Here Mark shows us two different ways that we can respond to God\u2019s truth.\u00a0 One way is, like Herodias, to deny the truth and kill the messenger.\u00a0 Herodias\u2019 heart was like the hardened path that Jesus describes (Mark 4:15): as soon as the seed of God\u2019s Word hits that ground, pride rejects the seed and Satan takes it away.<\/p>\n

The other way to respond to God\u2019s Word is, like Herod, to respect the fact that the messenger spoke up and to enjoy hearing the Word.\u00a0 However, as we will see, Herod\u2019s heart was not good soil.\u00a0 Herod\u2019s heart was more like the soil among rocks (Mark 4:16-17) and the soil among thorns (Mark 4:18-19), where trouble, the worries of this life and the desire for other things make the seed of God\u2019s Word planted in Herod\u2019s heart unfruitful.\u00a0 The same Word, different responses.\u00a0\u00a0Preachers will courageously preach the Word, but how much it bears fruit in your life, if at all, will depend on the condition of your heart.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mark 6:21-26 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n21\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.
\n22\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.”
\n23\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
\n24\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” “The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.
\n25\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
\n26\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 21-26:\u00a0 Proverbs 20:25 says that \u201c[i]t is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vows.\u201d\u00a0 That\u2019s exactly what happened with Herod.\u00a0 As a result, not only Herod, but John the Baptist and an entire nation suffered because of Herod\u2019s rash and reckless promise. \u00a0Always think before you promise.\u00a0 Count the cost before you say yes.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mark 6:27-29 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n27\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison,
\n28\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother.
\n29\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 27-29:\u00a0 John was murdered because of the cowardice and foolishness of King Herod and the pride and vengeance of Herodias.\u00a0 What an awful way to die.\u00a0 But keep this in mind:\u00a0 John\u2019s murder was not the end of John\u2019s story.\u00a0 In many ways, John\u2019s story was just beginning.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because\u00a0for those who are in Christ, death is not the end; rather, death is the doorway to the rest of your life and the best of your life.<\/strong>\u00a0 Herod and Herodias\u2019 murderous actions only quickened the all-surpassing glory, peace, joy and satisfaction that John would get to experience in heaven with his God.<\/p>\n

John\u2019s story is a sobering reminder that,\u00a0even for those who live an outstanding life, not every life on earth ends with a pretty little bow on top<\/strong>.\u00a0 Some die tragically, unjustly, senselessly, far earlier than anyone would have expected.\u00a0 But the good news is that for those who are in Christ, death is not the end of our story.<\/p>\n

Death is when the dress rehearsal finishes and the real show can begin.\u00a0 You may have 80 to 90 years on earth, but you will have countless billions and trillions of years in eternity, either in heaven or in hell.<\/p>\n

So if you think your life is only about how long, how comfortably and how happily you live on earth, you\u2019re missing the point.\u00a0 It\u2019s like judging how worthwhile a movie is based on the opening 2 seconds.\u00a0 Do that and you\u2019ll miss the entire picture.<\/p>\n

John died a dishonorable death on earth, but do you know that there is no human being who is honoured in heaven more than John?\u00a0 Listen to Jesus\u2019 words about John the Baptist:<\/p>\n

Matthew 11:11a (NIV)<\/em><\/strong>
\n11\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist…<\/em><\/p>\n

It goes to show that\u00a0what is left unresolved on this side of heaven will be resolved when we get to the other side<\/strong>.\u00a0 Every evil will be thwarted, every wrong righted, every injustice undone, every hurt healed, every wound mended, every senseless tragedy used for the greater good.\u00a0 We\u2019ll see a fitting conclusion to it all one day in heaven.\u00a0 What we see now is only an incomplete and small part.<\/p>\n

So though evil seemed to triumph here in these verses, read till the end of the story and you\u2019ll find that evil does not win.\u00a0 It cannot.\u00a0 For God is writing a greater story.<\/p>\n

Jesus, thank You that our story doesn\u2019t end with how and when we die.\u00a0 It ends with our life in You.\u00a0 Thank You that no suffering we ever go through on earth can compare to the glory, the happiness and peace we will know when we are with You in heaven.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n

copyright \u00a9 2022 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Mark 6:14-29.\u00a0With an open mind and a humble heart, read this passage and see what sticks out to you in this passage.\u00a0 Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?\u00a0 After you\u2019ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Mark 6:14-16 (NIV)
\n14\u00a0\u00a0King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
\n15\u00a0\u00a0Others said, “He is Elijah.” And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”
\n16\u00a0\u00a0But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”<\/p>\n

On verses 14-16: King Herod hears about the movement that Jesus is leading.\u00a0 While others think Jesus is the second coming of the prophet Elijah, and others a modern day prophet, King Herod can\u2019t help but think that Jesus is actually John the Baptist raised from the dead.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36963,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36961","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36961"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36961\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36964,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36961\/revisions\/36964"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36963"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}