Malankara World

Sermons Based on the Lectionary of the Church

Sermon of The Week

Beheading of St. John the Baptist

Gospel Reading: St. Matthew 14: 1-12

Sermons:

The Lamb of God - A Voice In The Wilderness by Ralph Bouma

John taught the baptism of repentance. He was identifying their sins, and he was telling them that they must confess their sins, and this was such an offense to the Jews and the scribes and Pharisees, who were the doctors of the law. They thought they were the ones who should be deciding who was sinning and who was not. That's why they asked: Why are you preaching? Why are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ or Elias? They were offended by his doctrine and unwilling to follow. ...

The Witness and Confession of John the Baptist and the Spiritual Meaning of His Witness by Martin Luther

Take heed, therefore, take heed, I say, lest you presume to get rid of the smallest of your sins through your own merit before God, and lest you rob Christ, the Lamb of God, of his credit. John indeed demands that we grow better and repent; but that he does not mean us to grow better of ourselves and to strip off our sins by our own strength, this be declares powerfully by adding, "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." ...

John's Life and Execution Witnessed to and Foreshadowed The Life and Death of Jesus

John the Baptist spoke the word of God to princes and kings, to priests and people alike, with little regard for the consequences. Like the prophet Jeremiah, he spoke out against the tide of moral corruption and spiritual apathy that characterized Israel's leaders at that time. He stood for God's righteousness and spoke out fearlessly when whose in leadership were making a mockery of the law of the Lord. Ultimately, he paid the price for his faithfulness to God - it cost him his head. ...

He Must Increase, I Must Decrease by Bill Randles

The Gospel of John chapter three is constructed in such a way as to make a specific theological point. There is a continuity of thought, from Jesus' discussion with Nicodemus , to the testimony of John the Baptist. It is written, that "By the mouth of two or three witnesses everything shall be confirmed".

This additional vignette of John the Baptist's words to his disciples serves to reinforce the main points of Jesus and Nicodemus' discussion. The background is the concern John's disciples had, when they perceived that Jesus' ministry was eclipsing John's in scope and influence. ...

He Must Increase, But I Must Decrease by Dr. Mike Bagwell

It's one of the shortest verses in the whole New Testament, but one of the greatest as well!
I'm speaking of John 3:30, spoken by John the Baptist concerning the Lord Jesus.
"He must increase, but I must decrease."
The bigger you make Him, the smaller you can become! "He must increase, but I must decrease." This is very important, this sequence....

The Martyrdom of Saint John The Baptist by Father Altier

Today as we celebrate the Feast of the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, it strikes us, initially, as something that most people would not want to be celebrating. Yet, we recognize that this was the greatest act of witness to Christ that John the Baptist performed. Of all the things that John did in preparing the way for the Lord this was the greatest because he was willing to give complete witness of his entire life for the Lord. As he offered himself, he showed the way of the Lord....

Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist - The Fortified City Sin Could Not Penetrate by Father Altier

Here we have the man whom God had chosen to be the harbinger of Christ, to proclaim the coming of Our Lord into this world, to be the one who would set the stage for Our Lord's public life by preparing the hearts of the people to receive the Lord. And now he also is going to lead Our Lord in death to prepare everybody for what is to come. If they would take the man who is "the greatest man born of woman" and they would kill him, then it is no big stretch to be able to think that they would kill God Himself, which is exactly what they did. Every prophet has to die in Jerusalem. They all did, and almost all of them were killed. And it is only afterwards that they proclaim them to be great prophets. ...

Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist - The Greatest Act of Witness to Jesus Christ by Father Altier

We know from Sacred Scripture that Our Lord has told us that Saint John the Baptist is the greatest man born of woman. Now you would think, if that were the case, that God – especially after having bestowed upon him so many extraordinary graces to be able to know who the Messiah was and point Him out to the people, to baptize the people and prepare them for the coming of the Messiah – was going to protect him, shield him, make sure that nothing happened to him. You recall Our Lord Himself telling us that we might be hauled into synagogues and before magistrates and so on, but He said, 'Not a hair on your head is going to be harmed.' When we hear these words and then we look at what happened to John the Baptist, we have to ask ourselves, "What happened? ...

 

Bible Commentaries on St. Matthew 14: 1-12

This section is under construction

Malankara World Journals on St. John The Baptist

Malankara World Journals with the Theme: John The Baptist
(Life and Death)

Volume 6 No 323 January 5 2016
John The Baptist

Volume 5 No 258: January 9 2015
John, The Baptist

Volume 4 No 251: December 5, 2014
Theme: John The Baptist

Volume 3 No 119: January 10 2013
Theme: John, The Baptist

Malankara World Journals with the Theme: John The Baptist
(Birth and Annunciation to Zachariah)

Volume 5 No 317: December 4 2015 
Benedictus, Birth of John, The Baptist

Volume 5 No 313: November 13 2015
Advent, The Season of Hope; Annunciation to Zachariah

Volume 3 No 181: December 5, 2013
Theme: John The Baptist

Volume 2 No 112: Dec 6 2012
Theme: Benedictus, The Canticle of Zachariah

See Also:

Sermons and Bible Commentaries on the Birth of John, The Baptist

Sermons and Bible Commentaries on the Annunciation to Zechariah

More Sermons

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