Herod Antipas was tetrarch of Galilee from 4 bc to ad 39, and so ruled over the region in which Jesus lived. His misinterpretation of who Jesus is (v 2) shows his superstitious view of miracles and his guilty conscience over the death of John. In Matthew’s Gospel, John is the fulfilment of prophecy as the one who is preparing the way for Jesus (see Matthew 11:2–14; Malachi 3:1). He is also established as a prophetic voice calling people to repentance, using words that Jesus repeats (see Matthew 3:2; 4:17), showing the connection between their ministries but also Jesus’ uniqueness and all-surpassing authority. 

In this passage, Jesus’ ministry and teaching about the kingdom of heaven is placed within a toxic political and personal context – a chaotic, threatening web of injustice, pride and brutality. Herodias wanted the prophet who had been speaking the truth put to death (vs 3,4,8) without a trial, which was against Jewish law. The conditions for John’s tragic execution are sordid and barbarous. This flashback to John’s rejection and unjust death (vs 3–12), as reported to Jesus (v 12), foreshadows his own suffering and death which he knew was to come.

‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’¹

While preparing these notes I was reminded that the death of John the Baptist is recorded in the context of Herod hearing of Jesus and concluding that he was a reincarnated John. Reading this passage alongside the account in Mark 6, we observe that Herod appears to hate, fear and respect John simultaneously, reminiscent of the relationship of King Ahab to Elijah.² One is left to wonder why Herod makes the link between Jesus and John, given the mention of miraculous powers, as we learn elsewhere that John the Baptist performed no miracles.³ Nevertheless, Herod’s fascination with John is superseded by ‘the malice of an abandoned harlot, the petulancy of a vain girl and the rashness of a drunken king.’⁴

The curiosity of this sorry tale extends to Herod’s integrity. Matthew records that an oath he’d taken leaves him powerless to deny the request following the prompting of the sister-in-law he’d married, further to the divorce of his own wife without just cause – both prohibited under Jewish law. We can be quick to scream ‘Hypocrite’, yet how subtle is the temptation to choose which rule we take pride in observing while simultaneously disregarding others. 

Halfway through his Gospel, Matthew implicitly lays down another marker regarding the role of John in calling, ‘prepare the way for the Lord’.⁵ Having called people to repentance, John is executed for the offence of the message. If this happened to the forerunner, how much more significant will be the message and destiny of the one who follows? Finally, note where John’s disciples flee in their grief. Having most likely risked their own lives to reclaim John’s body, they ‘went and told Jesus’. May we too know that the darkest hour often heralds the dawn.

‘Rock of Ages, cleft for me, / let me hide myself in thee.’⁶

¹ John 6:68  ² 1 Kings 18  ³ John 10:41  ⁴ John Wesley, https://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary.php?com=wes&b=40&c=14  ⁵ Isa 40:3  ⁶ AM Toplady, 1740–78