Mar 6:21-27 | KingComments | STEP | The moment comes when Herod is faced with a final choice. There comes a “strategic day”, that is, a strategic day for the devil. Under the permission of God, the devil controls the circumstances in such a way that in Herod is seen what happens, if the conscience is not listened to when it comes in the light of God. Then a man even puts to death the person he acknowledges as a prophet. We realize only to a very small extent the power of that impure and cunning adversary, the devil. It is exactly the opposite of what the Lord is doing in grace in the midst of His disciples. He is not the greatest in their midst, but the Least and the Servant. On the occasion of his birthday, Herod gives a banquet. To add luster to the banquet, he invites all kinds of dignitaries for a meal. Such a banquet also includes something that stimulates lust. The daughter of Herodias meets this requirement in an excellent way. The food is very satisfying, the performance of the dancer is even more satisfying if possible. The cooks don’t get to hear what the girl gets to hear for their performance. In his boundless pride, Herod says things that are reserved for God alone. Herod does not act in a whim, but is completely captured by his passions. Therefore, he swears that he will give the girl what she asks for, even if it is half his kingdom. That’s what Ahasuerus also once said to a girl, Esther. How different was her answer. Instead of the kingdom, she asked for the life of her people ( ), while this girl, instead of the kingdom, asks for the death of a faithful witness of God. At first, the child does not know what to answer to Herod’s offer and asks her mother. Her mother has been searching for and thinking about a possibility to kill John for so long, that she doesn’t have to think for a second. Her daughter has to ask the head of John the baptist. The girl turns out to be of the same kind as her mother. Immediately and in haste she goes back inside and says that she immediately wants the head of John the baptist. In a frenzy of sinfulness, during a brass party, Herod becomes entangled in his own carnal lusts to fulfill the wish of someone as bad as himself or, if possible, even worse. He is trapped by his own word, which he, for fear of losing face with all his high guests, does not revoke. This is the end of the conscience of a natural man who does not come to appear in God’s light with confession of guilt. Herod commands something that he perhaps could not possibly have imagined he would ever do. But he is trapped by his own lusts and cannot go back, that is, he does not want to go back. A dance and the prevention of loss of face are worth more to him than the life of the prophet of God. That’s the ruler of Israel. He commands and John is beheaded. The head of the prophet is given to the girl on a platter and she gives it to her mother. Incredibly cruel is the scene that gives the girl and her mother the greatest satisfaction. What deeply depraved creatures these two women are. To such atrocities any man can come who stands apart from God and rebels against Him when His thoughts are revealed to him. The disciples of John pay their master the last respects and lay his body in a tomb. There it will be until the resurrection, for the burial of the believer is not the end, but points over the tomb to something new of which the resurrection from the dead is the beginning.

‏ Mark 6:21-27

John Beheaded

The moment comes when Herod is faced with a final choice. There comes a “strategic day”, that is, a strategic day for the devil. Under the permission of God, the devil controls the circumstances in such a way that in Herod is seen what happens, if the conscience is not listened to when it comes in the light of God. Then a man even puts to death the person he acknowledges as a prophet.

We realize only to a very small extent the power of that impure and cunning adversary, the devil. It is exactly the opposite of what the Lord is doing in grace in the midst of His disciples. He is not the greatest in their midst, but the Least and the Servant.

On the occasion of his birthday, Herod gives a banquet. To add luster to the banquet, he invites all kinds of dignitaries for a meal. Such a banquet also includes something that stimulates lust. The daughter of Herodias meets this requirement in an excellent way. The food is very satisfying, the performance of the dancer is even more satisfying if possible. The cooks don’t get to hear what the girl gets to hear for their performance.

In his boundless pride, Herod says things that are reserved for God alone. Herod does not act in a whim, but is completely captured by his passions. Therefore, he swears that he will give the girl what she asks for, even if it is half his kingdom. That’s what Ahasuerus also once said to a girl, Esther. How different was her answer. Instead of the kingdom, she asked for the life of her people (Est 7:2-3), while this girl, instead of the kingdom, asks for the death of a faithful witness of God.

At first, the child does not know what to answer to Herod’s offer and asks her mother. Her mother has been searching for and thinking about a possibility to kill John for so long, that she doesn’t have to think for a second. Her daughter has to ask the head of John the baptist. The girl turns out to be of the same kind as her mother. Immediately and in haste she goes back inside and says that she immediately wants the head of John the baptist.

In a frenzy of sinfulness, during a brass party, Herod becomes entangled in his own carnal lusts to fulfill the wish of someone as bad as himself or, if possible, even worse. He is trapped by his own word, which he, for fear of losing face with all his high guests, does not revoke. This is the end of the conscience of a natural man who does not come to appear in God’s light with confession of guilt. Herod commands something that he perhaps could not possibly have imagined he would ever do.

But he is trapped by his own lusts and cannot go back, that is, he does not want to go back. A dance and the prevention of loss of face are worth more to him than the life of the prophet of God. That’s the ruler of Israel. He commands and John is beheaded.

The head of the prophet is given to the girl on a platter and she gives it to her mother. Incredibly cruel is the scene that gives the girl and her mother the greatest satisfaction. What deeply depraved creatures these two women are. To such atrocities any man can come who stands apart from God and rebels against Him when His thoughts are revealed to him.

The disciples of John pay their master the last respects and lay his body in a tomb. There it will be until the resurrection, for the burial of the believer is not the end, but points over the tomb to something new of which the resurrection from the dead is the beginning.