THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
Mark 6:14-29
In recent years a new word has entered our vernacular, I am referring to the term GOAT.I am not speaking of a temperamental little animal; I am referring to an acronym for “The Greatest Of All Time”. In a conversation concerning the greatest football player of all time you will hear names like: Dick Butkus, Joe Montana, Walter Peyton, Randy Moss,Brett Favre, and Tom Brady among others. When it comes to baseball you will hear names like: Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Willie Mays, Ted Williams, Cy Young, Hank Aaron, and Peter Rose. When discussing the greatest American President in History, people will mention men like: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.
When these debates begin it is rare for two or more people to agree on who truly is the greatest. But when Jesus Christ refers to someone as the “greatest”, then we must pay attention. That is exactly what He said concerning John The Baptist. (Matthew 11:11 "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist”)
With an endorsement like that, it is important for us to take some time and examine the life of this great man. In our selected text, Mark references a time when King Herod came to the conclusion that John had risen from the dead. This was especially concerning to him since he was the one who had John put to death. I would like examine the biography of this great prophet of God and preach on “The Life & Times Of John The Baptist”.
Recently Jesus had sent out His twelve Disciples in pairs to go and preach in Galilee. He empowered them to heal the sick, to cast out demons and even to raise the dead. However, their primary purpose was to go and preach the Gospel of the Kingdom. These men were obedient to their calling and verse 12 tells us that “they went out and preached that people should repent.” It appears that these men had great success in spreading the message of Jesus Christ. So much so that word reached Herod concerning Jesus. (v14 Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known.)
It is important for us to understand just who King Herod was. Herod Antipas was a regional Monarch; He was the son of Herod the Great. Herod the Great was the king when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. (Matthew 2:1) He ruled Israel for 36 years. During this time he greatly enlarged the Temple. So much so that The Second Temple is often referred to as “Herod’s Temple”.It was Herod the Great who slaughtered the male babies of Bethlehem in an attempt to kill Jesus. (Matthew 2:16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.)
When Herod the Great died, his kingdom was divided among several of his sons. One of those sons was Herod Antipas. The territory that included Galilee & Perea belonged to Herod Antipas. Herod Antipas reigned for 42 years. Because of his position, Herod had the power to exercise capital punishment; and a certain chain of events led to Him having John the Baptist beheaded.
When Herod heard of the mighty works of Jesus, he feared that Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead. (v14 Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known. And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.")
Herod was not the only one who came to this conclusion. (Mark 8:27 Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, "Who do men say that I am?" 28 So they answered, "John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.")
Herod did not know it, but the One who was doing such mighty works among the people was actually someone far greater than John. It was the one of whom John had said “He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose." (John 1:27)As great as John was, Jesus said “I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish--the very works that I do--bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.” (John 5:36) As we consider The Life & Times Of John The Baptist” let us begin by examining his birth.
- In Luke Chapter 1 we are told about:
I. THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
Luke writes about the parents of John the Baptist. Their names were Zacharias and Elizabeth. They were an older couple and they had no children because Elizabeth was barren. (Luke 1:5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.)
Zacharias would soon be visited by an Angel of the Lord. He was ministering in the Temple when the Angel approached him and “when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.” (Luke 1:12) The Angel revealed to him that Elizabeth would give birth to a son. He told Zacharias to name his son “John”.
He went on to say “you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." (Luke 1:14-17) Zacharias was amazed by the revelation and confused because he was “well advanced in years”. Because of his unbelief, he became mute and unable to speak until the child was born.
During the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, Gabriel was sent by the Lord to Elizabeth’s cousin, a young girl named Mary. He informed Mary that she would give birth to God’s Son. (Luke 1:31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.")
After these things, Mary went to visit Elizabeth. (“When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! - Luke 1:41-42) (Luke 1:57 Now Elizabeth's full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son.) Upon the birth of their son, Zacharias did as the Angel had commanded… he named him John. It was at this moment that Zacharias regained the ability to speak. John was born for a special purpose. God had a plan for him even before he was conceived.
This reminds us of what God said to the prophet Jeremiah. He said in Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Just as God had a purpose and a plan for Jeremiah and for John, He has a plan for you. We were not born by chance; we were born for a purpose. God has a specific plan for each of us and if we will surrender to Him, He can use us mightily! Ultimately, our purpose is to bring honor and glory to God. That is exactly what John would do. In fact, (even though he has been in Heaven for over 2,000 years) John’s life is still bringing glory to God.
- Now that we have seen a little bit about his birth, let’s move on and consider:
II. THE MINISTRY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
Everything that is recorded about his adult life revolves around his service to the Lord. The details of John’s ministry are recorded in each of the four Gospels. Mark mentions him in - Mark 1:2 as it is written in the Prophets: "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You." 3 "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.' Mark identifies John as God’s “messenger”.
In this passage, he references two Old Testament prophecies. (Malachi 3:1 "Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," Says the LORD of hosts.) Isaiah speaks of “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3) By quoting the Old Testament prophets, Mark gives evidence to the fact that John is the promised forerunner that the prophets had pointed to for hundreds of years.
Mark gives us a brief description of John’s appearance in - Mark 1:6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. John was a man who lived in the wilderness and he wore clothes made of camel’s hair and leather belt due to their ruggedness and durability.
John’s appearance brought to mind the Prophet Elijah. This was no coincidence, for it had been prophesied by the Angel Gabriel: Luke 1:17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
John went out to fulfill God’s mission for Him. He sought to “make ready a people prepared for the Lord”. In those days, kings would send official messengers ahead of them to “prepare the way” before them. A forerunner was charged with making the road ready for the king’s arrival. They would literally smooth out the roads and clear debris from the pathways. The primary mission of a forerunner was to announce the soon arrival of the king and to prepare the people to receive him.
Jesus was (and is) the Divine King and John was sent out as a royal herald to announce His coming. John would go out and prepare the hearts and minds of the people to receive the King. John would prepare the people of the arrival of the King by preaching. The word “preach” literally means to “herald” or to “proclaim”. And that is exactly what John did!
John’s goal was for the people to prepare their hearts for the arrival of the King. How were they to do this? They could do this by forsaking their sin and receiving God’s forgiveness. To demonstrate their repentance, John called on them to be baptized. Repentance implies a genuine turning away from sin and self and turning to God. When someone is truly repentant, there will be a transformation of their nature. John said to the people in Luke 3:8 “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance”
John’s preaching had its desired effect and many people were baptized as a result. (Mark 1:4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.)
The act of baptism did not produce forgiveness of sins. Baptism was a symbol representing the fact that through faith and repentance, sinners are forgiven by God. While preaching the importance of repentance, John warned of the coming judgment of God. (Matthew 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,)
John was faithful to God’s call on his life. He preached and he was very bold in the process. He was bold in his message to the common man; he confronted the Sadducees, Pharisees and other religious leaders. And he did not back down or compromise when it came to the political leaders. He went so far as to confront the king. And ultimately his faithfulness to the Gospel cost him his life. Let’s look to Mark 6:17-18 and examine:
III. THE BOLDNESS OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
King Herod was responsible for the death of John the Baptist. Notice - v17 For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her. 18 For John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."
John boldly confronted a grave sin in the life of the king. It is likely that John began publically preaching against Herod’s actions and when word reached the king he then sent soldiers to arrest him. When he was brought before the king, John did not compromise his message. He boldly said to him “It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." Herod was guilty of incest and adultery.
Herodias was Herod’s niece; she was the daughter of his half-brother Aristobulus. Furthermore, she was already married to Herod Philip I, another of Herod’s half-brothers. Then to and top it off, Herod (Antipas) was already married to the daughter of King Aretas. Herod enticed Herodias to divorce his brother and to marry him. John spoke against this and his bold preaching resulted in him being imprisoned. Let’s consider:
IV. THE IMPRISONMENT OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
v17 For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her. 18 For John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." 19 Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
It is interesting to note that Herod knew that John was a righteous man. (v20 Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him) Even though Herod admired John, he imprisoned him for over a year and eventually had him beheaded. Now that he has heard of the mighty works of Jesus, Herod feared that John had come back from the dead. Herod was not remorseful concerning his actions, he was fearful because a resurrected John the Baptist would have been a threat to his power.
For this same reason, Herod would have killed Jesus if given the opportunity. Luke tells us that some of the Pharisees warned Jesus that Herod desired to kill Him. (Luke 13:31 … some Pharisees came, saying to Him, "Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You.) For over a year, Herod held John in prison. John’s bold preaching cost him his freedom, and ultimately it cost him his life. In verses 21-28 we are told of:
V. THE DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
v21 Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.
Herod hosted a party and invited the most powerful men in that society. Among those present were high level tax collectors, high ranking military commanders and political leaders (Herodians). This party was an event consumed with debauchery. At one point Herod brought his own step daughter perform an erotic dance for his guests. She must have been very good at what she did, for we are told that the king and his men were “pleased”. (v22a And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him)
The king was so stimulated by the dancing of his step daughter that he presented her with a “blank check” so to speak. (v22b Herod said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you." 23 He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.") In the presence of many witnesses (drunk as they may have been) Herod bound himself to an oath.
When given this opportunity, the young girl sought out her wicked mother for advice. (v24 So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!") Herodias had been looking for an opportunity such as this. She wanted John dead a year earlier when Herod had seized and imprisoned him. (v18 For John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."19 Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not)
Now Herodias was able to get what she wanted. As soon as her daughter came to her for advice, she knew that this was her chance. She could have asked for anything she wanted but she did not hesitate, she said “I want John’s head on a platter!” Her daughter complied with her request and went back to the king. (v25 Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.")
This was not what Herod wanted to hear. If he had wanted John to die, John would have already been dead. However, because of his oath and in an effort to “save face” in front of his guests, Herod sent an executioner to carry out the desire of Herodias and her daughter.
(v26 And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her. 27 Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison, 28 brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.)
With one swipe of the executioner’s blade, the life of this great man was brought to an end. John was born to be a servant of God, and until the very end, John was faithful to his calling. His mission was complete, his work was done and now the greatest prophet of all was in the presence of his Lord. What seemed like the ultimate punishment was actually John’s greatest reward. Even though his life was over, his work for the Lord would still carry on. The fact that we are studying his life some 2000 years later is proof that God is still using this man’s testimony today!
We have seen the birth, the ministry, the boldness, the imprisonment and the death of John the Baptist. Before we close, I would like to consider:
VI. THE LEGACY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
After Herod ordered the death of John, John’s disciples retrieved his headless body and buried it. (v29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.) Imagine how devastated these men must have been. They had followed John and served with him. He was their leader and he taught them about God. They witnessed with their own eyes the ministry of God’s greatest prophet. Now, he was dead and they sought to honor him by giving him a proper burial.
Surely they thought that this was the end of his ministry. Though John had gone to be with the Lord, his work continued. The lives that he touched, the words that he preached and the testimony that he left behind would still have an impact on the Kingdom. John knew his role in the Kingdom work long before his death.
Listen to what John said to his Disciples in -John 3:27 John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.' 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.
In life, in death and even after his death, John the Baptist pointed people to Christ. There is a lot that we can learn from the legacy of John the Baptist. He was a man who was born with a purpose. His calling was to point people to the Savior. He was faithful to his calling, even unto death. He was bold and faithful to the Gospel. He realized that his life was not his own, he was a messenger of the King.
The same is true for us! We are born with a purpose, and we who have been born again have a calling from God. Our purpose is to bring honor and glory to our Savior. We can do this by living for Him and pointing others to Him. In the process, we will face adversity and opposition. Along the way we will encounter people like Herod and Herodias. Many people will be offended by our message. There will be opportunities to compromise and we will be tempted to give up and quit. May we be bold and faithful to the Gospel. Let us seek to be sold out and surrendered to our Savior.
If we will do these things, then we can leave behind a legacy similar to John’s. Long after we are gone, our work for Christ will continue to bear fruit. In order for this to happen, we must have the same perspective that John had. (John 1:27 It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.") (John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.)
When Jesus came to the River of Jordan, John proclaimed to all who were in attendance "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) This is where it all begins, before you can apply anything else that we have seen in the scriptures, you must first come to the realization that Jesus is your only hope. He is the Promised One, He is the Messiah; He is the sinless Son of God and the Savior of the World. If you do not know Him, I would love the opportunity to introduce you to Him. If you do know Him, then I pray that you will spend your life pointing others to Him.
