John Knox: Showdown at Holyrood

Whilst John Knox was initially a reluctant preacher, once he accepted the call, he moved forward with unflinching determination and undaunted courage. It was said of him that he feared not the face of men. And while the fires of martyrs were burning all over Britain, they only served to intensify his zeal for the Gospel. Ruling was Mary, Queen of Scots, and it was said that many a reformer wilted under pressure in front of her. However, that was not the case with John Knox. He stood before her and spoke without fear and answered boldly for his faith.

Occasion. He was brought before her here at Holyrood palace in Edinburgh, charged with heresy, and she said he instructed the people to keep a religion forbidden by the state. Thus, she said, he transgressed the command of God, requiring that subjects obey their princes. However, he was able to answer with strong and compelling reason, saying that right religion receives its original strength and authority not from worldly princes, but from the eternal God alone.

He went on to use some analogies from the past that strongly supported his argument. If all the seed of Abraham were the religion of Pharaoh, what religion would there have been in the earth? Or if in the days of the Apostles, all men were the religion of the Roman emperors, then what religion would have been on the face of the earth? And so he said, you may perceive, madam, that subjects are not bound by the religion of their princes, albeit they are required to give them obedience.

Mary responded, ye interpret the Scriptures one way and they, the Roman Catholic teachers, interpret another way. Whom shall I believe and whom shall be the judge?

Ye shall believe God, that plainly speaking, speaketh in his word and further than the Word teaches, ye shall neither believe the one nor the other. The word of God is plain in itself. And if there appear any obscurity in one place, the Holy Ghost, which is never contrary to itself, explains the same more clearly in other places. So there can remain no doubt except unto such as obstinately remain ignorant.

John Knox pointed to the supremacy of the Bible and the internal consistency of the Bible in being able to answer the challenging questions that were put before him. It was answers such as these that illustrate just how bold he was. But it was not just his intellect that put fear into Mary Queen of Scots, but also his prayer life. It was said by her, I feared the prayers of John knox. More than 10,000 men armed and ready for war. John Knox started his ministry carrying a two handed sword, following his teacher, George Wishart. But by the end of his ministry ministry, he was more famous for his prayer life.

Prayer is a gift that has been given to the believer an opportunity to talk to God, to present our petitions and lay our burdens to him. May we strike fear in the enemy's kingdom, not through might, but through a faithful prayer life. But it is the key in the hand of faith to unlock heaven's storehouse.