Mark 6:20, commentary and pictures

Herod knew John was a just and holy man and a true prophet of God, and he feared, honored, respected and protected him. John faithfully laid open Herod's unlawful life and marriage to his brother's wife, taught God's law and the punishment of guilt, and told him he must break off that union and obey God's commandments to enter the Messiah's kingdom. Herod heard him gladly and with deep interest, reformed much of his dissolute life, trembled under conviction and wanted to break free from lust and obey God, even asking what he should do to become John's disciple and intending to follow his counsel and release him, delaying only from fear of displeasing Herodias. Yet his glad hearing never became obedience, for he came close to discipleship but failed at the point of decision, choosing sinful pleasure over God's law, with his weak wavering character and continued intemperance and indulgence hardening his heart against conviction. He shut John in prison for reproving him and then while drunk ordered his death to please Herodias, choosing murder over breaking his oath, and afterward could not shut out the sight of John's bleeding head, finding no rest from guilty thoughts and fear of punishment for his crime.

Herod's Regard for John

Herod recognized John as a just and holy man and a true prophet of God. He feared him, honored him, respected him, and protected him. He heard him gladly and with deep interest, did many things in response to his preaching, and reformed many parts of his dissolute life. He even asked what he should do to become John's disciple.

John faithfully told Herod the truth about his unlawful life and made known the secrets of his heart. He denounced Herod's unlawful marriage to his brother's wife Herodias. He taught God's law and the punishment of guilt. He told him that entering the Messiah's kingdom required leaving that relationship and obeying God's commandments.

His reproof, and the Spirit of God through him, struck terror to Herod's guilty conscience and deeply affected him. Herod trembled under the call to repent, feared the consequences of sin, and wanted to break free from lust and obey God. He welcomed the chance to hear John. He designed to release him from prison and initially intended to follow his counsel, delaying only through fear of displeasing Herodias. John used the glad attention that rulers gave his preaching to direct people away from himself toward Christ, whose mission was so exalted that John counted himself unworthy even to unloose His shoes.

Rejection, Murder, and Guilt

Herod's respect for John's frankness and his glad hearing did not lead him to embrace the godly life and obedience that John's reproof called for. He recognized John as a just and holy man, listened to him gladly and with interest and deep impression, and did many things in response, yet he did not act consistently on what he heard and did not turn from his sinful life. John's plain teaching about God's law and the punishment of guilt convicted his conscience, denounced his unlawful marriage to his brother's wife Herodias, and told him that entering the Messiah's kingdom required leaving that relationship and obeying God's commandments. Herod trembled under the call to repent, feared the consequences of sin, desired to break free from his lust and obey God, welcomed the chance to hear John, and asked what he should do to become John's disciple. He came close to becoming John's disciple but failed at the point of decision, for his efforts to break free were weak and short-lived and his weak, wavering character left him vulnerable to Herodias's influence, so he chose sinful pleasure over obedience to God's law.

His continued intemperance and sin hardened his heart, and the use of luxurious food and stimulating drink constantly enervated his moral as well as physical powers and warred against the conviction pressed upon him by the earnest appeals of the Spirit of God through John. John had told him the truth about his unlawful life and made known the secrets of his heart and life, and his reproofs struck terror to the guilty conscience of the king and urged him to put away his sins, so that in many things Herod had reformed his dissolute life and heard him gladly. He honored and feared John as a true prophet of God and designed to release him from prison and intended to follow his counsel, delaying only through fear of displeasing Herodias who was determined John should be put to death. Herodias knew these weak points in his character, including his vulnerability to appetite and other influences working against the Spirit, and knew she could not compass John's death while his intelligence controlled him under ordinary circumstances.

John faithfully and fearlessly denounced the unlawful marriage, and Herodias's revenge led Herod, influenced by his wife, to refuse to give up the marriage and to imprison John for reproving him. Herod nevertheless recognized him as a righteous and holy man, listened with deep interest, protected him, and was deeply impressed, yet his fear and respect did not prevent him from yielding to Herodias's demand. While drunk he ordered John's death to please Herodias, and under pressure from his oath he chose the guilt of murder over being accused of breaking his oath. Afterward he boasted that he had punished John for reproving him.

After ordering John's death while drunk, Herod could not shut out the sight of John's bleeding head and was horrified by it. John's words about God seeing what is hidden spoke to his conscience, his guilty thoughts gave him no rest, and he feared punishment for his crime. Though John's death first brought him remorse and a troubled conscience after he had come close to becoming his disciple but turned from the truth at the choice, he later turned further from the truth and his moral sense grew dulled by sin. His mistaken belief that Jesus was John risen from the dead shows he had not previously heard of Jesus or known of His ministry despite living in Galilee, reflecting the religious ignorance often found among people of high rank.

Prison, Death, and Warning

Mark 6:20 belongs to the time when John was shut in Herod's prison in gloom and inaction after a life of active labor, with week after week bringing no change, which weighed heavily on him and let despondency and doubt creep over him. Like the Saviour's disciples he did not understand the nature of Christ's kingdom and expected Jesus to take the throne of David, so as time passed without kingly claim he became perplexed and troubled. He had declared that every valley must be filled, the mountains and hills made low, the crooked straight and the rough plain, and had looked for the high places of human pride and power to be cast down. He had pointed to the Messiah as the One whose fan was in His hand to thoroughly purge His floor, gather the wheat into His garner and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire, and like Elijah in whose spirit and power he had come to Israel looked for the Lord to reveal Himself by fire. His disciples still had access to him and brought tidings of the works of Jesus and how the people flocked to Him, while questioning why if Jesus was the Messiah He did nothing to effect John's release and permitted His faithful herald to be deprived of liberty and perhaps of life.

John was left to die in prison by Herod's hand, and the tidings of his death reached Jesus and the disciples just after their joyful return from their first missionary tour. The news was received near Bethsaida and brought bitter sorrow and disappointment, and leaving John to die severely tested the faith of the disciples. They questioned why Jesus, who had power, had not saved him, and their question deepened their doubts about Jesus. With pitying tenderness for their sorrowful, tear-stained faces, and with tears in His own eyes and voice, Jesus invited them to come apart into a desert place to rest awhile.

Though Herod imprisoned John and took his life for reproving his sin, persecution could not take away John's hope or eternal life. John's martyrdom resulted from intemperance among people in authority, and the birthday feast warns those who love pleasure and calls for Christian temperance. John delivered a pointed message even though it cost him his life, to warn people so they would not be deceived. His example shows that God's message today grows more and more pointed in the same way at the same cost.