Mark 6:14–29 | Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist
Why did Herod keep listening to John the Baptist if John’s preaching troubled him so deeply? Why do we gladly hear sermons about other people’s sins, but become defensive when the Word turns toward us? And what should we do when a sermon makes us uncomfortable?
In this sermon for the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, Pastor Rojas reflects on Herod’s strange response to John: he feared him, protected him, was perplexed by him, and yet kept listening gladly.
The problem wasn’t that Herod hated preaching. He loved preaching, until the sermon confronted the sin he refused to give up. The same danger faces us. We can admire faithful preaching, listen to endless sermons and podcasts, and still avoid repentance by surrounding ourselves only with voices that tell us what we want to hear.
So what do you do when God’s Word exposes your sin? Repent. Not by punishing yourself or earning your way back to God, but by stopping your excuses, confessing the truth, and running to Christ.
John preached repentance because Christ had come. The same Word that exposes your sin points you to the Lamb of God who takes it away. Jesus carried every sin the sermon uncovers to the cross, died for it, and rose again to give you forgiveness, resurrection, and everlasting life.
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