Our text for today is the account of the beheading of John the Baptist. The beheading of John the Baptist is the only account outside the passion narrative that does not focus on Jesus. So, why do we have a text, and a Gospel text for that matter, that does not focus on Jesus? As we review this historic account of the execution of John the Baptist it is my prayer that we may come to better understand the life and role of John and how his life may be seen as somewhat of a type for Jesus’ own life and execution.
Previously, that is last week, Jesus sent out His disciples with authority over unclean spirits and as we were told “they cast out many demons and anointed many with oil many who were sick and healed them.” Our text for last week ended at verse thirteen and our text for this week picks up at verse fourteen. This week we move to hear Herod’s response to the news of what Jesus was doing. Herod heard of the work of Jesus and His apostles and his belief was that John the Baptist, whom he had behead had come back to life.
Here we see Herod’s guilt for beheading John coming out. In his heart Herod knew that what John was preaching against him, the fact that he had taken his brother’s wife for his own wife was a sin. Herod knew he sinned in ordering the beheading of John. Herod may not have been a believer in God. He may have been more of a religious or superstitious person, perhaps he believed in fate or karma and so his explanation for the signs, wonders and miracles that Jesus and His apostles were doing was possibly because this was John the Baptist brought back to life.
Other suggestions meant to explain Jesus’ work and the work of His apostles is that perhaps John was as a prophet, or that Jesus was a prophet, perhaps even the prophet Elijah. You may remember that it was prophesied that before the Messiah would appear that Elijah would return. You may also remember that every year at the Passover celebration one chair was left vacant and at some point in the service the door was opened in order to see if Elijah would come and take his seat. And finally you might recall that Jesus says that John came as Elijah.
John came preaching repentance and as we said a while back he came preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Of course, these religious, ceremonial ritual baptisms were nothing new as many religions offer some type of religious washing. John’s preaching and baptism were specific as he prepared the way for the one true, promised Messiah, Jesus. John preached the need to repent.
And John did not shy away from preaching to all people, even to rulers and those in authority. He preached against Herod’s sin of taking his brother’s wife. Of course, Herodias, Herod’s brother, Philip’s wife did not like that he was preaching against her either. She had “a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man” (v. 19b-20a).
But, as fate would have it, as we hear in fictional stories, but as we know this historical account is not fiction, but is fact, so we know this is not fate. Anyway, as Mark lays out the history of these events an opportune time came for the beheading of John. As Mark relates the account in our text, it was Herod’s birthday and although birthdays were not necessarily a big event, for this birthday Herod threw a party and we might add a decadent party. His party include much festivities including much wine to drink as well as food and entertainment.
One bit of entertainment was that of Herodias’, Herod’s brother’s wife become his wife, her daughter dancing a provocative perhaps even erotic dance. Her dancing pleased Herod as well as his guests. While Mark does not detail her dance one might imagine from the response that this daughter was beautiful in form and stature, that she was both lovely in dance and as we said, both provocative and erotic in her movements.
Herod’s response to her pleasing performance for himself and his guests is that he pledges to give her whatever she asks for, up to half his kingdom. Perhaps it was the wine, perhaps it was the response of her provocation, perhaps it was simply his unthinking that moved him to make such a pledge, but he made a pledge and was thus honored to keep his pledge. In other words, after he made his pledge he had pretty much hemmed himself in so that in order to keep his own honor he knew he would have to keep his pledge.
Because the daughter did not know what to ask for, or perhaps we might surmise that Herodias had put her daughter up to this performance hoping for the chance afforded her by Herod’s response, she went to her mother to inquire as to what she should ask for. Thus through her daughter Herodias demands the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Way back in Genesis we hear of Cain’s jealousy of his brother Abel, that moves to hatred and finally ends in Cain killing, murdering his brother. Here in this account we have Herodias hating and desiring to kill, murder John the Baptist doing so through the command of her new husband the king.
Although Herod, while fearful and not wanting to kill John, seeks to save face thus, he gives the order, the gruesome order to have John beheaded and his head given to Herodias’ daughter on a platter. Notice that Herod does not take the platter with the head, but has it given it directly to the daughter.
And so John is executed and we are told that his disciples heard of it. “They came and took his body and laid it in a tomb” (v. 29). Thus, we are brought to the end of the life of John the Baptist. His work has been completed. He has done all that was given for him to do in preparing the way for and pointing to Jesus.
Now, let us move to see how this text focuses, not just on John, but also moves our focus to Jesus as well. What is the connection between John and Jesus in our text. Our first connection is the fact that both John and Jesus were arrested and bound at what we might call an opportune time. John was arrested and beheaded following a pledge by Herod. Jesus was arrested while He was alone in the Garden of Gethsemane with His apostles. Both events were carried out in a manner that attempted the least public interference.
Our next connection is that it was what both John and Jesus preached that put them in danger. John came preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus also preached repentance and forgiveness of sins. John and Jesus both preached against the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law.
Our next connection is that John and Jesus were both innocent. John was sent by God, conceived and born for the sole purpose of preparing the way for the Messiah, the One promised since the Garden of Eden. John did not come of his own free will. John did not point to himself. He was the first prophet in Israel after some 450 years. He came pointing to Jesus, as he said, pointing to Jesus, “behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” And Jesus, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, as we confess, born of the Virgin Mary, true God in human flesh, born the sinless Son of God and never sinning even once.
Our next connection is that those holding what may be perceived as trials both tried to have John and Jesus released. Herod did not want to have John executed because of his fear of John and Pilate also tried to get Jesus released because of his fear of who Jesus might be.
Our next connection is that John and Jesus were hated by their enemies and their mutual enemies. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law pretty much had their positions of power and authority, even under Roman rule. They did not like what either John nor Jesus were preaching. They did not like being accused of their sins and false teaching, their hypocrisy and abuse of the people. Indeed, they hated and despised John and Jesus and sought to have them killed.
Our next connection is that John and Jesus were buried by their followers. As we heard in the case of John, “They came and took his body and laid it in a tomb” (v. 29). And as we hear in the case of Jesus, His family and friends took His body down from the cross and laid it in a tomb, the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, a tomb in which no body had ever been laid.
Thus, we might suggest that John is a type of Jesus in that the events portrayed in our Gospel reading for today point us to Jesus. Just as John came preparing the way for Jesus, as he was arrested and bound at an opportune time, a time outside the public view, as he was hated and arrested because of his proclamation of the truth, as he was innocent, as his “judge” sought to have him released, as he was buried by his friends, so too with Jesus, the anti-type, the one to which John pointed, He too was arrested and bound at an opportune time, a time outside the public view, He too was hated and arrested because of His proclamation of the truth, He too was innocent, His “judge” also sought to have Him released, and He too was buried by His friends.
Although our text for this morning, the beheading of John the Baptist, is the only account outside the passion narrative that does not focus directly on Jesus we can see that in the way of type and anti-type we are pointed to Jesus. We are reminded that Jesus came preaching repentance, but not only did He come preaching repentance, He came to earn forgiveness, to pay the price for sin, to give us the forgiveness He earned. Jesus was born, true God in human flesh making Him perfect and Holy, sinless so that He could take our sins upon Himself. Jesus did live the perfect life demanded of us, never sinning even once. Jesus did fulfill all the prophecies concerning the coming Messiah. Jesus then took all our sins and the sins of all people of all places of all times on Himself. Jesus suffered the punishment meted out in the Garden of Eden, the price for sin, death, eternal death and hell and He did so for us in our place. Jesus died. Our God died. But as we know the rest of the account, Jesus did not stay dead, but He rose victorious over sin, death and the power of the devil. He rose, He showed Himself alive. He ascended into heaven where not only is He watching over us, ruling over us and interceding for us, He is also right here with us each and every day. And He sends His Holy Spirit to work through the means of grace, through His Holy Word, the Bible, through confession and absolution and through His Sacraments, Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper to give us faith, to strengthen us in our faith, to gives us forgiveness of sin and to give us life and salvation, even eternal life in heaven. Our response is simply to rejoice and say, to God be the glory, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
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