A man of similar worth ruled in the Roman empire. The son of Herod the Great was Herod Antipas, who was referred to as Herod the tetrarch (Matthew 14:1; Luke 3:1). A tetrarch is someone who governs a fourth part of a kingdom. His father, Herod the Great, divided his large kingdom into four parts and gave them to his sons, an action confirmed by the Roman senate.

Herod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great, the half-brothers of Aristobulus (of which Herodias was his daughter) and Philip. He was the brother-in-law and half-uncle to Herodias and a half-great uncle to Salome. If that wasn’t confusing enough then Herod Antipas, one of three Tetrarchs (his brothers being the other two), stole Herodias from Philip and divorced his wife who was the daughter of the King of Petra, Aretas IV. It was for this reason that John the Baptist confronted Herod Antipas for his adultery!

Antipas was a pathetic and weak man who – at the request of his soon-to-be mistress “Salome” (his step-daughter) carried out her demand (originating from her mother Herodias) to murder John the Baptist.

Herod Antipas cared about his pleasure and did not consider God, his leadership responsibilities, or his roles as a husband and father. We all have a temptation to live for ourselves and our own pleasure over our responsibilities. Steven V Roberts noted: “In this Age of Self, the language is filled with phrases that glorify personal choice above all other values: self-determination, self-knowledge, self-esteem, self-help even do-it-yourself.”

Jesus taught that we should deny ourselves and glorify God. His values directly contradicted Herod's corrupt leadership. Instead of seeking political power, Jesus perfectly followed the will of God

Herodias was clearly destined to a life of evil – marrying first Herod II, the son of the evil Herod “the Great” and then falsely divorcing him to marry his far viler brother Herod Antipas. Her crime didn’t end with bigamy. Saint John the Baptist was rather vocal at the time about the bigamous marriage of Herodias and Herod Antipas and it raised the ire of the adulteress – to a point where she would not be happy until she saw him slaughtered.

Herod and Herodias ignored God's warnings.

God has given us clear warnings about pursuing “the wages of sin.” We are to seek our joy in Christ and not in the momentary pleasures of the flesh.

John the Baptist went through an incredible time of testing when Herod imprisoned and then beheaded him. Because of John’s faithfulness, Herod will be without excuse! He was confronted and advised to repent! But he refused God’s offer.

John remained faithful until death! John suffered while in prison but the glory of his faithfulness speaks even today.

John will cast his crowns before His Lord in glory. From the book, Embracing God as Father: Christian Identity in the Family of God,

“When we are relatively untroubled, it’s easy to have a feel-good “God” whom we smile at as a sort of fairy God-father who meets all our felt needs (not necessarily our real needs). But it’s in times of deep suffering that our heavenly Father’s true love becomes ever more richly known to us. Through times of trial and difficulty, we discover we don’t have an indulgent God-father, but rather the awesome God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—our Shepherd, Savior, and Lord.”

In what is probably his most famous moment, Herod Antipas, stood in judgement of Jesus Christ when Pontius Pilate felt incapable of the task. Antipas was most annoyed at Jesus’ silence so, he sent Jesus back to Pilate to be murdered upon the demands of the Jews.

We all make mistakes. Antipas didn’t just make one major mistake. He kept making selfish decisions that ultimately ended in tragedy.

Antipas didn’t just behead John the Baptist – but that alone would make him worthy for a place in this series. Fittingly, he died in exile after plotting to overthrow Emperor Caligula. He is the one Jesus was sent to during His trials and eventual crucifixion (Luke 23).

Herod Antipas made terrible decisions that helped assure his short-term pleasure, safety, and wealth.

Now that we have observed one of the worst leaders in history, I want to discuss good leadership for a moment. Charles Moore, after four years of research at the United Parcel Service reached the following conclusions:
1. Good decisions take a lot of time.
2. Good decisions combine the efforts of a number of people.
3. Good decisions give individuals the freedom to dissent.
4. Good decisions are reached without any pressure from the top to reach an artificial consensus.
5. Good decisions are based on the participation of those responsible for implementing them.

As Christians, when we make difficult, important decisions; it is wise for us to pray, read Scripture, consult trusted family members and friends, use God-given common sense, and look at our circumstances. When we read Scripture and pray, it is helpful to judge if our actions are consistent with God's will as revealed in Scripture. These are suggestions. There is no magic formula or 5 step method to making good, God-honoring decisions. Do we seek God's wisdom and will in our life? Are we willing to place Christ on the throne of our lives? What do our actions reveal about our priorities?