The Gospel of Mark 6:14-29
“And King Herod heard 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 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.” Now Herodias was holding a grudge against him
and was wanting to put him to death and was not able;20 for Herod was afraid of
John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he was keeping him
safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; but he used to enjoy
listening to him.
“And a strategic day came when Herod on his birthday gave
a banquet for his great men 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.” And 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 did not
want to refuse her.
And immediately the king sent an executioner and
commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and beheaded him in the
prison, and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the
girl gave it to her mother. And when his
disciples heard this, they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb.”
Jesus had just commissioned His twelve disciples and sent
them to proclaim the good news of peace through Jesus Christ and repentance throughout
the land of Judea. As they went, they cast out demons and healed the sick. Certainly,
many heard of what was happening and the name by which this is done, Jesus.
This caused Jesus to become well known in the land “and
people were saying,” about Him that, “John the Baptist has risen from
the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.” For
at this time, John the Baptist had been dead. “But others were saying, “He is
Elijah.” Who was prophesied to return, And others were saying, “He is a
prophet, like the prophet that Moses said would come that would be like
himself or, like one of the prophets of old, like the prophets that had
come before, a new one has come.
“But when Herod heard 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.” Herod Antipas ruled over Galilee and
Perea, where both Jesus and John the Baptist concentrated their ministries.[1]
Around AD 29 Herod Antipas took a trip to Rome, and on the way, he paid a visit
to his half-brother Herod Philip. Herod Antipas fell in love with Herodias,
Philip’s wife, who was also Herod Antipas’s niece.[2]
For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you
to have your brother’s wife.” The marriage of Antipas and Herodias violated the
Mosaic law that forbade marriage to a brother’s wife (Lev 18:16; 20:21) except to
raise children for a deceased childless brother by a levirate marriage (Deut
25:5; Mark 12:19). In this case, Philip not only had a child, Salome, but he
was still alive.[3]
Herodias, Herod’s wife was enraged by John the Baptist for
his continued proclamation of repentance to Herod. Repentance is the undoing of
what we have done amiss, as far as it is in our power. If Herod repented of his
marriage, it would cause Herodias to become poor and have no power and control.
She was married to a king whom she loved enough to marry even though she was
already married to Phillip, Herod’s brother. “Herodias was holding a grudge
against him and was wanting to put him to death and was not able;”
Herod was afraid of John because he was righteous and a holy
man. John would speak to Herod about what was right according to Yahweh and
what he needed to do to repent of his wicked ways. John had an interest in Herod thus he reproved
him for “faithful are the wounds of a friend” (Prov. 27:6)
and that is probably why Herod was perplexed by what he was saying.
“And a strategic day came when Herod on his birthday gave
a banquet for his great men and military commanders and the leading men of
Galilee;” Why a strategic day? It was strategic because Herodias and perhaps
Herod would use this time to murder John the Baptist. Celebrations like this
don’t just happen in one day, they may take a week. And, in this time, when the
officials gathered Herodias’s daughter came and danced before Herod.
The dance was very good and pleased Herod and, in his
brashness, He said to her “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.” This was
the plan, A grand event like the king’s birthday and a feast, the daughter of
Herodias must dance publicly, and Herod must be charmed by her, The king then
must make an extravagant promise bound by an oath. Matthew Henry comments, “I
can scarcely think he would have made such an unlimited promise, but that he
knew what she would ask.”
The daughter of Herodias then runs to make a request, one
smaller than half the kingdom, but greater in the scheme of things through her
mother, Herodias. “And 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.” Herod would feign sorrow for John, and then grant the request to
have him executed by removing his head and having it presented on a platter to
Herodias’s daughter who in turn gave it as a present to her mother.
And there we have a plot through a deception to remove the
light from one’s presence so that darkness may remain. John the Baptist was the
greatest of those born of man. He was the last of the Old Covenant prophets. He
was set apart before birth to be Elijah, the one who came to prepare the way
for Jesus. He baptized people and preached the repentance of sins. And true to
a prophet of old, though he was right before God, he saw his end at the hands
of a sinful, wicked man.
Can you listen to that story and say that Herod Antipas and
Herodias were in the right? Was it wrong of John to interfere? Should he have
minded his own business? I say no. Every follower of Jesus must expose darkness
and call people to repentance. Why? Because sin and evil lead to death.
Look at the world today and tell me that there isn’t a
culture of death. The LGBTQ+ fight to destroy the family, Trandgenderism fights
to destroy women, Marxism seeks to destroy the right of personal property and
individuality, Abortion in the name of “Health Care” murders unborn humans in
the womb and dehumanizes the baby to a clump of cells. Women, children, and men
are trafficked as slaves and used for whatever pleases the wicked owners.
How about you? Here you stand listening to these words. Are
you like Herod? Are you mused by what we say? Is it pleasing to you? Why aren’t
you perplexed by what we preach, that of righteousness and truth? You say that
Herod was not righteous, you’re right, but John was, and he died for what is
right, the righteousness of God.
Love Yahweh with all that you have and give your life to Him
who created you. Put away your idols and seek God and His righteousness. Stop
using God’s name as a cuss word and living your lives in vain. Remember to take
a day rest to worship the triune God; Father, Son, and Spirit, three in one. Speak
well of your parents and honor them, for it will go well with you. Stop
murdering and hating each other but love your brother with brotherly affection.
Stop committing adultery and lusting after people, stop
living a life of sexual immoral desires and deviancy. Stop stealing from
people, instead find work, you are capable, and work is honorable. Do not give
false testimony about others or even yourself, speak the truth. And finally, be
content with what you have, stop desiring another’s wife or husband or
pet or tent or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Jesus came to save
sinners. Sinners suppress the truth and hide in their darkness because they
love darkness. They are unbelieving, vile, foolish, rebellious, haters of God
who have adopted the ideologies of this world and the doctrines of men. They
have become slaves to their sexual desires, perverting the flesh and mind, and rebelling
against the created order of God. They are doomed to condemnation and will be
judged by Jesus and sent to Hell where they will burn for eternity in the lake
of fire.
[1]
Elwell, W. A., & Comfort, P. W. (2001). In Tyndale Bible
dictionary (p. 599). Tyndale House Publishers.
[2]
Elwell, W. A., & Comfort, P. W. (2001). In Tyndale Bible
dictionary (p. 599). Tyndale House Publishers.
[3]
Elwell, W. A., & Comfort, P. W. (2001). In Tyndale Bible
dictionary (p. 599). Tyndale House Publishers.
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