And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
After John was beheaded for his straight reproof of Herod's unlawful life and unlawful wife, his disciples took up his body, buried it, and came and told Jesus. Herod had honored and feared John as a true prophet of God and was very nearly his disciple, but Herodias gained his death by strategy through a birthday feast of gluttony and intoxication that deadened moral perception and judgment. The death filled Jesus' disciples with grief and fear for what might befall Jesus, and in coming to tell Him they brought their sorrow to Him for comfort and guidance about their future work. They were inclined to reproach Christ for not working a miracle to save His servant, yet followers are not promised a smooth path or miraculous deliverance and humiliation of their enemies in persecution and trial. Plain testimony that reproves sin will be hated because it cuts the fleshly heart, and faithful warning may cost the messenger his life, but it must still be given whether men will hear or refuse to hear, and John's witness continued to influence people through every generation.
Setting and Immediate Meaning
The verse records that after John the Baptist was beheaded, his disciples came and took up his body and buried it, and then went and told Jesus. John was the greatest prophet that ever lived and the noblest prophet God had given to the world, and his death was part of the storm Jesus foresaw. His life was imperiled and taken because he gave straight testimony reproving Herod about his sins, including his unlawful wife and unlawful life. Herodias was determined on revenge for that truth-telling and would not rest until his head was brought in a charger.
Herod himself had honored and feared John as a true prophet of God, whose reproofs laid open the secrets of his heart and life and struck terror to his guilty conscience. In many things he had reformed his dissolute life under that reproof, had kept John in prison but designed to release him, and had very nearly become his disciple. Herodias knew Herod's character and weak points, and knew she could not obtain John's death while intelligence controlled him. So she worked by strategy through gratification of intemperate appetite, waiting for Herod's birthday as an occasion of gluttony and intoxication. Then luxurious food and stimulating drink would enervate and deaden moral and physical powers, arouse passion and the lower passions, lower mental and moral character, war against the appeals of the Spirit, and leave deadened sensibilities unable to see facts clearly, make right decisions, or let holy impulses govern.
At the point of decision Herod turned away from light and from conviction by the Spirit of truth into darkness and fell into Satan's snare. The demand for John's head first brought keen stings of remorse and horror, but a licentious life had degraded his moral perceptions until his sins seemed trifles and his conscience grew less sensitive, making him capable of worse crimes. Afterward when he heard of Jesus and His mighty works he was terror-stricken with a tormented guilty conscience that John whom he had beheaded was risen from the dead and therefore mighty works showed forth in him. He long desired to see Jesus and witness His marvelous power.
John's death filled Jesus' disciples with grief and troubled them with fears and anxiety about what might happen to Jesus amid the hostility of the scribes and Pharisees. The disciples' coming to tell Jesus showed their close relationship with Him in sharing both successes and failures, faults, and weaknesses. Their visit brought them to Him for comfort in grief and guidance about their future work, joining their interests with His.
Teaching and Present Application
John's beheading was Antipas's crime against God's servants, yet martyrdom strengthened rather than ended his influence. His disciples and others who had been secretly convinced by his teaching came out openly as his followers after his death. His teachings went on influencing people through every generation that followed.
The manner of his death exposes the deadly consequences of intemperance in those entrusted with authority. Herod's birthday feast stands as a warning against pleasure-seeking and as an exhortation to Christian temperance. John's fate shows that a faithful, pointed message may cost the messenger his life. His faithful warning to the people was given even at that cost, and that warning against deception still speaks.
Those who reprove in the gate are hated, because plain God-given testimony cuts the fleshly heart. It pierces even to joints and marrow, working as a savor of life unto life or of death unto death. The testimony must still be given when required, whether men will hear or will refuse to hear and heed. Rejecters are the losers, for the work of God goes forward without them. The third angel's message will triumph, and all who voice it with heart and soul will triumph with it.
John's disciples buried his body and told Jesus with hearts inclined to reproach Christ because He had worked no miracle to save His servant. Their experience teaches that followers of Christ do not have a smooth and easy path. They are not promised miraculous deliverance and the humiliation of their enemies in persecution and trial. Christ told the truth about the future beforehand and promises the Comforter, so His followers do not travel alone. That foreknowledge and presence keep them from falling into discouragement, doubt, dissatisfaction, and offense when He does not intervene as they expect.
Jesus possessed power to save John and to reveal Himself in His true character as king, yet He did not prevent John's violent death. That death, joined with the hatred and reviling of Jesus by the Pharisees as a deceiver and false prophet, became a stumbling block to the disciples. Blinded by love of honor and eager to see Jesus exalted and themselves freed from reproach and a painful way, they murmured that they had not been permitted to proclaim Him king. They blamed themselves for yielding to His command and questioned why He would not assert His authority, ease their lot, and rescue John. Their reasoning brought great spiritual darkness and unbelief, until they asked whether He was an impostor as the Pharisees asserted.
After John was beheaded for his straight reproof of Herod's unlawful life and unlawful wife, his disciples took up his body, buried it, and came and told Jesus. Herod had honored and feared John as a true prophet of God and was very nearly his disciple, but Herodias gained his death by strategy through a birthday feast of gluttony and intoxication that deadened moral perception and judgment. The death filled Jesus' disciples with grief and fear for what might befall Jesus, and in coming to tell Him they brought their sorrow to Him for comfort and guidance about their future work. They were inclined to reproach Christ for not working a miracle to save His servant, yet followers are not promised a smooth path or miraculous deliverance and humiliation of their enemies in persecution and trial. Plain testimony that reproves sin will be hated because it cuts the fleshly heart, and faithful warning may cost the messenger his life, but it must still be given whether men will hear or refuse to hear, and John's witness continued to influence people through every generation.
Setting and Immediate Meaning
The verse records that after John the Baptist was beheaded, his disciples came and took up his body and buried it, and then went and told Jesus. John was the greatest prophet that ever lived and the noblest prophet God had given to the world, and his death was part of the storm Jesus foresaw. His life was imperiled and taken because he gave straight testimony reproving Herod about his sins, including his unlawful wife and unlawful life. Herodias was determined on revenge for that truth-telling and would not rest until his head was brought in a charger.
Herod himself had honored and feared John as a true prophet of God, whose reproofs laid open the secrets of his heart and life and struck terror to his guilty conscience. In many things he had reformed his dissolute life under that reproof, had kept John in prison but designed to release him, and had very nearly become his disciple. Herodias knew Herod's character and weak points, and knew she could not obtain John's death while intelligence controlled him. So she worked by strategy through gratification of intemperate appetite, waiting for Herod's birthday as an occasion of gluttony and intoxication. Then luxurious food and stimulating drink would enervate and deaden moral and physical powers, arouse passion and the lower passions, lower mental and moral character, war against the appeals of the Spirit, and leave deadened sensibilities unable to see facts clearly, make right decisions, or let holy impulses govern.
At the point of decision Herod turned away from light and from conviction by the Spirit of truth into darkness and fell into Satan's snare. The demand for John's head first brought keen stings of remorse and horror, but a licentious life had degraded his moral perceptions until his sins seemed trifles and his conscience grew less sensitive, making him capable of worse crimes. Afterward when he heard of Jesus and His mighty works he was terror-stricken with a tormented guilty conscience that John whom he had beheaded was risen from the dead and therefore mighty works showed forth in him. He long desired to see Jesus and witness His marvelous power.
John's death filled Jesus' disciples with grief and troubled them with fears and anxiety about what might happen to Jesus amid the hostility of the scribes and Pharisees. The disciples' coming to tell Jesus showed their close relationship with Him in sharing both successes and failures, faults, and weaknesses. Their visit brought them to Him for comfort in grief and guidance about their future work, joining their interests with His.
Teaching and Present Application
John's beheading was Antipas's crime against God's servants, yet martyrdom strengthened rather than ended his influence. His disciples and others who had been secretly convinced by his teaching came out openly as his followers after his death. His teachings went on influencing people through every generation that followed.
The manner of his death exposes the deadly consequences of intemperance in those entrusted with authority. Herod's birthday feast stands as a warning against pleasure-seeking and as an exhortation to Christian temperance. John's fate shows that a faithful, pointed message may cost the messenger his life. His faithful warning to the people was given even at that cost, and that warning against deception still speaks.
Those who reprove in the gate are hated, because plain God-given testimony cuts the fleshly heart. It pierces even to joints and marrow, working as a savor of life unto life or of death unto death. The testimony must still be given when required, whether men will hear or will refuse to hear and heed. Rejecters are the losers, for the work of God goes forward without them. The third angel's message will triumph, and all who voice it with heart and soul will triumph with it.
John's disciples buried his body and told Jesus with hearts inclined to reproach Christ because He had worked no miracle to save His servant. Their experience teaches that followers of Christ do not have a smooth and easy path. They are not promised miraculous deliverance and the humiliation of their enemies in persecution and trial. Christ told the truth about the future beforehand and promises the Comforter, so His followers do not travel alone. That foreknowledge and presence keep them from falling into discouragement, doubt, dissatisfaction, and offense when He does not intervene as they expect.
Jesus possessed power to save John and to reveal Himself in His true character as king, yet He did not prevent John's violent death. That death, joined with the hatred and reviling of Jesus by the Pharisees as a deceiver and false prophet, became a stumbling block to the disciples. Blinded by love of honor and eager to see Jesus exalted and themselves freed from reproach and a painful way, they murmured that they had not been permitted to proclaim Him king. They blamed themselves for yielding to His command and questioned why He would not assert His authority, ease their lot, and rescue John. Their reasoning brought great spiritual darkness and unbelief, until they asked whether He was an impostor as the Pharisees asserted.