OUR FATHER WHO SENT A MESSENGER TO MAKE STRAIGHT THE ROAD FOR THE MESSIAH

Reports coming back to the polical leaders spoke of spiritual stirring and miraculous events occuring at the hands of Jesus and King Herod was concerned because he thought that the one doing these miracles was perhap John the Baptist whom he had executed but had somehow come back to life.

John the Baptist, the prophet who had identified the Messiah at the river Jordan, had been languishing in prison because he had challenged the king Herod for taking the wife of his own brother.

It was from prison that he sent messengers to Jesus to ask if He was indeed the one Israel had been waiting for come or if they should expect another. The people of Israel held many preconcieved notions of what the awaited Messiah was going to be doing and John the Baptist felt that if Jesus was indeed the Messiah, he would have been in prison for asserting rightous standards.

Jesus sent back a message to John in prison to assure him that the marker of the Messiah was not political triumph or vanquishing foreign invaders but rather that:

The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. (Matthew 11 verse 5)

Herodias, king Herodˋs wife, became Johnˋs enemy because he had challenged her legitimacy as the kingˋs wife and so she opportunistically moved to have him executed. Matthew chapter 14 verses 1 - 12 records the circumstances that led to Johnˋs death.

1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus 2 and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.” 3 For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. 4 Because John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” 5 And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.

6 But when Herod’s birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod. 7 Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.

8 So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, “Give me John the Baptist’s head here on a platter.”

9 And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her. 10 So he sent and had John beheaded in prison. 11 And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

King Herod had not wanted to harm the prophet John but his confidence and pride were exploited to force his hand and he ordered the execution of John.

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