Ironies in Matthew 14: Herod, John, and the Cross

Devotional

Day 1: Herod’s Right Question, Wrong Heart

When power seeks truth but refuses surrender, it becomes its own prison. Herod the Great asked priests where Messiah would be born, showing he knew Scripture’s promises. Yet his heart clung to control, not worship. He sought answers not to bow but to destroy. Truth recognized becomes either salvation or indictment. The Christmas story reveals how close hatred can sit beside revelation. [28:27]

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. (Matthew 2:1-3, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you recognized God’s truth clearly yet resisted surrendering to it? What fears or desires keep your knowledge from becoming worship?

Day 2: Swinging at the Wrong Miracle

Some acknowledge God’s power but miss His presence. Herod Antipas saw Jesus’ miracles yet blamed them on a dead man’s ghost. He preferred superstition over surrender, inventing a resurrected John the Baptist to avoid facing the true Resurrected One. Spiritual confusion often disguises rebellion. To credit God’s work to lesser forces is to stand close yet remain lost. [33:23]

And he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” (Matthew 14:2, ESV)

Reflection: Where might you be explaining away God’s clear work in your life or world? What convenient narratives help you avoid His claim on you?

Day 3: Anger at Truth, Silence Toward Sin

Herodias raged at the prophet naming her sin but never at the sin itself. John’s words became the offense rather than her incestuous marriage. When conviction feels like an attack, we reveal our loyalty to brokenness. The greater tragedy isn’t the sin exposed but the heart that defends its chains. [42:49]

For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” (Matthew 14:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: What truth have you recently resented hearing? How might your reaction reveal a deeper allegiance needing Christ’s redemption?

Day 4: Grief in Getting What We Wanted

Herod craved John’s death but wept when it came. Sin’s promise crumbles upon possession, leaving hollow triumph. Our destructive choices often fulfill twisted desires while draining their imagined satisfaction. The path of self-indulgence ends in mourning what we insisted on gaining. [45:52]

And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. (Matthew 14:9-10, ESV)

Reflection: What desire are you pursuing that, if granted, would leave you emptier than before? How might repentance be truer freedom than indulgence?

Day 5: Beauty Planted in Brutality

The cross—ugly tool of torture—bears eternal blossoms. God grows life through death, hope through horror. What man designed for shame, Christ redeemed for glory. Every Easter flower pressed into that rough wood declares: the worst darkness becomes His brightest canvas. [48:48]

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you seen God bring unexpected beauty from brokenness? How does the cross reshape your view of current pain or injustice?

Sermon Summary

Matthew 14 places a hard, brutal story in front of God’s people, but the text also lets four ironies rise to the surface. The Bible often sounds ironic to the natural mind, even when it is simply telling the truth. The meek inherit the earth, the first become last, and Haman hangs on the gallows he built for Mordecai. Matthew 14 gives that same kind of upside down flavor, only in a darker room.

Herod number one, Herod the Great, understood more about Jesus’ identity than his son did. Herod number one heard from the Magi that a king had been born, asked where the Messiah was to be born, and took Jesus seriously enough to try to kill him. Herod number two, Herod Antipas, heard about Jesus’ miracles and came up with a less plausible answer. Herod number two said Jesus must be John the Baptist raised from the dead. Herod had the relationship wrong and the person wrong. Jesus was not John’s follower. John was Jesus’ servant.

Herod number two was willing to believe John the Baptist had risen from the grave, but there is no record that he believed Jesus rose from the grave. Herod saw something supernatural, but he swung at the wrong pitch. John had not risen. Jesus would rise. That irony exposes how easily a person can put too much faith in man and not nearly enough faith in the Lord Jesus, when there is absolutely nothing Christ cannot do.

Herodias brings another ugly irony into the text. Herodias was more offended by John calling out her sin than she was by committing it. Herodias’ family situation was a whole soap opera, tangled up with divorce, lust, power, and forbidden marriage. John simply said, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” Herodias did not repent. Herodias plotted for the prophet’s head on a platter.

Herod then becomes the final irony. Herod wanted John dead, but when the moment came, Herod was grieved to order the death he had already desired. His oath, his dinner guests, and his need to show off trapped him. Sin often works that way. The very thing a person wants to do, while knowing it should not be done, becomes the thing that brings grief.

The cross stands as the greatest irony of all. The cross was ugly, an execution device, a place of blood, spikes, and death. God ordained that out of death would come life. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, eternal life is given.

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Key Takeaways

1. Faith can swing at wrong pitches [35:21] Herod recognized that something supernatural was happening, but he misread the whole thing. He was willing to believe John had risen, while missing the One who actually would rise. A heart can be impressed by spiritual power and still refuse the Lord who stands at the center of it. [35:21]
2. Sin hates being named clearly [42:27] Herodias did not seem crushed by the sin itself, but she was furious that John told the truth about it. Sin often protects itself by becoming offended at correction. The faithful wound of truth feels severe only because hidden rebellion wants to stay comfortable. [42:27]
3. Desired sin still brings grief [45:52] Herod wanted John dead, yet he was grieved when his own choices forced his hand. Sin can promise satisfaction while quietly building the trap that removes freedom. The grief that follows is not accidental, because rebellion always asks for more than it first admits. [45:52]
4. The cross turns death to life [49:41] The cross was not a pretty religious symbol at first. It was an ugly instrument of execution, and yet God used it to bring eternal life. The gospel does not deny the brutality of Christ’s death, but declares that God brought resurrection life straight out of that death.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[21:17] - Vacation Bible School Thanks
[21:49] - Matthew 14 And Biblical Ironies
[24:18] - Herod And John The Baptist
[26:16] - Herod One And Herod Two
[32:32] - Swinging At The Wrong Pitch
[36:08] - Herodias Offended By Truth
[37:16] - The Herodian Family Tangle
[40:41] - A Birthday Oath Turns Deadly
[44:43] - Herod’s Grief And Guilt
[47:51] - The Greatest Irony In History
[50:11] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Matthew 14:1-12 (ESV)
At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.

Observation questions

What did Herod Antipas (Herod the tetrarch) mistakenly believe about Jesus’ identity, and why? (Matthew 14:1-2)
How did Herodias respond to John the Baptist’s rebuke of her marriage, and what did she ultimately demand? (Matthew 14:3-11)
Why was Herod “grieved” to order John’s execution, even though he had previously wanted John dead? (Matthew 14:9)
What example of irony in the sermon compared the cross to an “ugly execution device” that became a symbol of life? [49:41]

Interpretation questions

Why might Herod Antipas have been willing to believe in John’s resurrection but not Jesus’ resurrection, even though Jesus’ miracles were widely known?
Herodias was more offended by John’s rebuke than by her own sin. What does this reveal about how sin can distort a person’s priorities? [42:27]
Herod’s grief after ordering John’s death shows a conflict between his desires and his conscience. How does this illustrate the destructive cycle of sin even when people “get what they want”? [45:52]
The cross is described as the “greatest irony” because it turned death into life. How does this contrast with worldly views of power and success?

Application questions

Herod “swung at the wrong pitch” by focusing on supernatural signs but missing Jesus. What distractions or misconceptions might cause someone today to miss recognizing Christ’s work in their life? [35:21]
When has someone’s loving correction of your actions made you defensive, like Herodias? How can you cultivate humility to receive truth instead of protecting your comfort? [42:27]
Herod’s oath trapped him in a decision he regretted. Are there compromises or habits you’re clinging to that could lead to unintended consequences? How can you break that cycle?
The cross’s irony offers hope in suffering. How might embracing this truth change your perspective on a current struggle or loss? [49:41]
Sin often promises freedom but delivers grief. What step can you take this week to reject a temptation before it gains power over you? [45:52]

Sermon Clips

80s

“``Maybe the structure itself isn't ugly, but the purpose for which it was created is ugly. It was an execution device. People were were were put to death on crosses. And, of course, Jesus was put to death on a cross, and the spikes were thrust through his wrists and through his feet. And his arms somewhat dislocated to fit his body on the cross. And then even though this didn't happen with Jesus, often legs are broken so that a person cannot lift and they die of asphyxiation. It is a brutal execution. And yet god ordained to use that to bring about eternal life. Out of death life. Is that not an incredible irony? And is that not the gospel? Through the death of Jesus and his resurrection, we can have eternal life. Would you pray with me?”

56s

“That's exactly what Herod did. He swung at the wrong pitch. He knew something supernatural was going on, and he was willing to say, you know what? I know what it is. John the Baptist has risen from the grave. As incredible as resurrection is, I know John the Baptist has done it. Then Jesus, who really did rise from the grave, comes along and he wants nothing to do with it. He swung at the wrong pitch. Let me say this to you. Here's a good rule of thumb, and it's a two part rule of thumb. Avoid putting too much faith in man. We will let you down. Here's the second part. You can never put too much faith in the lord Jesus. There's absolutely nothing he can't do. Put your faith in him.”

47s

“He swung at the wrong pitch. Let me say this to you. Here's a good rule of thumb, and it's a two part rule of thumb. Avoid putting too much faith in man. We will let you down. Here's the second part. You can never put too much faith in the lord Jesus. There's absolutely nothing he can't do. Put your faith in him. Here is ironic twist number three and this is where the passage gets really interesting. Herodias was more offended by John calling out her sin than she was for committing it.”

42s

“Now, I'd like to believe that my good deed inspired him to do a good deed but here's more than likely what happened. He reasoned that what was not okay for me was okay for him. It was wrong for me to do it. It wasn't wrong for him to do it. Is that not the way our society is today? We have a way, folks, and let's just own it. We have a way of identifying the minor things that other people do wrong and making a big deal out of it, and we completely ignore the major things that we do wrong. It should be the other way around.”

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Sharon Baptist Church - Charlotte, NC This sermon · AI assistant

Which Herod believed Jesus was the Messiah?

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Ironies in Matthew 14: Herod, John, and the Cross

Devotional

Day 1: Herod’s Right Question, Wrong Heart

Day 2: Swinging at the Wrong Miracle

Day 3: Anger at Truth, Silence Toward Sin

Day 4: Grief in Getting What We Wanted

Day 5: Beauty Planted in Brutality

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Ironies in Matthew 14: Herod, John, and the Cross

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