Welcome to a year in the Bible with daily grace. My name is Kristen and my name is Katie and we want to spend a few minutes a day with you walking through the New Testament one chapter at a time.

This year we will fix our gaze upon Christ so that we may know

him, not only with our minds but with our hearts. Together we will learn that

who Jesus is changes everything. Welcome back. My name is Kristen Schmucker and if you are new here we are

diving into the entire New Testament one chapter a day this year. Today we are in Matthew 14. As always I'm using the free behold

reading plan and the behold study guides from the Daily Graceco and I'll link

those for you in the show notes. Let's dive in. Chapter 14 opens with returning us to the story of

John the Baptist. It is interesting to see that Herod heard about Jesus and his ministry and thought that he was John the Baptist raised from the debt.

Matthew kind of gives us a flashback of the events that happened surrounding John's death.

Herod and his family were known for their wicked wickedness John had been put in prison because he told Herod of his sin.

We then see that Herod had his birthday celebration and in light of Herod's sinful lifestyle,

we shouldn't be surprised that Herodias's

daughter is dancing before the king. He was so pleased that he said he would give

her anything that she wanted. Her and her mother decided on John the Baptist's head on a platter. I almost don't even know what to say about this passage. It is such a shocking and disturbing story.

I think what hits me the most is how this passage shows the self-centered nature of

secular culture. A man was killed on such a whim. In this worldview, self is supreme.

This story of John begins and ends with Jesus though.

As hard as it is to read this account,

it is such a sweet reminder that this is who John was.

His whole life was meant to point the world to Jesus,

and he did just that.

We are told that when Jesus heard the news,

...