The Murder of John the Baptist
Text: Mark 6:14-29 | November 3, 2019
News of Jesus spread as He sent out the twelve disciples to preach (Luke 6:7-13). The people were confused about who Jesus was; they mistakenly thought Jesus was John the Baptist, Elijah, and a prophet from of old (6:14-15). Eventually, Herod the Tetrarch heard the news that John the Baptist has risen from the dead (6:14). This was not good news to Herod, because he murdered John the Baptist (6:16). To make matters worse, Herod knew that John was a righteous and holy man (6:20).
Herod murdered John because of a rash oath he made to his stepdaughter (6:23, 26). Please with his stepdaughter’s performance at his birthday celebration, he swore to give her whatever she wanted (6:22-23). She went to her mother (named Herodias), and her mother told her to ask for the head of John the Baptist (6:25). Herodias, the new wife of Herod, hated John the Baptist and wanted to kill him for awhile (6:19). She hated John because John publicly denounced their marriage (6:18). Herodias was the wife of Herod’s half-brother, Philip (6:17). Not only was this relationship adulterous, it was also incestuous because Herodias was Herod’s niece. Herod was afraid before he killed John, and Herod was afraid even after he killed John, fearing that he has risen from the dead.
For the entirety of the lesson, please see the attached manuscript of the message.
Questions:
- Luke 9:7-9 records the same event. In Luke 9:9, it says Herod kept trying to see Jesus. Why did he want to see Jesus? Was he genuinely interested in the gospel? See Luke 13:31 for a hint.
- Herod eventually met Jesus (Luke 23:6-12). Read Luke 23:6-12. Why was Herod very glad when he saw Jesus (23:8)?
Answers:
- Jesus was warned in Luke 13:31 that Herod wants to kill Him. I believe Herod wanted to see Jesus for a few reasons: First, to see if He was really John the Baptist risen from the dead. Second, he probably wanted to see what the buzz is all about. Third, as Luke 13:31 points out, he might actually want to kill Jesus even at this point in the narrative.
- I believe Herod was glad because this was not John the Baptist. He had feared that John, whom he murdered, was risen from the dead. Furthermore, Luke 23:8 tells us that Herod wanted to see “some sign performed by Him.” His interest in Jesus was not genuine, but it was superficial like many people in the crowd.