John the Baptist is imprisoned near the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. See Matthew 4:12. While still in prison, John sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask if He was the Messiah. Matthew 11:1-3. Now in this chapter he will by killed by Herod. The sadness of the story, though, is tempered by the contrast between John and those responsible for his death. There is a remarkable contrast between a godly man and a depraved family that provides several lessons to encourage godly living.

1 – The faithfulness of John

Notice two things:-

• He was a faithful prophet – His message was to call the people to repentance. He warned the religious leaders to repent. He was not afraid to point out the sins of the King as well. Herod had married his brother Philip’s wife, Herodias. This was adultery as Philip was still alive. She was Herod’s niece, making it incest. The Law prohibited marrying a brother’s wife. See Leviticus 18:16; 20:21. John would not change his message to accommodate a king!
• An inspiration to us today – We are to be true to God’s Word, even when not politically correct. We are to proclaim God’s law on marriage, even if it angers others as God’s law on marriage goes all the way back to the creation. See Matthew 19:4-8. Christ defined the one circumstance when one may divorce and remarry. See Matthew 19:9. Not all marriages are “lawful”; there may be times when we must tell one: “It is not lawful for you to have her”. See Matthew 14:4.

The faithfulness of this godly man stands out, especially when contrasted with the members of the ungodly family we now consider.

2 – The shamelessness of Salome

She was the daughter of a shameless woman. See Matthew 14:6. From the Greek, Robertson describes her dance as “some kind of rapid motion…a shameful exhibition of lewd dancing” See (Robertson’s Word Pictures). She danced this way, not just before Herod, but his guests as well. See Mark 6:21-22.

3 – The vengefulness of Herodius

She was a vengeful woman – She was the subject of John’s rebuke to Herod. After Herod had been a guest in Philip’s home, he and Herodias eloped while still married to their spouses. She had prompted Herod to imprison John. See Mark 6:17-18. She wanted to kill John, though temporarily prevented from doing so. See Mark 6:19. She prompted her daughter to ask for John’s head on a platter. See Mark 6:22-25.

4 – The weakness of Herod

Herod was manipulated like a pawn on a chessboard. He was the son of Herod the Great but he was a weak man. This can be seen by the following:-

• His superstition, in supposing Jesus to be John rose from the dead. See Matthew 14:1-2.
• His unfaithfulness, in leaving his first wife and marrying Herodias. See Matthew 14:3-4.
• His fear of the multitude and John himself, which prevented Herod from killing him at first. See Matthew 14:5; Mark 6:20.
• His manipulation by women like Salome and Herodias. See Matthew 14:6-8.
• His fear of his guests, before whom he was afraid of ridicule. See Matthew 14:9

His weakness eventually led to his death. Herodias later prompted him to join her in appealing for favours from Caesar. However, they were accused of high treason and banished to Lyons in Gaul, where he died in great misery (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews). It sometimes appears that evil triumphs over good. But as revealed by the Psalmist (Psalm 73:1-28), such apparent success is fleeting. May the faithfulness of John remind us that serving God is the only way to eternal life and true happiness.

Categories: Matthew