At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, 2 and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 3 For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, 4 because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. 6 But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, 7 so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” 9 And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. 10 He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, 11 and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus. Matthew 14: 1-12 ESV
Matthew 14 Death of the Baptist
…18With these and many other exhortations, John proclaimed the good news to the people. 19But when he rebuked Herod the tetrarch regarding his brother’s wife Herodias and all the evils he had done, 20Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.… Luke 3: 18-20
Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus - He is the son of Herod the Great, the one who tried to have Jesus killed as an infant, making a proclamation to go and kill all the small boys throughout the land, in the hopes of killing the Messiah. John had been preaching the message of repentance throughout the land, and he is the one who baptized Jesus. John has decreased as Christ is ever increasing, and the fame of His teaching and miracles has reached even the ruling class.
…29The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom stands and listens for him, and is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30He must increase; I must decrease. 31The One who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks as one from the earth. The One who comes from heaven is above all.… John 3: 29-31
This is John the Baptist - Herod had history with John, had heard John preach, and now it seems to him the ghost of his conscience has come to haunt him, but this Jesus is actually a different person. When we will not accept the truth then we are plagued by superstition, we fall victim to our own deceit. John was put in prison for no sin other than telling the truth, and I would not lock up nor kill a man for disagreeing with me, even if I thought what he said a lie or offensive, but it is in Herod's power to do so, and so he abuses it. This is the example, the outplaying of the past chapter, the pains that men will take to remain in their unbelief, to pursue that which God has damned. We always want to kill the messenger, and for some, that the messenger dies is proof enough that they are in the right for killing him. Herod realizes that many believe John to be a prophet, and so he doesn't want to kill him for fear of the people, but his wife also doesn't want to hear that they are sinners, and John is quite blunt. When we kill the messenger it proves nothing of the message, for Isaiah was said to be murdered by Manasseh, yet Isaiah's prophecies continue to come to past.
i. “He imagined still that he saw and heard that holy head shouting and crying out against him, staring him also in the face at every turn…God hath laid upon evil-doers the cross of their own consciences, that thereon they may suffer afore they suffer; and their greatest enemies need not wish them a greater mischief.” (Trapp)
For the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife - This is the hardest family tree to follow, multiple Herods, multiple Phillips, and here is this woman, his brother's wife, but also the daughter of one of his other brothers. Herod seduces her on a visit to her husband, who is also her uncle, and she leaves one uncle for another. We have incest upon incest mixed with adultery. Note the language here, she is with Herod now, but this is written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and He refuses to recognize her as Herod's wife, instead she is called, "his brother Philip's wife." She is livid about this, offended, like the Nazarenes were offended by this carpenter's Son. Who are you, dressed in camel skins, with locust legs stuck between your teeth, to even dare confront royalty? He's God's messenger, and God is above all rulers, every kingdom. Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. She won't come to the light, and she wants it turned off, they always kill the messenger. She can't have someone that she sees as beneath her telling her that she is wrong, there can be no disagreement, can't even agree to disagree, no, she will have it no other way than that you condone what God has condemned. John is a true prophet though, so he will die on the word of God, proclaiming the word of God. She will have a brief moment here on earth, with the pride of life, the arrogance of murder, having her way will only be for a moment. All she can do to John is send him off to eternal glory. Unbelief is powerful, fueled by pride, it will refuse to believe in the face of great evidence, it will seek to snuff out every candle it can, and in desperation it will finally gouge out it's own eyes. God said thou shalt not commit adultery, and He gave specific instruction against incest, but woe to the man who repeats what God says to those who love what He hates.
14 King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
15 Others said, “He is Elijah.”
And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”
16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”
17 For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, 20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him. Mark 6: 14-20
Daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod - In modern language, "pleased" would be like aroused. Birthday parties for these rulers were like stag parties today. It was all men who were invited as guests, and there was plenty of booze, the fuel necessary to drop already limited inhibitions, and when I was a drunk it was always my excuse the next day for whatever events transpired that night. The men ate and drank and then came the dancers, just like bachelor parties today. Well, this one had a special dancer, Herod's step daughter, the daughter of his niece, who he had married. What a mom too, pimping out her own daughter to dance for her great uncle in front of a bunch of creepy men.
“In these days mothers too often encourage their daughters in dress which is scarcely decent and introduce them to dances which are not commendable for purity. No good can come of this; it may please the Herods, but it displeases God.” (Spurgeon)
So that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask - So pleased was he, so enamored with his step daughter and kin, that Mark tells us he offered up to half his kingdom, probably the beer talking.
…22When the daughter of Herodias came and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests, and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom!” 24Then she went out and asked her mother, “What should I request?” And her mother answered, “The head of John the Baptist.”… Mark 6: 22-24
Prompted by her mother - Like Jezebel, mommy rules the roost, and as they say, "hell hath no fury like that of a woman scorned." This is very calculating on her part, using her daughter as a tool to get her husband to do what she wants.
Give me the head of John the Baptist - A drunken promise gets met with a meditated request, very cunning. I have blamed alcohol for so many things in my time, that at some point, regardless of the role it played, I had to admit it was the darkness of my own heart that got me there. It may help remove the filter, but if it is that powerful, well then there is a fix for that, anything that could lead to such a foolish and sick decision, the defiance of God, the murder of His messenger, should be left on the shelf. How dreadfully sobering and stupid he must of felt. He knows where this came from, from that Jezebel he stole from his brother, but now he has promised, and in front of his guest. What will he do? Rather than save face with God, Who alone matters, he will save face with his audience of fools, the leader is being led.
1Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise. 2The terror of a king is like the roar of a lion; whoever provokes him forfeits his own life.… Proverbs 20: 1-2
And the king was sorry - So sorry, but someone has to suffer for my ill choices. I have seen men badger young girls to have an abortion, because they didn't sign up for the results of their sin, only the sin. I have seen men fired for doing what someone else told or allowed them to do, but did not stand up and mention their part when discipline arrived. He made a bad decision a long time ago in taking his brother's wife, then again in locking up the only one brave enough to tell you what God says about your actions, then again in getting pickled, then again in letting your stepdaughter degrade herself in front of you and your friends. You are a pervert, a bad husband, creepy father, adulterer, and now John the Baptist has to pay.
And they went and told Jesus - His disciples came and got his body since Herodias had John's head, once again the greater man killed by the inferior, but most can see that. John's disciples went to Jesus, and this is important, John had to decrease, he was the herald, calling men to repent, a voice of one crying from the wilderness, saying, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make the path straight. He announced Messiah's revival, but it was the Messiah Who was the only way for men to be made right with God. John must decrease, his disciples must turn fully to Christ, that is the only way.
…2“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her forced labor has been completed; her iniquity has been pardoned. For she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.” 3A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. 4Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rugged land a plain.… Isaiah 40: 2-4
1“Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple— the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight— see, He is coming,” says the LORD of Hosts. 2But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap.… Malachi 3: 1-2
29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is He of whom I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’ 31I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel.”… John 1: 29-31
5“Lord,” said Thomas, “we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 7If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”… John 14: 5-7
“It is not said by the Evangelist that they buried John, but ‘they took up his body, and buried it,’ not him. The real John no man could bury, and Herod soon found that, being dead, he yet spoke.” (Spurgeon)
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