Pastor Scotty examines Herod Antipas's troubled conscience as reports of Jesus' miracles and preaching spread, connecting Herod's fear to John the Baptist's bold call to repentance and his brutal execution. Tracing the unstoppable power of God's Word and the danger of a hardened heart, Scotty contrasts subjective feelings of guilt with the objective reality of sin—and the objective promise of forgiveness in Christ. Through warnings from Scripture and the story of Herodias and Jezebel, he calls us to fear the Lord, stop covering sin, and humbly confess and forsake it, receiving God's mercy. Be encouraged to live with urgency, keep God's Word close, and be ready to give an answer as you walk in the freedom of His forgiveness.

Key Scripture References:

• Luke 9:7–9 — Herod hears of Jesus, is perplexed, and seeks to see Him (main text)
• Matthew 14:1—12 — John the Baptist imprisoned and beheaded (Herod, Herodias, and her daughter)
• Luke 3:19—20 — Herod adds to his evils by locking John in prison
• Acts 19:20 — "The word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed"
• Hebrews 4:12—13 — The Word is living and piercing; all is naked and open before God
• Isaiah 55:11 — God's Word does not return void
• Proverbs 28:13 — Conceal sin and fail; confess and forsake to find mercy
• Proverbs 11:21 — "The wicked will not go unpunished" (correct reference)
• 1 Kings 19:1—2; 21:1—16 — Jezebel's threats against Elijah; Naboth's vineyard (Ahab/Jezebel parallel)
• Luke 23:8—11 — Jesus before Herod: Herod seeks a sign; Jesus answers nothing
• Romans 1:28—32 — God "gave them over"; the catalogue of sins
• 1 Timothy 4:2 — Seared consciences
• 1 John 1:9 — Confess your sins; He is faithful and just to forgive
• Matthew 9:13 — "I desire mercy and not sacrifice"

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