The Death of John the Baptist
Matthew 14:1-12
Today, we begin a new section of the Gospel of Matthew. It is a narrative section, full of accounts of Jesus’ miracles and controversy over Jesus’ identity. Matthew’s Gospel, as you may remember, is the Gospel of the King. Matthew wrote it primarily for the Jewish people, and it presents Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah and King of the Jews. We just finished looking at Jesus’ third extended teaching section where He taught the crowds and His disciples parables of the kingdom of heaven in Matthew 13. At the end of Matthew 13, after the parables are completed, Matthew tells us that this King then presented Himself to the people of His own hometown of Nazareth. But they were offended at Him and didn’t believe on Him. Matthew 13:58 concludes, “He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”
This lack of miracles in Nazareth was significant because Jesus had been doing many mighty works throughout Galilee for quite some time. In Matthew 4, we read,
. . . Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan (Matthew 4:23-25).
In Matthew 8-12 we saw Jesus cleanse a leper (Matt. 8:1-4), heal a centurion’s servant of his paralysis (Matt. 8:5-13), and raise Peter’s mother-in-law from her sick-bed (Matt. 8:14-15). Jesus exercised authority over the wind and the waves (Matt. 8:23-27), over the demons (Matt. 8:28-34), and over sin, proving His authority to forgive sins by healing a paralytic (Matt. 9:1-7). He cured a woman of a life-draining flow of blood (Matt. 9:20-22), raised a dead girl to life (Matt. 9:18-19, 23-26), gave sight to two blind men (Matt. 9:27-31), and set freed a demon-possessed mute man so that he could speak (Matt. 9:32-33). Everywhere He went, He demonstrated compassion to people in need—“… teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people” (Matt. 9:35).[i]
And this leads us to the very first thing we find in Matthew 14 today. This new section of Matthew begins with a controversy over Jesus’ identity prompted by His miracles. News of Jesus’ miracles reached the ears of Herod, the king over Galilee. So we see…
1. Herod’s Fear and John’s Faithfulness (Matt. 14:1-5)
Matthew 14:1-2 says, “At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.””
Herod was the name of a number of related rulers that we find in the New Testament. Although they pretended to be kings of the Jews, the Herods were not strictly Jewish. They were Idumean, descendants of Esau from Edom. Herod the tetrarch, also called Herod Antipas, was the son of Herod the Great, the king who ordered the murder of the infants of Bethlehem in the account of Jesus’ birth (Matt. 2). Rome divided Herod the Great’s territory after his death and his sons governed these smaller territories. “Tetrarch” means ruler of a fourth—a fourth of a region.
Herod Anitpas began his rule shortly after Jesus was born and ruled over Galilee and Perea throughout the time of our Lord’s life on earth. He was the civic ruler over the region where Jesus grew up, worked, and did most of His public ministry.
When Herod heard about Jesus and all the miracles that He was doing, he was convinced that Jesus was somehow John the Baptist come back from the dead. Matthew told us back in Matthew 4:12 that “John had been put in prison.” And in Matthew 11, we saw that John heard about the works of Christ from prison and sent his disciples to ask if Jesus really was the “Coming One” (Matt. 11:2-3). Now, in Matthew 14:3-12, Matthew gives us a flashback to what had happened earlier, telling us the rest of the story about John the Baptist. Here we learn that it was Herod who had arrested John and put in prison.
And we learn why. Matthew 14:3-4 says, “For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. Because John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” The reason Herod arrested John was because John had confronted him about his sin of adultery.
Now, history shows us that the Herods were an incestuous and immoral family. But Herod the Tetrarch’s behavior in this case caused a scandal that was particularly shocking. Herod Antipas’ brother Philip had a wife named Herodias (who was also his neice, Herod the Great’s granddaughter). Herod Anitpas lusted after his sister-in-law Herodias. So, he divorced his own wife and convinced Herodias to divorce Philip. Then Herod Anitpas and Herodias eloped. So, Herodias divorced one uncle to get married to the other. It’s more scandalous than a soap opera! The conduct of Herod Antipas outright incestuous lust.
This is where John got into trouble. John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” What boldness this took! John, no doubt, knew what kind of a man Herod was, and he knew what Herod could do to him. But as Jesus once asked the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?” (Matt. 11:7). No! John was no flimsy little reed shaking in the wind. He was a “a prophet … and more than a prophet” (Matt. 11:9)—A mighty wind who shook the ruler of Galilee!
John’s words so inflamed Herod that he arrested John. Apparently, Herod wanted to put John to death. He wanted to silence that righteous tongue of his; and by doing so, silence the condemnation he received from the word of God. Matthew 14:5 says, “And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet” (Matt. 14:5). What Herod should have feared was the judgment of God. Instead, he feared the judgment of the crowds. Many men today are just like Herod; they’re more afraid of the judgment of men than they are of the judgment of God.[ii] As we see later in this story, because Herod feared men and wanted to protect his reputation, he would do the despicable—order the death of God’s prophet.
So, we see Herod’s fear and John’s faithfulness. John had not only pointed faithfully to the law in order to declare sin, but he had also pointed faithfully to Jesus and declared, “… He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matt. 3:11-12). He declared that Jesus is the Messiah, the King, the Savior, and Judge.
John is faithful. Herod is fearful.
Next, we see…
2. Herod’s Weakness and Herodias’ Revenge (Matt. 14:6-12)
It was Herod’s birthday. Mark tells us that he threw a great feast, and all of the nobles and high officers and all the chief men of Galilee came (Mark 6:21). The wine, no doubt, flowed freely. Matthew writes, “But when Herod’s birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod” (Matt. 14:6). History knows this girl as Salome, the daughter of Herodias and Philip her first husband and Herod’s brother. So Salome was, at the same time, Herod’s step-daughter, his niece, and his grand-niece.
She “danced before them.” This kind of thing was never done by a member of the royal household. Dancing girls, in those days, were considered to be very immoral. And though we’re not told what sort of dancing Salome did, we can be pretty sure that it wasn’t ballet!
When she got done dancing, Herod made a drunken—and, I suspect, a somewhat lustful—promise to the girl: “Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask” (Matt. 14:7). Apparently, the girl then consulted with her mother, Herodias which resulted in the most notorious “dancer’s tip” in all of history. Matthew 14:8-11 says,
So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, “Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter.” And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her. So he sent and had John beheaded in prison. And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.
Salome’s mother Herodias was bent on revenge. She hated John the Baptist for condemning their incestuous adultery. She wanted John dead, executed in a most gruesome manner. And she wanted it here and now.
Matthew tells us that Herod “was sorry”. But He was not sorry enough to change his mind, to repent. Herod was more concerned about keeping his drunken, hasty promise to the girl than he was about taking the life of the prophet of God. He was more concerned for admiration before men than he was about damnation from God. He feared men rather than God. So, to protect his prideful reputation, in fearful weakness, he gave the order and the dastardly deed was done. John the Baptist, faithful prophet and forerunner of the Messiah, is executed.
Now we understand why Herod was so afraid that John the Baptist had risen from the dead. When he heard news of Jesus and his mighty works, he was struck in his conscience with guilt and fear. Everything Herod did was out lust, pride, and fear. And now all he can do is fear what is coming.
Matthew concludes this gruesome tale by writing, “Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.” (Matt. 14:12). And with that, Matthew connects the death of John with the ministry of Jesus.
What can we learn from this passage?
I believe that this account of the death of John the Baptist is not included here simply to complete the story of John’s life. Matthew places it here because it is a magnificent, flesh and blood example of what the Lord had been teaching throughout the Gospel. John is a man who was persecuted for righteousness’ sake. He acknowledged Jesus before men and paid the price for it. Now he will receive the great reward in heaven that is reserved, Jesus said, for those who are persecuted for His name’s sake. John is an example to us of faithfulness unto death. Matthew shows us here what kind of people we ought to be.
Are we faithful and bold in our day the way that John was in his day? Can we be like John and not fear to denounce the sin of this world, saying, “It is not lawful . . .” Sin breaks God’s law and God’s heart. There is no other way for people to realize their need for a Savior until they realize that they are sinners against God’s law, and they need to be saved. Then like John, not just pointing out the sins of the world, but pointing them to the Savior, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). May God make us more like John—so bold and courageous in speaking the saving message of Christ to this world, that we are willing to suffer with Him for doing so. May He make us faithful to the end.
Herod reminds us that we live in a sinful, dark world of evil. John reminds us what our mission is in this fallen world—to faithfully proclaim Jesus no matter what it costs us.
John is also our example because his life and ministry reflect the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus. John was the forerunner of Jesus and his death foreshadows the death of our Lord. The parallels are striking. A Roman ruler, Herod, was responsible for John’s execution. And another Roman ruler, Pilate, was responsible for Jesus’ execution. Herod feared the crowds because they believed John was a prophet (Matt. 14:5). The chief priests and Pharisees feared the crowds because they believed Jesus was a prophet (Matt. 21:46). John was seized and bound (Matt. 14:3) and Jesus was seized (Matt. 26:50) and bound (Matt. 27:2). Herod was asked by Salome to kill John and was grieved to do so (Matt. 14:6-11). Pilate was asked by the Jews to kill Jesus and was reluctant to do so (Matt. 27:11-26). John was buried by his disciples (Matt. 14:12). Jesus buried by a disciple (Matt. 27:57-61).
It’s really all about Jesus Christ. He came to die for our sins. He is King and Lord, risen from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the throne of God. He is coming again to judge the living and the dead. Have you trusted in Him? Has He saved you? Believe on Him today. He will make you faithful unto death and give you the crown of life (James 1:12; Rev. 2:10).
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[i] Greg Allen, Two Kings, Matthew 14:1-14, https://www.bethanybible.org/archive/2007/021107.htm
[ii] Greg Allen, ibid.
