17 For Herod had sent soldiers to arrest and imprison John as a favor to Herodias. She had been his brother Philip’s wife, but Herod had married her. 18 John had been telling Herod, “It is against God’s law for you to marry your brother’s wife.” 19 So Herodias bore a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But without Herod’s approval she was powerless, 20 for Herod respected John; and knowing that he was a good and holy man, he protected him. Herod was greatly disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him. 21 Herodias’s chance finally came on Herod’s birthday. He gave a party for his high government officials, army officers, and the leading citizens of Galilee. 22 Then his daughter, also named Herodias, came in and performed a dance that greatly pleased Herod and his guests. “Ask me for anything you like,” the king said to the girl, “and I will give it to you.” 23 He even vowed, “I will give you whatever you ask, up to half my kingdom!” 24 She went out and asked her mother, “What should I ask for?” Her mother told her, “Ask for the head of John the Baptist!” 25 So the girl hurried back to the king and told him, “I want the head of John the Baptist, right now, on a tray!” 26 Then the king deeply regretted what he had said; but because of the vows he had made in front of his guests, he couldn’t refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner to the prison to cut off John’s head and bring it to him. The soldier beheaded John in the prison, 28 brought his head on a tray, and gave it to the girl, who took it to her mother. 29 When John’s disciples heard what had happened, they came to get his body and buried it in a tomb. ~ Mark 6:17-29
Today, we return to Mark 6:17-29 where we read about the story of John the Baptist's death. Herod Antipas put John in jail because John identified him as an adulterer for marrying his brother's wife Herodias.
In v.17-20 of today's passage we read, "17 For Herod had sent soldiers to arrest and imprison John as a favor to Herodias. She had been his brother Philip’s wife, but Herod had married her. 18 John had been telling Herod, 'It is against God’s law for you to marry your brother’s wife.' 19 So Herodias bore a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But without Herod’s approval she was powerless, 20 for Herod respected John; and knowing that he was a good and holy man, he protected him. Herod was greatly disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him."
Herod Antipas had John the Baptist placed in a prison which was located down in the desert by the Dead Sea. Herod owned several palaces throughout his province and this was just one of them.
It was Herod's birthday, but, for the Jews of that time, birthdays were not all that important. However, for the Romans, birthdays were a huge deal. And so, the Jew, Herod, wanted a big birthday party which turned out to be a huge men's night out in the fullest sense of the word. It was a bunch of men together, and you can only imagine what the setting was like for this celebration.
In v.21-25 of today's passage we read, "21 Herodias’s chance finally came on Herod’s birthday. He gave a party for his high government officials, army officers, and the leading citizens of Galilee. 22 Then his daughter, also named Herodias, came in and performed a dance that greatly pleased Herod and his guests. 'Ask me for anything you like,” the king said to the girl, “and I will give it to you.' 23 He even vowed, 'I will give you whatever you ask, up to half my kingdom!' 24 She went out and asked her mother, 'What should I ask for?' Her mother told her, 'Ask for the head of John the Baptist!' 25 So the girl hurried back to the king and told him, 'I want the head of John the Baptist, right now, on a tray!'"
The daughter of Herodias, according to Josephus the Jewish historian, was a girl named Herodias Salome. She was the almost seventeen year old daughter of Herodias and Herod Philip. While at Herod Antipas' birthday party, Salome danced before Herod and his guests. She so pleased the drunk "King" that he vowed to give her up to half his kingdom for her dancing. In response, after consulting her mother who obviously held a grudge, Salome asked for John the Baptist’s death.
In v.26-29 of today's text we read, "26 Then the king deeply regretted what he had said; but because of the vows he had made in front of his guests, he couldn’t refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner to the prison to cut off John’s head and bring it to him. The soldier beheaded John in the prison, 28 brought his head on a tray, and gave it to the girl, who took it to her mother. 29 When John’s disciples heard what had happened, they came to get his body and buried it in a tomb."
Herod Antipas deeply regretted the drunkened vow he made that evening to Herodias Salome. For it, John the Baptist paid with his life. This came as the result of holding this supposed leader to account for his sin of adultery. When we speak the truth to people, they have a choice to receive the truth and be made better by it, or, to reject it and suffer the consequences of a life more defined by sin. Sin will always take us to places we later regret. Sin, also, will always take us further down that road of wretchedness than we could have ever imagined or desired.
In 2 Corinthians 7:10 we read, "For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death."
There's a huge difference between worldly and godly sorrow. Worldly sorrow results in remorse, but, godly sorrow results in repentance. Worldly sorrow ushers us close to the wisdom of God and then dashes us against the rocks, whereas, Godly sorrow invites wisdom over for our remaining days on this earth.
Worldly sorrow is so deceiving. We have all experienced those moments when we were so sorry that we got caught in our choice to entertain a certain sin. But, we weren't sorry before we got caught. There was no remorse at all in our lives before the gavel dropped and we had to pay the court. This is the difference between remorse or regret, and repentance.
There is a contrast here between the way of "king" Herod and the real King, the Lord Jesus Christ. The real King serves others, not Himself. The real King saves the willing of heart not by arming them, as many would have wished,
but by letting the rulers of this world do their worst to Him. He didn’t slaughter His enemies; He allowed them to slaughter Him.
The prison house where John the Baptist was held before his death is still there to this day. The fortress was named after the Greek word machaera, which means a sword. It was the fortress of the sword, the place where John the Baptist was beheaded with a sword. This is what unnerves us about being sold out to the Lord. We somehow think there should be nothing bad that happens to us. But, think of it, how often have we quoted John down through the years? "Less of me and more of Him."
John the Baptist's followers buried John, because, they knew, a burial is a statement of faith in a resurrection. The idea of placing a body in the ground illustrates the victory Christ has gained over sin and death. We can not have the resurrection without embracing the reality of death.
In 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 we read, "42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 43 Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. 44 They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies."
The word "cemetery" means "resting place." The picture is that of the seed resting. When the seed is put in the seed bed, it is done so as a statement of faith that we believe in the resurrection that is soon to happen at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the Christian's faith. This event, which occurred almost two thousand years ago, is the best attested fact in human history. It was predicted in the Old Testament and by Christ Himself. During the forty days following His resurrection, the Lord Jesus showed Himself to be alive from the dead by "many infallible proofs." He appeared at various times and places to many people who told others what they had seen. On the basis of this fact, we have much to look forward to in the future.
