Jesus Christ
The Passion
The Murder of John the Baptist
by Rhawn Joseph, Ph.D.
John the Baptist, like the prophets of ancient Israel, was not adverse to criticizing and condeming the sins of man, woman or king, includiig King Herod. Herod, had divorced his wife, the daughter of the king of Arabia, and married the wife of his dead brother. This act not only made enemies of neighboring kingdoms, but was a sin, John declared, thus drawing the ire of Herod and his new wife.
John was acting in accordance with a tradition long established by the prophets of Israel. Elijah, too, was such a prophet, and he was of such stature that he freely condemned and prophecied against not only Ahab, King of Israel, but his wife, Jezebel: "There was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up....You have abandoned the LORD's commands and have become a worshipper of Baal" Elijah declared to Ahab, the King Of Israel. "Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab...when Ahab heard those words, he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly." -1 Kings 21.
Ahab, realizing his sins, and understanding the calamity he had passed on to his sons, took heed. Elijah, and God, had won. "Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I
will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house." -1 Kings 21.
Elijah had condemned Ahab and his wife, and now John condemned Herod and is wife.
King Herod, fearing not the wrath of God, instead had John the Baptist arrested and inprisoned. But, as Herod did fear the people, and given his own precarious position with neighboring kingdoms, he refused, at first, to have John killed. Herodias, his wife, felt differently. John the Baptist must die, she declared.
"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, unto the half
of my kingdom. And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist. And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me a charger the head of John the Baptist. And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which satwith him, he would not reject her. And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded John in the prison. And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother." -Mark 6.
The murder of John the Baptist came as a rude shock to Jesus. John's untimely death was not according to prophecy, or plan. And if John could be so easily killed, then Jesus could also easily lose his head.
"And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus." When Jesus heard of it, he quickly gathered together his disciples and departed immediately by ship, leaving so quickly for a private desert place, that they had no time to eat.
The murder of John the Baptist illustrated the dangers Jesus faced. He could be arrested and seized at any time, and then murdered. Indeed, Jesus was in fact warned that Herod might arrest and kill him at any moment:
"The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem." - Luke 13.
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