Jesus · c. AD 29
Chapter 28
John the Baptizer Killed
Herod said, “I beheaded John, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” He sought to see him.
For parents
This chapter tells how John the Baptizer is put to death. Herod has John in prison for telling him it is against the law to have his brother’s wife. At Herod’s birthday dinner, the daughter of Herodias asks her mother what to ask for, then asks for John’s head on a platter. The king sends a soldier of his guard, who beheads John in the prison and brings the head to the girl (Mark 6:17–28; Matthew 14:3–11). It is told plainly and briefly, without gory detail.
By now ’ name had become known, and word of all he was doing reached the , a governor over part of a province. Mark calls him King Herod.
Herod said to his servants, “This is . He has risen from the dead, and that is why these powers are at work in him.”
Others had other answers. Some said Jesus was , and others said he was a , or like one of the prophets.
But when Herod heard this, he said, “This is John, whom I beheaded. He has risen from the dead.”
Luke tells it another way. In Luke, Herod didn’t know what to think, because of what people were saying. Some said that John had risen from the dead. Some said Elijah had appeared. Others said one of the old prophets had risen again. Herod said, “I beheaded John. But who is this I’m hearing such things about?” And he tried to see Jesus.
Here is what had happened. Herod himself had sent men out to arrest John, and he had John bound and locked up in prison. It was because of , the wife of Herod’s brother . Herod had married her.
John had told Herod, “It is against the law for you to have your brother’s wife.”
Herodias was set against John. She wanted to kill him, but she couldn’t, because Herod was afraid of John. Herod knew John was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When Herod listened to John, he did many things, and he liked listening to him.
Matthew tells it differently. In Matthew, Herod wanted to put John to death, but he was afraid of the crowds, because they thought of John as a prophet.
Then the right day came. On his birthday, Herod gave a dinner for his nobles, his high officers and the chief men of .
Herodias’ own daughter came in and danced, and she pleased Herod and the guests at his table.
“Ask me for whatever you want,” the king said to her. “I will give it to you.” And he swore an oath to her: “Whatever you ask me for, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.”
The girl went out to her mother. “What should I ask him for?” she said.
“The head of John the Baptizer,” said her mother.
She came straight back to the king in a hurry and made her request. “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptizer on a platter,” she said, “right now.”
The king was deeply sorry. But because of the oaths he had sworn, and because of the guests at his table, he did not want to refuse her.
At once the king sent a soldier of his guard and ordered him to bring John’s head. The soldier went and beheaded John in the prison.
He brought the head back on a platter and handed it to the girl. She gave it to her mother.
When John’s heard the news, they came and carried his body away. They laid it in a tomb. Then, Matthew says, they went and told Jesus.