V.14-29 The Death of John the Baptist
These verses break from the narrative to describe the death of John the Baptist. Herod was so alarmed by Jesus’ sudden fame that he feared that perhaps John the Baptist had come back from the dead.
Herod executed John the Baptist in a vain attempt to prove that he was man enough to be king. At his birthday party Herod got carried away with himself and promised Herodias’s daughter any present she should name, up to half of his kingdom. That was a strange gesture from a man who did not possess a kingdom. He only governed a territory called an ethnarchy, so his offer was apparently just a clumsy gesture designed to impress the leading citizens of Galilee. In the end, when Herodias’s daughter asked for John’s head on a platter, Herod was cornered. Not wanting to appear less that royal before his guests, he gave the order to have John executed.
Although Herod revered and protected John, Herod became the first leader of the Jewish people to kill a prophet since King Jehoiakim (Jer.26:21-23).
It may be that perhaps one of Mark’s purposes in describing John’s death here was to foreshadow the violent death of Christ Himself and even of some who would follow Him.
The word witness, which is found both in the Old and New Testament, is the Greek word martus, from which we get the word martyr. A martus is one who attests to a fact or event, one who gives evidence (testifies in a court to the truth of a fact or event), one who has seen or has personal knowledge of something or someone. We use the term today to describe someone who has suffered or even given their life for the Gospel message.
One of the books that all Christians should have exposure to is Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. This Christian classic tells the stories of brave men and women who were martyred for their faith in the fourteenth through sixteenth centuries.
Tertullian wrote in one of his treatises that, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” The church has grown and advanced over the centuries through the sacrificial sharing of the gospel.
This flies in the face of much is what is taught and preached today in many American churches. Many of us have accepted an easy-going philosophy in which God will keep His servants from such pain and harsh treatment when presenting the Good news. But the history of the church tells us otherwise.
A word about verses 14 and 15. Herod had heard of Jesus and how quickly Jesus had become known. He supposed that Jesus was John the Baptist who had come back to life. Others said He was Elijah, while some others thought “It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets.” This verse demonstrates the contrast in expectations that Israel had for its coming Messiah.
In Matthew 16:13ff Jesus is in the region of Caesarea Philippi, which was located north of the Sea of Galilee. This place had a long history of being associated with idol worship. It was the site of a pagan worship center. It is here that Jesus asks His disciples, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” Their answer is very similar to that of Mark 6:14-15; “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
Then in verse 15 Jesus asked His disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” (italics mine). So many people have differing ideas as to the identity of Jesus—He was a good teacher or a prophet. But in the end, it does not matter what everyone else says or thinks, it’s about who we say He is; “But who do you say that I am?”
V.30-32 The Disciples Return
In verse 30 we see the disciples returning from being sent out earlier (v.7-12). Imagine their excitement as they related to Jesus what they had taught and done. We would expect Jesus to be excited as well, but he immediately tells them to “come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
Jesus teaches His disciples, and us, an important lesson. The work of ministry can often be exciting and exhilarating, not to mention exhausting. It is important to find the time to rest. The Greek word for rest that is used here describes the cessation of motion or action of any kind; as rest from labor; rest from mental exertion; rest of body or mind. A body is at rest, when it ceases to move; the mind is at rest, when it ceases to be disturbed or agitated.
Psalm 46:10 is a very familiar passage which tells us to, “Be still, and know that I am God.” But let’s look at the entire passage: “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Be still is a call for those involved in the war to stop fighting, to be still. The word still is a translation of the Hebrew word rapa, meaning “to slacken, let down, or cease.” In some instances, the word carries the idea of “to drop, be weak, or faint.” It connotes two people fighting until someone separates them and makes them drop their weapons. It is only after the fighting has stopped that the warriors can acknowledge their trust in God. Christians often interpret the command to “be still” as “to be quiet in God’s presence.” While quietness is certainly helpful, the phrase means to stop frantic activity, to let down, and to be still. For God’s people being “still” would involve looking to the Lord for their help.
Cease. Be still. Rest. It is important for all of us, as we move along in the business of ministry, to take heed to these words of wisdom. We need to be able to periodically “come aside” and let our arms down. It is not a passive rest—it is resting in the Lord. By taking the necessary time to rest in the Lord we place ourselves in a better position to hear from Him and to ensure that we are accomplishing His will and purpose and not our own. By doing this God receives the glory; “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
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