You hear of the imprisonment of faithful believers, and ask yourself, “Why?” The question comes even more loudly when you hear of Christians dying for their faith. In Mark 6:14–29, Mark jumps back in time to tell you of the death of John the Baptist. The account teaches you something about the call to repent. And it points you to one greater than John.
Repent! The preaching mission of the Twelve raised questions about Jesus. The disciples preached repentance, verse 12, and their preaching was accompanied by miracles of healing and casting out demons, verse 13. Mark gives some of the reaction to their work, see verse 30. The miracles made some conclude that Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead (perhaps with the miracles as indicators of his resurrection — there is no record of John working miracles. Others identified Jesus as Elijah, not surprising, given Malachi 4 and John’s own self-identification. Although in a different sense than some of those, Jesus also could identify John as the promised Elijah, Mark 9:12–13. Others just identified Jesus as some other Old Testament prophet. Jesus, now joined by his disciples, had been preaching the presence of the kingdom. That message was made visible as demons were cast out and the sick healed. But instead of recognizing the presence of the King, people go to lengths to identify him with someone else. The rejection of Jesus may be led by the national and religious leaders, but many of the people also fail to recognize him as who he is. In recent times we have some theologians questioning the deity of Christ, the virgin birth, etc. But perhaps the more serious problem is a tendency to view Jesus as someone to ignore most of the time, but to turn to when you get into serious trouble, or to see him as an inspiring teacher, as your pal (the way people view him varies), but fail to acknowledge him as your sovereign Lord.
“It was astonishing that, amidst the diversity of views which were suggested, the true interpretation did not occur to any one…. The Redeemer is at hand, who had been so clearly pointed out by the preaching of John, and who himself testifies respecting his office. They are compelled to acknowledge that some divine power belongs to him, and yet they fall into their own fancies, and change him into the persons of other men.
John Calvin, Commentary on the Harmony of the Gospels
Proclaim repentance! Repentance was a theme of the preaching of Jesus, and of his disciples. John’s preaching had introduced the Gospel with that message. Now Mark focuses on how that message worked out in one particular situation. Part of the parallel between John and Elijah involves his confrontation with the “king.” And Herod Antipas and Herodias remind you of Ahab and Jezebel. Although Mark uses what was likely the common title for Herod Antipas, “King,” that title had been denied to this son of Herod the Great — unless Mark’s use is ironic. Herod had entered a political marriage with the daughter of neighboring King Aretas and left her for Herodias. Herodias divorced Herod Philip, the half-brother of Herod Antipas, so that she could marry him. And the marriage was a violation of Leviticus 18:16 and 20:21. John the Baptist had denounced this marriage, apparently to Herod’s face (“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife”). Herod, who both feared the prophet and was attracted to his message, imprisoned John, but that did not satisfy Herodias. She bided her time, took the opportunity of the king’s birthday to send her daughter (Salome from extra-Biblical sources) to dance, and elicited a rash promise of reward from the drunken king. In the presence of the prominent guests Herod cannot back down, John was beheaded, and Herodias received her grisly request. With that background, you can understand Herod’s uneasy conscience, and his wondering if Jesus is John, come back to life. The church today should have a prophetic function, calling herself, as well as those around her to repentance. We expect pagans in positions of political power to act like pagans. But I wonder where the prophetic voice of the church has gone when Christians end up excusing immorality because they like their candidate better than the other party’s. You probably don’t have the opportunity that both Elijah and John did, of stepping into the king’s presence with a cll to repent. But, within the sphere of your influence, you can make clear the standards of our holy God. And a call to repentance starts with ourselves. Examine the self-centeredness of your life, the way that we easily accommodate our standards to those of the world, and call yourself to repentance. Speak to the injustices around you, boldly and compassionately.
“John the Baptist had consistently and fearlessly preached his message of repentance. He had applied it with equal consistency to the religious and the irreligious, the great and the lowly — including Herod. Nor had John spoken only in generalities or of trivialities. He had preached that Herod”s present marriage to Herodias was contrary to God’s law, and thus should be dissolved.” “The lesson is crystal clear. Unless we silence sin, sin will silence conscience. Unless we heed God’s word, the day may come when we despise God’s Son — and then God will have noting more to say to us.”
Sinclair Ferguson, Let’s Study Mark, pages 88 & 90
Why does Mark include this account with its detail? John’s death anticipates the suffering and death of Christ. Jesus would also suffer at the hands of men. Mark’s Gospel contains two passion accounts. The suffering and death of John the Baptist anticipate the redemptive death of the Savior. Jesus implies a parallel between his coming death and that of John, Mark 9:11–13. John did come in fulfillment of Malachi 4. He was rejected by the rulers and killed. The implication is that the One to whom John pointed would be treated similarly. Mark does present Jesus as the King, but he is showing you how different from what you might expect is his path to the throne.
There are parallels, but also contrasts. Jesus is triumphant in his death. Mark is not just presenting a series of martyrs who die for their faith. Rather, both the death of John and the death of Jesus fit into their own place in the great account he is giving. The conclusion of the account of John’s death is his burial by his disciples. His work and death had meaning because they pointed forward to the Christ, to the Messiah who came to be the Lamb of God. John was faithful to death. Jesus is even more faithful. The resurrection of Jesus gives meaning and hope, even to the death of his people. The account in Mark 9:11–13 is in the context of verse 9, pointing to the resurrection of the Savior. He is the One who has overcome death. Jesus himself, and Mark’s Gospel, look ahead to his resurrection, the event which gives meaning and hope to believers in life and in death.
The servant is not greater than his master. Where the message of repentance is preached, the church suffers. But because Christ died and rose, the church will triumph.