Herod and John
Before we get into the relationship between Herod and John the Baptist, we have to pin down which “Herod” we’re talking about. As you may know, there’s more than one, and we need some sort of program that identifies the cast of characters. Here’s an abbreviated summary:
Herod the Great – This is the original “Herod”, named by Rome the “King of the Jews”. He had an enormous building program, including the great Temple in Jerusalem. He’s the one who ordered the babies in Bethlehem slaughtered (Matthew 2:16), which was just one of many atrocities he committed. He died shortly after Jesus was born (Matt 2:19-21). His territory was split up among three of his sons: Archelaus got Judea and Samaria (Matt 2:22), Herod Antipas got Galilee and Perea, and Philip got the territory to the northeast (Luke 3:1).
Archelaus proved intolerably oppressive, even by Roman standards, and was removed, replaced by a Roman governor. Pilate was that governor for a time.
Herod Antipas – This is the “Herod”, sometimes called “Herod the tetrarch”, who arrested and beheaded John the Baptist. He’s the one we’ll be looking at. This is also the “Herod” that Jesus was sent to by Pilate (Luke 23:6-11).
Herod Agrippa – Herod the Great’s grandson, by a different son named Aristobulus, whom Herod the Great executed. This is the “Herod” who beheaded James and arrested Peter (Acts 12:1-2). Later he was killed by the angel of the Lord (Acts 12:23).
Agrippa – The son of Herod Agrippa, this is the “Agrippa” who Paul appeared before in Acts 25 & 26.
Whew. Sorry if that was more than you wanted to know. I hope it reduces confusion rather than making it worse.
The first we hear about any connection between Herod Antipas and John the Baptist is when Herod arrests John:
For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” (Matthew 14:3-4)
It’s a little murky whether this Philip is the tetrarch who got the northeast territory. Also, secular history records that Herodias’s first husband was Herod II (who doesn’t appear in the New Testament). So, sorry again for possibly making things worse.
But Herod’s action against John isn’t only because of the marriage issue:
But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison. (Luke 3:19-20)
The reason I’m reflecting on any of this is the clue dropped by Matthew, that somehow Herod and John had had some kind of prior personal interaction. John said to Herod, not about Herod, that his relationship with Herodias was illegal. And apparently he brought up other “evil things”. We are not given any information about how the conversation came about. Did John stride into the palace compound one day and confront him? Did John shout it from the sidelines as Herod and his entourage rode by? Did Herod initiate a contact? We don’t know.
Somehow, though, there’s a foundation for what we then learn about the relationship.
And though he [Herod] wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. (Matthew 14:5)
And Herodias had a grudge against him [John] and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. (Mark 6:19-20)
Herod wanted to kill John, only holding off because of popular opinion. Herod feared John, and kept him safe from Herodias’s plotting. Herod gladly, but in perplexity, listened to what John had to say. Can all these emotions be true? I think they can, and that word “perplexity” probably reflects Herod’s overall state of mind.
Some of the time, at least, Herod was in a mood to gladly listen to John. How did that work? Must be that from time to time, Herod would have John brought from his cell to talk. What did they talk about? I can’t think John’s message changed. But then how did Herod react?
A similar situation emerged a generation later, between the Roman governor Felix and the apostle Paul, when it was Paul in a cell.
After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.” (Acts 24:24-25)
It seems very likely John also would have spoken about faith in Christ, righteousness, self-control, judgment. Apparently he got the same “go away for now” reaction.
By now you’re wondering why I’m bothering you with all this. Just one simple point, really. A time may come, probably will come, when you or I have a chance to speak about these topics, to someone in a mood to give you a hearing. They might or might not have any power over you, doesn’t matter. Their behavior might or might not change, doesn’t matter. When the opportunity arises, as Peter counsels:
Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:14-15)
That’s our take-away from the Herod and John story. Because it’s not just for a John or a Paul. It’s for any one of us who reads about them. For every one of us.
Love, Paul