Matthew 14:1-12 The Birthday Gift
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: April 9, 2019, Matthew 14:1-12
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
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.
(Understanding the Text) Herod had been given plenty of chances to choose to serve God. He had the man that Jesus called the greatest born among men in his custody. He had one of the most persuasive speakers for God telling him to come to God, but he refused the message. It’s true that Herodias hated John and wanted him dead, but Herod could have released John at any time, and he didn’t. Herod made his own choices to turn away from the right to the wrong. One of the reasons given here for Herod not killing John is that he worried about the effect that John’s death would have on the people. Thus, Herodias is not the only one to blame for the murder of John. She was the catalyst that pushed Herod to do what he actually wanted, yet feared, to do. He may have been sorry, but he had never released John, and Herod cared more about his own reputation than doing what was right. If he were truly serving God, he would not even think about hurting God’s representative.
(Revelation of God) John’s disciples went straight to Jesus to tell Him about the death. This shows that John had maintained that Jesus was the Messiah even until his death. The disciples knew that John would want Jesus to know. They also knew that Jesus would want to know. Maybe, they went to Jesus for comfort also. I wonder how many of them joined the disciples who followed Jesus from place to place. Were any of them part of the 70 who were sent out or the hundreds that witnessed Jesus’ ascension? I think many of them were.
Herod was so guilt-ridden about killing John that he could not believe that he would go unpunished. When he heard about Jesus’ ministry, it seemed like history repeating itself. All he could think was that John had come back to haunt him. John did not perform any miracles while he was alive. Herod thought that the reason Jesus was John and could now perform miracles where he couldn’t before was because John had been raised from the dead. Herod superstitiously thought that being raised from the dead would give a person powers that were not present beforehand. This was not true in the cases of people raised from the dead in the Biblical accounts, except of course for increased health. The Bible nowhere records that being raised from the dead made a person have special powers. (Of course, I am not speaking of the resurrection or translation that leads to having a glorified body.)
(Application) My application for myself is that I need to do what God prompts me to do regardless of the desires of those around me. I need to stay faithful to Jesus to the end regardless of appearances and circumstances in my environment. I need to go to Jesus when tragedy strikes me rather than turn away from him. I need to have faith that rejecting God will hurt others mentally while following God will bring mental health and peace.
(Prayer) I want to be faithful to you, but all too often I think of other people’s opinions before Yours. I worry about their disapproval more than basking in Your approval. Remind me that You are there for me even when the world is not. Be with me always.