What Can We Learn from John the Baptist? Matthew 14:1-12

John the Baptist Beheaded

14 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, 

The fact that Herod heard "reports" points once again to the historical nature of Jesus.  We did not make Jesus up.  He existed and was talked about and well known in his day by all people Jews and Gentiles alike.  Most conclude that Jesus was about a year into his public ministry.  

"This Herod was known as Herod Antipas and was one of the sons of Herod the Great who reigned when Jesus was born. He ruled over Galilee and therefore heard much about Jesus. His brother Archelaus ruled to the south, and his brother Philip ruled to the north" (Guzik)

The word "tetrarch" means ruler of "a fourth".  But since the Jewish leaders were subordinate to Rome, the title lost some of its meaning.  Also a tetrarch was also lower than a king. 

2 and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

Herod obviously had a guilty conscience over his killing of the John the Baptist.  

"His conscience smote him for his crimes. He remembered that he had wickedly put him to death. He knew him to be a distinguished prophet; and he concluded that no other one was capable of working such miracles but he who had been so eminent a servant of God in his life, and who, he supposed, had again risen from the dead and entered the dominions of his murderer. (Barnes)

"Barclay cites the ancient Christian writer Origen, who said that Jes"us and John the Baptist closely resembled each other in appearance. If this were true, it would give more reason for Herod Antipas to believe that Jesus was John come back from the dead." (Guzik)

Many people tried to identify Jesus as coming from the prophetic line, because he did the things that prophets did. I.e. Elijah or an old prophet that had risen again through him.

3 Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, 

"John spoke out against Herod’s marriage because he had illegally divorced his previous wife and then seduced and married his brother Philip’s wife named Herodias. The father of Herod’s first wife was the King of Petra, and he later made successful war against Herod Antipas because of how he had disgraced the King of Petra’s daughter." (Guzik)

Herod had already received a lot of bad press, so he wanted to snuff out John the Baptist as soon as possible.  He was making him look bad, so he acted impulsively as was his nature. 

4 for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 

Herod was guilty of breaking two commandments from the Law of Moses.  1. Adultery 2.Incest from Leviticus 18:16

5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.

"Herod is like many people today. They fear the opinion of people before fearing God. The only thing that kept Herod from even greater wickedness was the fear of man." (Guzik)

6 On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 

"The daughter of Herodias - That is, "Salome," her daughter by her former husband." (Barnes)

"This daughter Herodias is described as a girl (Matthew 14:11). This means that she was not a cute little girl; “Girl is a term which can be used of those of marriageable age; she was at least a teenager.” (France)

We can again see Herod's impulsive side.  To promise someone anything they want is a very foolish thing to do much less for a person of Herod's position.  

In Mark 6:23, Herod offers her up to half his kingdom.  This was a saying that basically meant, "Ask me whatever you want!" 

8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”

The request of the mother shows that she had probably planned this for quite some time. 

"She was shrewd enough to demand that it be done immediately, while the guests were still at the party. “That was an essential part of the request. No time must be left for repentance. If not done at once under the influence of wine and the momentary gratification given by the voluptuous dance, it might never be done at all.” (Bruce) 

9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10 and had John beheaded in the prison. 

The king was now in a "pickle".  If he went back on his promise, he would look foolish. In addition, he would be rid of nuisance if he granted her request. 

"Herod had a terrible end. In order to take his brother’s wife Herodias, he put away his first wife, a princess from a neighboring kingdom to the east. Her father was offended and came against Herod with an army, defeating him in battle. Then his brother Agrippa accused him of treason against Rome, and he was banished into the distant Roman province of Gaul. In Gaul, Herod and Herodias committed suicide." (Guzik)

11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 

"What an offering to a woman! Josephus says of Herodias that "she was a woman full of ambition and envy, having a mighty influence on Herod, and able to persuade him to things he was not at all inclined to." This is one of the many proofs that we have that the evangelists drew characters according to truth." (Barnes)

12 John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

"The disciples of John the Baptist honored his life and memory the best they could. He had lived and died as a great and righteous man." (Guzik)

“It is not said by the Evangelist that they buried John, but ‘they took up his body, and buried it,’ not him. The real John no man could bury, and Herod soon found that, being dead, he yet spoke.” (Spurgeon)

We must remember that John the Baptist was Jesus' relative, which was not lost on him.  John the Baptist was a courageous man who stood up for the truth of God's Word, and he paid for it with his life.  

Where do you think God is calling you to be more bold like John the Baptist?  How do you think a person like John the Baptist would be received in our world today? (I know that is a "no brainer").  Where do you think Christians need to stand up the most in our world today which has veered so much away from God?