Herod's Feast and the Demand for John's HeadBible World
14:11Matthew 14:11
And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.
The severed head was carried on a platter into the birthday feast and handed to Herodias's daughter, who took it to her mother Herodias, ending the revelry in horror before Herod and his guests. John had been imprisoned for faithfully condemning Herod's unlawful marriage to his living brother's wife, and Herodias used her daughter's dancing to secure the demand, which Herod in drunken weakness and fear of breaking his oath granted by ordering the murder. Herodias received it with exultant revenge as silencing the voice that troubled conscience, while Herod who had feared and honored John as a true prophet and nearly become his disciple was left with deep remorse that later dulled as he turned from light. The execution sealed lips that had called sinners to repentance and made John a holy martyr, yet it did not silence his influence, for his reproofs and example were remembered, enshrined in hearts, and extended to every generation. Indulgence in gluttony, drink and pleasure beclouded judgment and made the martyrdom possible, showing that straight testimony against wrong may cost the messenger his life and that Christ does not always work a miracle to deliver His servants from a smooth path of trial.
The Murder at the Feast
John's severed head was brought in on a platter or charger and handed to Herodias's daughter, Salome, who carried it to her mother Herodias. That delivery completed the beheading and fulfilled the demand Herodias had arranged through her daughter. Herodias's influence had secured the execution, and the head passed from the executioner to the girl and then to her mother.
The bringing in happened at Herod's birthday feast after Herod commanded the executioner to take John's life. The head was carried in before the king and his guests, and the night of frivolity and excess ended in the sacrifice and death of a prophet. The sight horrified the guests and was more than Herod, who had heard John preach, could endure.
John had been imprisoned by Herod Antipas after faithfully telling him that marrying his living brother's wife was unlawful. Herodias sought revenge for that truthful reproof of her unlawful life, and arranged the demand through her daughter's dancing before Herod. Herod, in weakness and drunken revelry, yielded to the demand under a foolish oath, choosing the guilt of murder to please the wicked Herodias and to satisfy revenge rather than risk being called an oath-breaker, though he knew John to be a true prophet.
Conscience and Lasting Aftermath
Herodias received the bloody severed head with fiendish satisfaction and exultation, insulting John through it in triumph over her enemy. She believed she had secured her revenge and had at last silenced his voice, so that Herod's conscience would no more be disturbed by his reproofs. What she took for victory was the insulting handling of the head of a murdered prophet, delivered by her daughter into her own hands.
Herod knew John to be a true prophet of God, honored and feared him, and was stirred to the depths by reproofs that laid open the secrets of his heart and life and made his proud heart tremble. In many things he had reformed his dissolute life under that conviction, had designed to release John from prison, and had very nearly become his disciple. He trembled with horror at the demand for John's head, yet put to death a man he knew to be a true prophet to gratify the revenge of a cruel and licentious woman. Afterward he felt deep remorse and the keen stings of conscience for the deed, and the memory of the crime later troubled him and weighed upon him. By turning from light into darkness his conscience grew dull and far less sensitive, his moral perceptions were degraded until his sins appeared as trifles, and about a year later he was still with Herodias, his unlawful wife, observing the Passover ceremonies.
The very act by which Herod, with reason and judgment perverted, thought to maintain his honor and dignity branded him forever with dishonor and made his name detestable. Herodias by this inhuman, satanic conduct made her name notorious and abhorred, and her corrupt life and satanic revenge stand upon the page of sacred history making her name infamous. The murder formed part of the Herodian family's history of crimes against God's servants, and the disasters that later befell the family showed God's displeasure with those crimes.
The execution sealed lips that had faithfully told Herod why he could not be his disciple, had declared the necessity of reform in his life, and had called sinners to repentance in trumpet tones never to be heard again. The death was ignominious, the sacrifice of a great messenger of God after a night of frivolity and excess, and it made John a holy martyr. It grieved his disciples and filled them with fear about what might happen to Jesus. Yet it did not silence his influence, for his disciples and many who had been aroused and convinced by his teachings but had not had moral courage to stand openly now declared themselves his disciples, and his reproofs and example in reform were remembered and enshrined in hearts, bringing sorrow and regret to many, and were to extend down through every generation to the close of time.
Faithfulness, Providence and Warning
The bringing of the head on a charger warns that indulgence in food, drink, pleasure and voluptuous dissipation can undermine justice and mercy and lead to decisions with terrible consequences. Herodias waited for the birthday occasion of gluttony and intoxication, making costly preparations for feasting and voluptuous dissipation to entice Herod to indulge appetite, pleasure and amusement, throw him off his guard, arouse passion and excite the lower passions, and lower the tone of mental and moral character. She did so because she knew she could not obtain John's death under ordinary circumstances while intelligence controlled Herod, and because luxurious food and stimulating drinks were constantly enervating and deadening his moral as well as physical powers and warring against the earnest appeals of the Spirit of God that convicted him to put away his sins. That unnatural exhilaration beclouds the senses, lowers the sensibilities to moral improvement, removes the fear of God, makes it impossible for deadened sensibilities to see facts clearly and make right decisions, makes men spiritless to the nobler demands of effort and duty, and makes it impossible for holy impulses to affect the heart and hold government over the passions. So John's martyrdom resulted from intemperance among people in authority, and the dancing of Herodias's daughter before Herod shows how alluring actions can make a destructive impression and lead people toward ruin.
The head given to the damsel and carried to her mother illustrates that those who give straight, pointed testimony reproving wrongdoing may be hated, and that a faithful, God-given message can cost the messenger his life. Herodias would not rest until John's head was brought to her on a platter because she hated his straight testimony. John's pointed message cost him his life, showing the danger of speaking plainly against wrongdoing. Yet his faithful message was not to be softened to keep people from being deceived.
John was beheaded while Christ worked no miracle to save His servant. His violent death led the disciples to question why Jesus, who had great power, had not saved him, and they were inclined to reproach Christ for not saving John. The bringing of the head means Christ does not promise His followers a smooth and easy path and does not always intervene miraculously to deliver them or humiliate their enemies. Christ told the truth about the future beforehand so believers today will not become dissatisfied, discouraged, doubtful and offended when trial comes and when Christ does not act for them as they expect.
John lived a sorrowful and self-denying life proclaiming Christ's advent. He knew that when Jesus fully established Himself as a teacher he himself would die. The bringing of his head belongs to the gathering storm against him when he was soon to be killed.
The severed head was carried on a platter into the birthday feast and handed to Herodias's daughter, who took it to her mother Herodias, ending the revelry in horror before Herod and his guests.
John had been imprisoned for faithfully condemning Herod's unlawful marriage to his living brother's wife, and Herodias used her daughter's dancing to secure the demand, which Herod in drunken weakness and fear of breaking his oath granted by ordering the murder.
Herodias received it with exultant revenge as silencing the voice that troubled conscience, while Herod who had feared and honored John as a true prophet and nearly become his disciple was left with deep remorse that later dulled as he turned from light.
The execution sealed lips that had called sinners to repentance and made John a holy martyr, yet it did not silence his influence, for his reproofs and example were remembered, enshrined in hearts, and extended to every generation.
Indulgence in gluttony, drink and pleasure beclouded judgment and made the martyrdom possible, showing that straight testimony against wrong may cost the messenger his life and that Christ does not always work a miracle to deliver His servants from a smooth path of trial.
The Murder at the Feast
John's severed head was brought in on a platter or charger and handed to Herodias's daughter, Salome, who carried it to her mother Herodias. That delivery completed the beheading and fulfilled the demand Herodias had arranged through her daughter. Herodias's influence had secured the execution, and the head passed from the executioner to the girl and then to her mother.
The bringing in happened at Herod's birthday feast after Herod commanded the executioner to take John's life. The head was carried in before the king and his guests, and the night of frivolity and excess ended in the sacrifice and death of a prophet. The sight horrified the guests and was more than Herod, who had heard John preach, could endure.
John had been imprisoned by Herod Antipas after faithfully telling him that marrying his living brother's wife was unlawful. Herodias sought revenge for that truthful reproof of her unlawful life, and arranged the demand through her daughter's dancing before Herod. Herod, in weakness and drunken revelry, yielded to the demand under a foolish oath, choosing the guilt of murder to please the wicked Herodias and to satisfy revenge rather than risk being called an oath-breaker, though he knew John to be a true prophet.
Conscience and Lasting Aftermath
Herodias received the bloody severed head with fiendish satisfaction and exultation, insulting John through it in triumph over her enemy. She believed she had secured her revenge and had at last silenced his voice, so that Herod's conscience would no more be disturbed by his reproofs. What she took for victory was the insulting handling of the head of a murdered prophet, delivered by her daughter into her own hands.
Herod knew John to be a true prophet of God, honored and feared him, and was stirred to the depths by reproofs that laid open the secrets of his heart and life and made his proud heart tremble. In many things he had reformed his dissolute life under that conviction, had designed to release John from prison, and had very nearly become his disciple. He trembled with horror at the demand for John's head, yet put to death a man he knew to be a true prophet to gratify the revenge of a cruel and licentious woman. Afterward he felt deep remorse and the keen stings of conscience for the deed, and the memory of the crime later troubled him and weighed upon him. By turning from light into darkness his conscience grew dull and far less sensitive, his moral perceptions were degraded until his sins appeared as trifles, and about a year later he was still with Herodias, his unlawful wife, observing the Passover ceremonies.
The very act by which Herod, with reason and judgment perverted, thought to maintain his honor and dignity branded him forever with dishonor and made his name detestable. Herodias by this inhuman, satanic conduct made her name notorious and abhorred, and her corrupt life and satanic revenge stand upon the page of sacred history making her name infamous. The murder formed part of the Herodian family's history of crimes against God's servants, and the disasters that later befell the family showed God's displeasure with those crimes.
The execution sealed lips that had faithfully told Herod why he could not be his disciple, had declared the necessity of reform in his life, and had called sinners to repentance in trumpet tones never to be heard again. The death was ignominious, the sacrifice of a great messenger of God after a night of frivolity and excess, and it made John a holy martyr. It grieved his disciples and filled them with fear about what might happen to Jesus. Yet it did not silence his influence, for his disciples and many who had been aroused and convinced by his teachings but had not had moral courage to stand openly now declared themselves his disciples, and his reproofs and example in reform were remembered and enshrined in hearts, bringing sorrow and regret to many, and were to extend down through every generation to the close of time.
Faithfulness, Providence and Warning
The bringing of the head on a charger warns that indulgence in food, drink, pleasure and voluptuous dissipation can undermine justice and mercy and lead to decisions with terrible consequences. Herodias waited for the birthday occasion of gluttony and intoxication, making costly preparations for feasting and voluptuous dissipation to entice Herod to indulge appetite, pleasure and amusement, throw him off his guard, arouse passion and excite the lower passions, and lower the tone of mental and moral character. She did so because she knew she could not obtain John's death under ordinary circumstances while intelligence controlled Herod, and because luxurious food and stimulating drinks were constantly enervating and deadening his moral as well as physical powers and warring against the earnest appeals of the Spirit of God that convicted him to put away his sins. That unnatural exhilaration beclouds the senses, lowers the sensibilities to moral improvement, removes the fear of God, makes it impossible for deadened sensibilities to see facts clearly and make right decisions, makes men spiritless to the nobler demands of effort and duty, and makes it impossible for holy impulses to affect the heart and hold government over the passions. So John's martyrdom resulted from intemperance among people in authority, and the dancing of Herodias's daughter before Herod shows how alluring actions can make a destructive impression and lead people toward ruin.
The head given to the damsel and carried to her mother illustrates that those who give straight, pointed testimony reproving wrongdoing may be hated, and that a faithful, God-given message can cost the messenger his life. Herodias would not rest until John's head was brought to her on a platter because she hated his straight testimony. John's pointed message cost him his life, showing the danger of speaking plainly against wrongdoing. Yet his faithful message was not to be softened to keep people from being deceived.
John was beheaded while Christ worked no miracle to save His servant. His violent death led the disciples to question why Jesus, who had great power, had not saved him, and they were inclined to reproach Christ for not saving John. The bringing of the head means Christ does not promise His followers a smooth and easy path and does not always intervene miraculously to deliver them or humiliate their enemies. Christ told the truth about the future beforehand so believers today will not become dissatisfied, discouraged, doubtful and offended when trial comes and when Christ does not act for them as they expect.
John lived a sorrowful and self-denying life proclaiming Christ's advent. He knew that when Jesus fully established Himself as a teacher he himself would die. The bringing of his head belongs to the gathering storm against him when he was soon to be killed.