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gospels of Mark and Luke inform us that after Jesus had sent His disciples
on the training mission described in Matt. 10:1-11:1 and while He was
waiting for them to return, he heard that John the Baptist had been killed.
This is a dark time in Jesus’ ministry. John the Baptist was born
to aged parents who were beyond the normal child bearing years (Luke
1:5-25). His birth was announced by the angel Gabriel and his father
was a priest. Luke 1:15-17 predicted that he would turn the people back
to the Lord and many did respond to his preaching. Luke 1:76-77 revealed
that he would be a prophet and that he would bring the knowledge of salvation
to the Jewish people. He became the voice in the wilderness announcing
to the world that the Light (Jesus, Luke 1:78-79) had come into the world
(John 1:7), but the world rejected the Light because they were in darkness
(John 1:11). He was the forerunner predicted in the Old Testament, but
Jewish and Gentile leaders rejected him. Background. Matthew 3:7-8 captured a key
moment in John’s ministry out in the wilderness along the Jordan
River. He had been baptizing people after they confessed their sins.
It would be wonderful if we had the audio of his entire message and especially
of his statements to the Pharisees and Sadducees. But we only have the
written words and only a portion of the message in Matt. 3:1-10. We are
told that when John saw the religious leaders coming to be baptized,
he called them a brood of vipers or a family of snakes and asked,
You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (NASB) Matt. 3:7
The rest of his message was not any kinder. It is obvious that he was
not a man of polish, grace, or soft words when it came to sin. In Luke
3:19-20 we discover that John the Baptist was not a very good politician
either.
But when Herod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the wicked things which Herod had done, Herod also added this to them all: he locked John up in prison. (NASB) Luke 3:19-20 As a result he was imprisoned by the king. He was salt and light. He
was not the Salt and the Light that Jesus spoke about in Matthew 5:13
and 14, but he was salt and light to a sinful world. Light and darkness
were clashing. There was a war. Truth was aglow and the darkness did
not like it. John was faithful in speaking the truth.
The Setting. In our last study, Jesus had
just sent His disciples on a mission to heal and preach. He sent them
with only basic provisions and nothing more. The disciples have already
left and are on their mission. When we come to this study (Matt. 14:1-14;
Mark 6:14-32; Luke 9:7-10), the reader has not been told that a horrible
event has already occurred. Jesus and the disciples knew, but not the
reader of the gospels. Luke 9:7-9 casually tells us that the reports
about Jesus’ ministry had finally been communicated to King Herod,
that the king wanted to see Jesus, and then the reader is told about the
awful event.
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. (NASB) Luke 9:7-9 There it is, that awful event! John the Baptist has already been beheaded.
So when Herod hears the reports about Jesus, he is worried that Jesus
is somehow connected to John the Baptist or someone else. Luke 9:10 reveals
what we have already said. Herod had heard about Jesus while the disciples
were out on their mission.
When the apostles returned, they gave an account to Him of all that they had done . . . (NASB) Luke 9:10a Matthew and Mark add more details. For example, in Mark 6:14-15 we discover
that Herod had also heard rumors that Jesus was Elijah or one of the
old prophets.
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!” (NASB) Mark 6:14-16 Herod did not know what to believe. He only knew that he had chopped
off John’s head. He had beheaded John to satisfy the desire of
a step-daughter, and now he was afraid that in some way John or his spirit
had returned.
John’s Prison. What follows next in both Matthew and Mark is a parenthesis or an explanation as to why Herod had beheaded John the Baptist. It is a cruel story. 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. (NASB) Mark 6:17 Mark 6:17 tells us that Herod the Tetrarch had John arrested and imprisoned
because of his wife Herodias, who was actually the wife of his brother
Philip. Josephus tells that John was imprisoned on top of Mount Machaerus.[1]
Herod had built a fortress on top of Mt. Machaerus at an elevation of
1,000 feet. The fortress measured about 300 feet (100 m) long, 200 feet
(60 m) wide. The fortress had three corner towers, each sixty cubits
90 feet (30 m) high. Then Herod built a palace in the center of the fortress.
The fortress was located on the northeastern corner of the Dead Sea.
John was in a dungeon somewhere within the fortress.
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