Mark 6:14-29

The Response of King Herod In View Of His Previous Execution of John the Baptiser (6:14-29).

Meanwhile it was inevitable that news of the activities and power of Jesus, and of His disciples, would reach Herod's palace through his spy system, and when it did his conscience struck him, for he had had John the Baptiser executed, and hearing about the miracles, he thought that this must be John come back to life, and was greatly troubled.

This section is inserted here for a number of reasons.

'b7 Firstly in order to indicate the impact that Jesus' ministry was having. It was even affecting the palace. Nowhere was being left untouched by what God was now doing.

'b7 Secondly by being placed between the sending out of the Apostles and their return it is giving an indication that the Apostles' ministry did continue for some time, a few weeks at least (he did not just want to say simply that ‘they went and returned', which might have been misleading).

'b7 Thirdly it is part of the picture Mark is building up of the different opponents of Jesus. The Herodians (supporters of Herod and his attitudes) have been mentioned as opponents in Mark 3:6, now more information is given about the court and its views. Compare also Mark 8:15; Mark 12:13, and their mention as ‘they' in Mark 9:13. They are one of the continual shadows in the background of Jesus' ministry. That the Pharisees are mentioned more is due to the fact that Jesus tended to avoid the main cities where the Herodians predominated, whereas there were Pharisees and their supporters everywhere. But the Herodians were equally as dangerous, and were equally at loggerheads with Him and His message.

'b7 Fourthly it is a reminder, after a series of incidents in which Jesus has been revealed as the Lord of all, that nevertheless through His own will in coming to earth He has humbled Himself and has subjected Himself to man's rule. He has to beware of Herod.

· Fifthly it helps to explain why Herod never actually directly intervened in Jesus' ministry. He never got over what he had had to do to John the Baptiser, whom he feared. Although one reason why Jesus began to move out of Galilee may well have been because He was aware of rising opposition, and he knew that His time was not yet (see Luke 13:31).

· Sixthly it contrasts the success of the going forth of the new heralds with the seemingly backward step of the execution of John the Baptiser. What had seemed a great blow to the work of God had turned out in fact to be a stepping stone to greater things. John's ministry had in fact accomplished its purpose and was now flowering in the ministry of Jesus and of the Twelve.

'b7 Seventhly it brings out the threat that was continually impending in the life of Jesus. Jesus had already spoken of His being ‘snatched away' (Mark 2:20). Now the threat of Herod loomed, and He knew that what had happened to John could also happen to Him at any time. This will eventually lead on to His own warnings about His final end.

· Eighthly, there is a contrast between John's head being offered up on a platter through Salome to the ungodly Herodias, with the bread of God which Jesus was offering through His disciples to all who genuinely responded to Him. The one could only leave Salome and Herod covered in guilt and remorse. But that was all that Herod could offer his followers. Guilt and remorse. The other offered true repentance and eternal life.

'b7 Ninthly it provides the vivid contrast between the drunken and orgiastic nature of a typical oriental feast, along with the kind of fruit that it produced, and the wholesome and pure provision of God for His own, which left all satisfied.

'b7 Tenthly and finally, it contrasts the new Kingly Rule of God being offered around Galilee with the Kingly Rule of Herod with which no one could be satisfied. It was a contrast of extremes. Yet foolishly the majority chose the way of Herod, disgusting though it had revealed itself to be.

It may also suggest that Mark might not have been aware of what Jesus did while the Apostles were away, and thus could not tell us. His chief source of such information (Peter) was out preaching the good news. There is no suggestion at this stage that Herod became threatening, although his police might have begun to take a deeper interest in what was going on, especially once preachers suddenly began appearing all over the kingdom. Later this would change and he would become more threatening (see Luke 13:31). But while not willing to hear them he seems to have had a deep respect for genuine men of God, unless he felt that they were threatening his position, and he had perhaps learned a salutary lesson with John.

Analysis.

a And King Herod heard of him, for his name had become known, and he said “John the Baptiser is risen from the dead, and that is why these powers work in him” (Mark 6:14).

b But others said, “It is Elijah”. And others said, “It is a prophet, even as one of the prophets”. But Herod when he heard of it said, “John whom I beheaded, he is risen” (Mark 6:16).

c For Herod himself had sent out and laid hold on John and bound him in prison, for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, for he had married her. For John said to Herod “It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife” (Mark 6:17).

d And Herodias set herself against him and desired to kill him, but she could not, for Herod feared John knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. And when he heard him he was greatly perplexed, and he heard him gladly (Mark 6:19).

e And when an opportune day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a feast for his court officials and military officers and the chief men of Galilee

f And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those who sat at meat with him, and the king said to the young woman, “Ask of me whatever you will and I will give it to you” (Mark 6:21 b).

e And he swore to her, “Whatever you will ask of me, I will give it to you, to as much as half of my kingdom” (Mark 6:23).

d And she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?” And she said, “the head of John the Baptiser” (Mark 6:24).

c And she came in immediately and hastily to the king, and asked saying, “I will that you forthwith give me on a plate the head of John the Baptiser.” And the king was deeply sorry, but for the sake of his oath and of those who sat at meat, he would not reject her (Mark 6:25).

b And immediately the king sent out an executioner and commanded to bring his head, and he went and beheaded him in prison, and brought his head on a plate and gave it to the young woman, and the young woman gave it to her mother (Mark 6:27).

a And when his disciples heard, they came and collected his corpse and laid it in a tomb (Mark 6:29).

Note that in ‘a' Herod says that Jesus is John the Baptiser risen from the dead, and in the parallel John's body is laid in a tomb. In ‘b' Herod speaks of ‘John the Baptiser whom I beheaded', and in the parallel we have the description of how he did so. In ‘c' John had condemned Herod's marriage to Herodias, and in the parallel Herodias' daughter asks for his head on a serving plate. In ‘d' Herodias set herself to have John put to death, and in the parallel that is what she tells her daughter to demand. In ‘e' we find a description of Herod's kingdom, and in the parallel he offers Herodias' daughter half his kingdom. Centrally in ‘f' Herodias' daughter pleases Herod and he offers her whatever she wants (there is here a perverted similarity to what Jesus says that God offers to believers - Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9, as symbolised in the feeding of the five thousand which follows). Note also the repetition of the offer, “Ask of me whatever you will and I will give it to you” followed by “Whatever you will ask of me, I will give it to you', the kind of repetition found in the second part of chiasms in the Pentateuch.