THE MURDER OF JOHN THE BAPTIST (Mark 6:14-29)
INTRODUCTION:
As I stated in the end of my message last Sunday, Mark interrupts his narrative of Jesus sending out the apostles to tell us the fate of John the Baptist. John the Baptist was the forerunner of the Messiah, Jesus Christ and his preaching always pointed to the Lord Jesus, whom he declared to be the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! If the religious leaders would have recognized John the Baptist as a prophet, they would have been compelled to receive the One of whom he spoke. By rejecting Jesus, they rejected John the Baptist as well. As a martyr, John the Baptist prefigured the type of persecution Jesus’ followers would face for their faithfulness to Him. This historical event is as dramatic as any event recorded for us in the New Testament, it is only exceeded by the historical account of the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
At the center of this historical event is a regional monarch named Herod Antipas. His father, Herod the Great, ruled the nation of Israel under Rome’s direction for 36 years. Herod the Great was not a Jew, but an Idumean, a descendant of Esau, and for this reason He was not popular among the Jews. He was a wicked and brutal ruler. When he died, the territory that he ruled was divided up by Rome and each territory was given to one of his surviving sons. The territory of Galilee and Perea was given to Herod Antipas to rule. Perea ran along the westside of the Jordan river and western side of the Dead Sea. Herod Antipas had a palace in Tiberius which was on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee in the territory of Galilee and a fortress in Machaerus overlooking the Dead Sea in Perea. Herod Antipas of all the sons of Herod the Great survived the longest, holding his seat of power for 42 years.
The sons of Herod the Great did not inherit the level of power and prestige that their father enjoyed. They did, however, inherit his character so that they were equally as immoral and barbaric. They were not absolute monarchs, but vassals of Rome. Because of this they had little influence outside of the territory that they ruled for Rome. Yet inside their territory, they had the power and authority to use military force and to exercise capital punishment. Mark writes this event from the perspective of Herod Antipas. Let’s pray then read our passage of Scripture.
--PRAY--
SCRIPTURE:
Turn in your Bibles to Mark 6:14-29, our Scripture passage for this morning. Please, if you are able, stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word, and follow along as I read.
Mark 6:14-29,
“And King Herod heard of it, for His name had become well known; and people were saying, ‘John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.’ But others were saying, ‘He is Elijah.’ And others were saying, ‘He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.’ But when Herod heard of it, he kept saying, ‘John, whom I beheaded, has risen!’ For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. For John had been saying to Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’ Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death and could not do so; for Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; but he used to enjoy listening to him. A strategic day came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his lords and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee; and when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.’ And he swore to her, ‘Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to half of my kingdom.’ And she went out and said to her mother, ‘What shall I ask for?’ And she said, ‘The head of John the Baptist.’ Immediately she came in a hurry to the king and asked, saying, ‘I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.’ And although the king was very sorry, yet because of his oaths and because of his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her. Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and had him beheaded in the prison, and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about this, they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb.” (Mark 6:14–29, NASB95)[1]
JOHN IS HE JESUS? (Mark 6:14-15)
Jesus had sent the twelve apostles out in pairs on their first short-term ministry trip. As they traveled through Galilee, they preached the gospel and performed miracles. News of their ministry spread until even Herod Antipas heard of it. Whether this was the first time he was hearing about Jesus or up to this point he had not paid any attention to this itinerate preacher, but because of what people were saying he begins to take an interest in this preacher named Jesus and the impact He is having on his territory to rule.
That Jesus’ name had become well-known indicates for us that the apostles’ preaching was pointing the people to Jesus. In other words, they were making sure the people they were ministering to understood that their message and their power to perform miracles was not their own but was from Jesus. The explosion of miraculous power in Jesus’ name had caused the crowds to recognize that Jesus was no ordinary prophet. As word about Jesus continued to spread, people began to speculate as to whom this man might be. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.” (Mark 6:14b, NASB95)[2] The fact that this man possessed supernatural power and that His name was becoming more well-known and His popularity among the local people was growing, and that John the Baptist had been recently executed, the thought and idea arose in the minds of some that Jesus might be John the Baptist in resurrected form.
“But others were saying, ‘He is Elijah.’ And others were saying, ‘He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.’ ” (Mark 6:15, NASB95)[3] The people knew from the book of Malachi that one like Elijah was to come before the arrival of the Messiah. They failed to understand that John the Baptist had fulfilled that role. Some thought He was a prophet like Moses or Elisha—miracle-working, Old Testament prophets. Though the speculating did not lead them to the true identity of Jesus, they knew that His ministry was unique and His power supernatural.
As these reports about Jesus reached Herod Antipas, he became fixated on Jesus. In the parallel passage to this one in Luke 9, Luke writes this concerning Herod in verse 7-9, “Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was happening; and he was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen again. Herod said, ‘I myself had John beheaded; but who is this man about whom I hear such things?’ And he kept trying to see Him.” (Luke 9:7–9, NASB95)[4] Luke tells us that Herod desired to see Jesus, but unlike the curious crowds that gathered wherever He was to hear Him teach or to witness Him performing a miracle, Herod’s fascination with Jesus and his desire to see Him was motivated by guilty fear.
JOHN THE BAPTIST’S ARREST (Mark 6:16-20)
Herod’s alarm when news about Jesus reached him is understandable. Especially the reports that people thought that Jesus was John risen from the dead. Mark writes that when he heard this he began saying repeatedly, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen!” (Mark 6:16b, NASB95)[5] The fear and apprehension that Herod was suffering was the result of his own wicked actions toward John the Baptist. Even though Herod regarded John the Baptist as a righteous man, he had imprisoned him for a year or more before beheading him in a barbaric fashion. Herod’s dread and superstition were getting the best of him and his desire to see Jesus was so that he could know for certain whether Jesus was John risen from the dead. If this truly were John the Baptist resurrected from the dead this could be a threat to Herod’s power or worse John could have it out for him since he put him to death. At this point, Herod would have tried to kill Jesus if given the opportunity.
Mark relates the rest of this historical event in the form of a flashback, in which he reviews for us the details of John’s arrest, imprisonment, and execution. Mark writes that Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison. The fact that Herod himself had given this order shows us that this was something personal. His anger toward the forerunner of Jesus Christ was not motivated by political unrest, popular demand, or Roman decree; it stemmed from a deep-seated anger and a desire to get revenge. Remember that John had been baptizing in the Jordan river somewhere along the southern shore in Perea. Not only was he baptizing but he also was preaching a singular message of repentance in preparation for the Messiah’s coming. Thousands of people were flocking out to see him and hear him and many confessed their sin, publicly demonstrating their desire to live a righteous life by being baptized by John. John’s call for repentance was an open condemnation of the immoral, lustful, and corrupt life of Herod Antipas. When the bold prophet heard that the king was living in incest and adultery on account of Herodias, the wife of Herod’s half-brother Philip, whom Herod had married; John the Baptist did not hesitate to confront the sin of the adulterous king. Not only was Herodias Herod’s niece (being the daughter of Aristobulus, a half-brother of Herod Antipas) but she was already married to another of Herod’s half-brothers, Herod Philip I. Not only this but Herod Antipas was already married to the daughter of King Aretas, who ruled Nabatean Arabia which was southwest of the Dead Sea. Compounding his unlawful divorce with adultery and incest, Herod Antipas seduced his niece to divorce his half-brother so that he could marry her. Herod Antipas’ wickedness not only angered his former father-in-law, King Aretas, who brought an army against Herod Antipas and would have defeated him if Roman troops had not intervened; it also outraged John the Baptist who publicly rebuked the regional monarch for his blatant sin.
We are not told how John the Baptist confronted Herod Antipas, but John must have begun preaching against Herod’s actions, until angering the king and he responded by sending soldiers to arrest John and bring him to the fortress near the Dead Sea. Mark writes, “For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”” (Mark 6:18, NASB95)[6] That John had been saying these things indicates that he repeated this rebuke on multiple occasions, even after Herod threw him into prison. If you remember back in chapter 1, verse 14 John’s imprisonment took place shortly after Jesus’ baptism and His temptation by Satan in the wilderness.
Over the next year or so John the Baptist was imprisoned in the dungeon of Herod’s fortress in Machaerus. The fortress was built on a high hilltop, offering stunning views of the surrounding countryside. Deep in the earth below, the musty dungeon offered no natural light or fresh air, and it was here that Herod Antipas imprisoned John the Baptist. After living his entire life in the open expanses of the Judean wilderness, John ended his days in the isolation of Herod’s dungeon.
John the Baptist was a faithful prophet of God and as such he was fearless when it came to confronting sin, even to those who were powerful and often brutal leaders. His confronting Herod about his sin was born out of that holy boldness that John possessed born out of a conviction to speak for God rather than please men. As a result of John’s confrontation with Herod Antipas, Mark writes that Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death to appease her own conscience by ending John’s rebukes. She was not able to do this, because Herod was afraid of John, Herod knew that John was a righteous and holy man, and so he kept him safe in his dungeon out of the reach of his new wife Herodias. Not only did Herod fear John, but he also feared the people because of John’s popularity. Herod’s wicked mind, as so clearly shown to us here, was dominated by fear and apprehension. Initially, he was afraid to kill John. Then, after he killed him, he became terrified that John had come back from dead and would come for him in vengeance. In stark contrast to Herod’s fear is John’s complete trust in the Lord.
In a bit of irony Mark tells us that Herod enjoyed listening to John’s preaching, even though John spoke out against the king’s immorality. His preaching perplexed Herod, but he used to enjoy listening to him. John the Baptist was without doubt a powerful communicator. On some superficial level, Herod was intrigued by the enthusiastic preaching of his prisoner. It was this erratic combination of fear and curiosity that kept Herod from putting John to death.
JOHN THE BAPTIST’S FATE (Mark 6:21-24)
Despite Herod’s fear and curiosity, John’s fate was sealed on Herod’s birthday when John’s imprisonment in Herod’s fortress ended. Mark writes how it happened, “A strategic day came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his lords and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee;” (Mark 6:21, NASB95)[7] For the Jews birthday parties were pagan celebrations that were avoided. But not for the Romans or apparently for the Herods. A birthday was an excuse for uninhibited partying, they were often characterized by overindulgence, gluttony, drunkenness, and sexual deviance. This was the sort of party to which Herod invited his nobles, military commanders, and the political elite of Galilee. His dinner guests, limited to men only, was attended by anyone who was anybody in Herod’s territory. This party would be a lustful affair as shown by the erotic entertainment that amused those in attendance.
The high point of the evening was when Herodias’ daughter came and danced for the men. The Jewish historian Josephus tells us that the name of the daughter of Herodias was Salome. Mark writes, “…and when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests” (Mark 6:22a, NASB95)[8] Salome’s provocative dance was a highly suggestive, erotic performance, the men in their drunken stupor were pleased with her performance. This lewd dance before a room full of lusting men caused Herod to foolishly promise the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” And he swore to her, ‘Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to half of my kingdom.’ ” (Mark 6:22b–23, NASB95)[9] Herod’s open offer to this girl was nothing more than empty boasting. In reality, he did not have anything to give, since he ruled his territory only as a proxy of Rome. Motivated by foolish pride, and sexual perversion, Herod in his drunkenness took an oath in the hearing of his guests and bound himself to the fancies of his wife’s daughter.
Before giving an answer, the girl knew just whom to seek, Mark writes, “And she went out and said to her mother, ‘What shall I ask for?’ ” (Mark 6:24a, NASB95)[10] Herodias is like a New Testament Jezebel, she was wicked, wily, and vindictive. She resented John the Baptist for his tireless attack on her sinful life, which not only stung her conscience but also stirred up dissent among her husband’s subjects. From the moment of John’s arrest, she wanted him put to death. So, she knew that Herod’s birthday would be a strategic day for her to get rid of John the Baptist. Her hatred for him was so bitter that she permitted her daughter to perform a lewd dance for Herod and his guests just so she could get what she wanted. So, when Salome asked her mother what she should ask for, Herodias did not hesitate. “And she said, ‘The head of John the Baptist.’ ” (Mark 6:24b, NASB95)[11]
JOHN THE BAPTIST’S MURDER (Mark 6:25-29)
Salome hurried to honor her mother’s request by rushing back to Herod Antipas before he had a chance to sober up or change his mind. Mark writes, “Immediately she came in a hurry to the king and asked, saying, ‘I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.’ ” (Mark 6:25, NASB95)[12] This surely caught Herod off guard, never would he have thought that this is what she would ask for as a reward. Herod knew he was stuck. He did not want to kill John the Baptist and had kept him safe for so long. But having made this bold promise to the girl in front of his guests, then sealing the promise with an oath. To maintain his pride and not lose face in front of his guests he had no choice. “And although the king was very sorry, yet because of his oaths and because of his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her.” (Mark 6:26, NASB95)[13] It was not personal integrity that motivated Herod to keep his promise, his only thought was to do what was necessary to keep up appearances. In the first century world that Herod lived in promises made with an oath were considered especially binding and unbreakable. Having made the promise in the presence of his guests—many of whom were political supporters and military dignitaries—Herod could not go back on his word without losing face. Mark said that Herod was very sorry, yet his fear of embarrassment prevented him from doing what he knew to be right. He was filled with regret, but this sorrow had no connection to true repentance. He must have realized that he had been trapped by his wife, Herod could find no other option than to give Salome what she requested, anything else would only bring about his humiliation.
“Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and had him beheaded in the prison,” (Mark 6:27, NASB95)[14] Even though Herod Antipas was only a petty pseudo-king who functioned as no more than a servant under Roman oversight, he had the authority to exercise capital punishment within his territory. The executioner went and beheaded John the Baptist in the prison. Mark writes, “…and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.” (Mark 6:28, NASB95)[15] Why was John’s head set on a platter and brought to the girl? As grisly and barbaric as this seems, this was the guarantee that the execution had been carried out. What Herodias did with John’s head we are not told, some throughout time have suggested that in her rage she mutilated the prophet’s head, but this cannot be verified, it would certainly fit what we know of this vulgar queen.
If the executioner were good at his job, it would have taken one precise stroke of the blade and instantly John the Baptist entered into his glorious eternal rest, to receive his full reward for uncompromising faithfulness to God. He was not only the greatest and last of the Old Testament prophets, but he was also the first martyr for Jesus Christ. His entire life was devoted to pointing others to the coming Messiah. Even in his death, he remained faithful to his God-given task.
“When his disciples heard about this, they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb.” (Mark 6:29, NASB95)[16] It is hard to imagine the heartbreak and grief John’s disciples would have felt on hearing that John the Baptist had been executed, then to go and take his headless body and give it a proper burial. John the Baptist had been both their teacher from God and their leader. God had used John’s preaching in their lives to convict them of sin and bring them to the place of repentance. He had also pointed them to the Messiah. So, it should not surprise that in the parallel account in Matthew that we are told that John’s disciples after they had buried his body, came and reported to Jesus that John the Baptist was dead. (Matthew 14:12)
CONCLUSION:
It was not until after the death of John the Baptist, and people began to speculate that Jesus might be John resurrected from the dead that Herod Antipas began to pay attention to the ministry of Jesus Christ. Fearing that John had come back from the dead, Herod sought an opportunity to see Jesus. That meeting did not take place until a few hours before the Lord’s crucifixion. According to Luke, Pontus Pilate sent Jesus to Herod Antipas because Pilate could find no guilt in Him. In the end, Herod saw Jesus. He was undoubtedly relieved to finally see that He was not John the Baptist risen from the dead. Jesus Christ was in truth far more than John the Baptist, but to Herod He seemed far less—nothing more than a curiosity whom he ridiculed and then sent back to Pilate.
In Herod’s interactions with both John the Baptist and with Jesus, Herod Antipas stands like Judas as a monumentally tragic figure in history. He had a great man, a most honored prophet of God in his hands, and he locked him in a dungeon until he had him executed at the bidding of his wife. More importantly, he had an audience with the King of kings, and he mocked Him and turned Him away. Such wasted opportunity was the result of his treacherous love for sin, his arrogant unwillingness to believe, and his cowardly fear of the truth. Herod Antipas claimed to rule over others, but in the light of the truth he was a man controlled by the fear of man. His fear of the people at the beginning kept him from killing John the Baptist. His fear of his friends finally drove him to order John’s execution. His fear of John the Baptist made him anxious when he heard about Jesus. But his fear turned to scorn when he finally had an audience with the Son of God. Herod feared everyone except the Lord Jesus, and the result was everlasting condemnation. Who do you fear? Fearing man will lead you down the same path that it led Herod which will end in everlasting judgment. Fearing God and bowing before Him in repentance and faith will lead you into His eternal kingdom of blessing, joy, and salvation.
[1]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[2]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[3]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[4]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[5]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[6]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[7]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[8]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[9]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[10]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[11]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[12]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[13]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[14]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[15]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[16]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.