Herod and Jesus Christ(Luke 9:7-11)

Title: Herod and Jesus Christ

Scripture: Luke 9:7–11

The name Herod appears several times in the New Testament. The Herod family came from the region of Edom. One of their ancestors rose to power under the Roman Empire and was appointed to govern the region of Palestine.

The Herod in today’s passage is Herod Antipas, one of the sons of Herod the Great. He is the one who ordered John the Baptist to be beheaded. Though the Bible mentions “Herod” multiple times, it often refers to the whole Herodian family, which was known for being cruel and politically motivated. Some of them even converted to Judaism, but their actions showed they were driven by power, not faith.

Herod Antipas was the brother of the Herod who killed all the boys under the age of two when Jesus was born. After their father died, three of his sons divided the land and ruled different regions. Herod Antipas ruled Galilee and Perea. Like his brother, he was ruthless and cunning. He divorced his wife and stole Herodias, the wife of his half-brother Philip. Jesus even called him a “fox.”

Why does Luke bring Herod into this story? What message is he trying to convey?

Luke seems to be contrasting the work of Herod with the work of God through Jesus. While Herod lived as a king but acted selfishly, Jesus—the true King—was rejected and mistreated, yet continued to love and serve the people.

Herod valued his privacy and image so much that he killed John the Baptist to protect himself. On the other hand, Jesus welcomed people, even when He was tired, and healed and cared for them.

The Bible says Herod was troubled by all that Jesus was doing. Luke describes this as “all that was happening.” Herod had heard about Jesus—His teachings, His healings, His power to forgive sins. He likely knew that Jesus welcomed sinners and showed love even to the outcasts. But Herod wasn’t interested in grace or love. Instead, he was confused and afraid.

Why? Because some people said Jesus was John the Baptist, risen from the dead. Others thought He was Elijah or one of the ancient prophets.

According to Malachi 4:5–6, Elijah was expected to return before the coming of the Messiah, to call people to repentance. And that’s exactly what John the Baptist did—he called Herod to repent. But instead of listening, Herod had him beheaded.

Herod thought that by killing John, the problem would go away. But now he hears about Jesus, and he’s terrified. That shows Herod knew some Scripture. He even believed in the resurrection. But he didn’t truly understand God’s Word. He saw it all through the lens of power and politics.

Herod had a guilty conscience. He knew he had done wrong. But conscience alone cannot save a person, because even our conscience can become corrupted. Sometimes, people with a guilty conscience do even worse things to silence their inner guilt.

That’s what Herod did. He heard about Jesus and had another chance to repent. But his heart was hardened. He had already rejected God’s voice through John, and now he rejected it again through Jesus.

As Herod’s sin grew stronger, God’s love grew deeper and clearer.

So the question is: Who will win? Sin? Or God’s love?

We, too, can become hardened if we ignore God’s voice and refuse to face our sins honestly. Don’t ignore His loving voice or turn away from His truth. Peace does not come from doing whatever we want. True rest comes from hearing and obeying God.

Psalm 95:7–11 says,

“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts…”

The writer of Hebrews also reminds us:

“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” (Hebrews 3:15)

Again, why is this story about Herod here?

Herod was the king of the region. Knowing what Herod focused on helps us reflect on where our own focus should be. In one sense, we are the kings of our own lives. But we must recognize the true King—Jesus Christ.

Herod was curious about miracles, but he didn’t care about repentance. He even wanted to kill Jesus, just like his father had tried to do when Jesus was born. That family was full of violence and jealousy.

Herod missed the opportunity to be forgiven and saved, even though he had heard about Jesus. His heart was too hard to respond to God’s voice of love.

Sometimes, we may be in the same place as Herod—successful in the world, yet spiritually far from God. The world may call us kings, but that does not mean we are living well in God’s eyes.

Luke finally starts calling the disciples “apostles” in this passage. They had received power from the Holy Spirit to preach and heal. After a time of busy ministry, Jesus gave them rest. Like a good shepherd, He led them to a quiet place in Bethsaida, a small town east of the Jordan River, away from the crowds.

But when the people found Him again, Jesus didn’t turn them away. He welcomed them, taught them God’s Word, healed the sick, and later performed the miracle of feeding the five thousand.

So the final question is this:
Who is your king?
Is it your own self, like Herod?
Or is it Jesus Christ, the true King?

If we truly hear God’s voice, and respond with humility, we will find real peace and true rest. I pray that we will all listen to His voice today, and follow Him.