95. Herod kills John the Baptist: Matthew 14:1-12, Mark 6:14-29, Luke 9:7-9
Sometimes the way I do inductive study is by asking who, what, when, where, why, and how questions of the passage. So, I will write some of my questions from this chapter:
Who was Herod?
This is not the Herod who caused Joseph to flee to Egypt with Mary and Jesus to avoid the slaying of the baby boys around Bethlehem (Matthew 2:13-18). That was Herod the Great who ruled from 37 B.C. to 4 B.C. and was an Edomite (descendant of Esau) and hostile toward the Jews (Genesis 25:19ff). He had nine wives and would slay any one of them or one of his sons if they got in his way.
The Herod in this event was Herod the Great's son. He was a "tetrarch" meaning that he ruled over a fourth of Palestine, including Galilee and Perea. He ruled from 4 B.C. to A.D. 39.
There are two more Herods: Herod Agrippa, grandson of Herod the Great, who imprisoned Peter and killed James (Acts 12), and Herod Agrippa who tried Paul (Acts 25:13ff).
Why did this Herod not like John the Baptist?
Leviticus 18:16 and 20:21 say that it is abhorrent to take your brother's wife. John knew Herod was wrong in taking Herodias from his half-brother, Philip I. Herod was also wrong for divorcing his wife and sending her back to her father, the king of Petra. First, John was imprisoned in the fortress of Machaerus, east of the Dead Sea. Herod was too afraid to put him to death, but Mark 6:19 tells us that Herodias held a grudge against John. So, he was doomed.
What was Herod's attitude toward Jesus?
He thought that Jesus was John the Baptist coming back to haunt him. So, he wanted to kill Him (Luke 13:31-32). What was Jesus' response to John the Baptist's death?
He withdrew to a remote place. From this time on, the focus of His ministry is His disciples (See John 6:3) because He would be leaving them soon. The crowds did follow, and He still felt compassion for them. He met their needs by feeding the 5000 and healing the sick, but the focus of His teaching would be on His disciples.
Keep Reading!
There is something to be said for how Jesus changed the focus of His ministry to He disciples. He gave himself to people who were F.W.A.T. -- Faithful, Wholehearted, Available, and Teachable.
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