14 And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. 15 Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets. 16 But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead. 17 For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her. 18 For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife. 19 Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not: 20 For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. 21 And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee; 22 And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee. 23 And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom. 24 And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist. 25 And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist. 26 And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath’s sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her. 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison, 28 And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother. 29 And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb. (Mark 6:14-29 KJV)
The Death of John the Baptist
Here are the wild notions that people had concerning our Lord Jesus (Mark 6:15). His own countrymen couldn’t believe anything great about him because they knew his humble family. But others, not influenced by that prejudice, were ready to believe anything except the truth—that he was the Son of God and the true Messiah. They said, “He is Elijah,” whom they expected, or “He is a prophet,” one of the Old Testament prophets raised to life and returned to this world, or “like one of the prophets,” a new prophet equal to those of old.
Herod heard of Jesus’ fame, of what he said and did, and said, “It is certainly John the Baptist” (Mark 6:14). “It is John, whom I beheaded” (Mark 6:16). “He has risen from the dead; and though while he was with us he did no miracle, now mighty works are showing through him.” Here, we can learn that:
- Where there is a weak faith, there is often a strong imagination. The people said it was a prophet risen from the dead; Herod said it was John the Baptist. The idea of a prophet rising from the dead to do miracles was considered possible, and it was suspected now when it wasn’t true. But when it was true concerning Christ, it was stubbornly denied. Those who willfully reject the truth are often the most gullible when it comes to error.
- Those who oppose God’s cause will find themselves defeated, even when they think they’ve won, for the word of the Lord stands forever.
- A guilty conscience needs no accuser. Herod blamed himself for John’s murder. “I beheaded him,” he said. The terror of it made him imagine that Jesus was John risen. He feared John while he lived, and feared him even more after his death. It is just as tormenting to be haunted by a guilty conscience as by ghosts. Therefore, those who want peace must keep a clear conscience (Acts 24:16).
- There may be strong conviction without true conversion. Herod, who believed this about Christ, later sought to kill him (Luke 13:31) and mocked him (Luke 23:11). He would not be persuaded, even by one risen from the dead—not even by a John the Baptist risen from the dead.
Now follows the account of Herod putting John the Baptist to death, brought in here as in Matthew. Herod had once highly valued and respected John, which Mark alone records (Mark 6:20). We see how far a man can go toward grace and still fall short and perish.
He feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. It’s possible for a wicked person to have great respect for good people, especially ministers. John was not attached to the world, but was righteous and holy—justice toward others and holiness toward God make a good man. Herod knew this from personal interaction, not just hearsay. Even those who lack justice and holiness may still recognize and respect it in others. That’s why he feared and respected John. Holiness and righteousness inspire respect, even from those who don’t practice them.
He observed and respected John’s conduct and teachings. He heard him preach, which was quite a concession, given John’s rough appearance. But even hearing Christ preach won’t be a valid excuse on Judgment Day (Luke 13:26). He did many of the things John taught. He wasn’t just a hearer but partly a doer. He abandoned some sins and embraced some duties. But doing “many things” isn’t enough unless we keep all the commandments. He listened to John with pleasure. Like those who find Ezekiel’s words a lovely song (Ezekiel 33:32), or the stony ground that received the word with joy (Luke 8:13), Herod enjoyed hearing John, even without true repentance.
John was faithful in confronting Herod’s sin. Herod had married his brother Philip’s wife (Mark 6:17), and though many people probably criticized him, John told him directly, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” This was Herod’s personal sin, which he refused to let go of, even though he did many other things John preached. John didn’t spare him, just as Elijah didn’t spare Ahab (1 Kings 21:19).
Though some people react violently when their sins are addressed, usually a rebuke wins more favor in the end than flattery (Proverbs 28:23). John risked his life to be faithful. Ministers who want to be faithful must not fear man. If we seek to please people instead of doing them spiritual good, we are not Christ’s servants.
Herodias hated John for this (Mark 6:19). She wanted to kill him and, when she couldn’t, had him imprisoned (Mark 6:17). Herod respected John—until John touched on Herodias. Many claim to value preaching, as long as it doesn’t come too close to their favorite sins. But if it does, they won’t tolerate it. No wonder the world hates those who expose its evil. But it’s better for sinners to persecute faithful ministers now than curse them forever for being unfaithful.
Herodias plotted to have John executed. Herod likely took part in the plan, despite pretending to be upset. The opportunity came on Herod’s birthday (Mark 6:21), when a banquet was held for Herod’s nobles, military leaders, and officials.
Herodias’s daughter danced publicly, and Herod acted charmed. Others followed his lead. He then made an extravagant promise to give her whatever she wanted—up to half his kingdom. This was bound by an oath, making it harder to retract. It’s unlikely he would make such a promise unless he already knew what she would ask.
Instructed by her mother, she asked for John’s head on a platter (Mark 6:24-25). She demanded it immediately. Herod agreed, and the execution happened right away. It’s hard to believe he wasn’t in on it from the start. But he pretended to be very reluctant—“The king was deeply distressed.” This was likely an act. He was probably glad to get rid of John while appearing forced to do it. Yet he wasn’t without real sorrow. Even sinful acts bring distress, and the memory of them brings more.
He claimed to be bound by his oath. But if she had asked for part of his kingdom, he would have found a way out. A rash oath doesn’t bind one to do something evil. Sinful oaths should be repented of, not performed. Emperor Theodosius once said, “I said it, but I didn’t promise it if it’s unjust.” Herod likely acted under pressure from his guests, whom he wanted to impress. In trying to win their respect, he became their slave. None of his subjects feared him more than he feared their opinion. He sent an executioner—ruthless rulers always have people ready to carry out their cruel commands. Saul had Doeg to kill the Lord’s priests when his own soldiers wouldn’t (1 Samuel 22:17-18).
As a result, while Herod’s wicked court celebrated, John’s head was given to the girl and then to her mother (Mark 6:28). John’s disciples mourned. They hadn’t expected this. When they heard about it, they took his body and laid it in a tomb, where Herod could have found it when he feared John had risen from the dead.