The Lord Jesus said, “Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist” (Mt. 11:11). John was a great prophet (Lk. 7:28). He delivered God’s message without compromise. He was the voice of one crying in the wilderness who prepared the way for the Lord (Mk. 1:3; cf. Isa. 40:3). He preached repentance (Mt. 3:2). When the multitudes heard him preach of the coming kingdom, they went out to the Jordan river to be baptized, confessing their sins (Mt. 3:5-6).

John did not modify his message to appease people in power. He sternly rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees, calling them to abandon self-righteous attitudes and come to repentance (Mt. 3:7-10). He courageously told Herod that his marriage situation was not lawful (Mk. 6:17-19). John was holy and just; therefore, Herod feared him and observed him (Mk. 6:20). Many are tempted to avoid the subject of divorce and unlawful marriage today even though it is clearly part of the Lord’s teaching (Mt. 5:32; 19:4-12; Mk. 10:2-12).

John’s firm stance for the truth landed him in prison for he provoked the ire of Herodias­—the wife of Herod’s brother, Philip, whom Herod had unlawfully married (Mk. 6:17). Mark 6:19 says Herodias “had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not.” John came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Mal. 4:5; Mt. 17:10-13; Lk. 1:17), the prophet who withstood the wicked Ahab and Jezebel (1 Kings 18:17-19). John was a rough, wilderness character with similar clothing to Elijah (2 Kgs. 1:8; Mt. 3:4). Moreover, a similarity is also seen in the way Herodias sought to murder John as Jezebel sought Elijah’s life (1 Kgs. 19:2). In both situations, a wicked woman married to the king asserted her evil influence to persecute God’s righteous messenger.

When Herod’s birthday feast was held, Herodias found the opportune day to exact her wrath on John (Mk. 6:21). Herodias’ daughter danced and pleased Herod and the powerful men who sat with him as guests (Mk. 6:22). While examples exist of wholesome, celebratory dances (Ex. 15:20; 2 Sam. 6:14-16), there are also provocative dances that incite lust, often associated with idolatry (Ex. 32:19). Today’s world is filled with the latter. The context suggests Herodias’ daughter engaged in a provocative dance. Herod and his chief men were having a party and her dance “pleased” them in the sense of providing sensual entertainment (Mk. 6:22). Herod made the rash vow to give the girl anything up to half of his kingdom (Mk. 6:23). At the suggestion of her mother, she asked for John to be beheaded (Mk. 6:24, 25). Though Herod did not want to kill John, he nevertheless had him beheaded to keep up appearances (Mk. 6:26-28).

Jesus departed into a deserted place when he heard of John’s death (Mt. 14:13; Mk. 6:30, 31). John faithfully discharged his commission at the cost of his life. Jesus, no doubt, loved John and knew that His own death would come as a result of bearing witness to the truth (Mt. 16:21; 17:22, 23; 20:18; Mk. 9:31; 10:33; Jn. 18:37). We are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus in suffering (1 Pet. 2:20-24). Like John, we should have the attitude that Jesus must increase and we must decrease (Jn. 3:30). Our world is filled with immoral leaders who will persecute those who speak the truth and stand against their pursuit of evil lusts. Let us be willing to suffer for speaking the truth.