Matthew 14:1-13a

I Must Decrease
John Loses His Head, and
Jesus Needs Time Alone

Life doesn't always go the way you expect it to go. While evil people do meet the justice they deserve, all too often true justice, in this World, gets perverted. How many times have we seen the innocent die young at the hands of evil people who get away with it. You will remember that John the Baptist was born six months before his cousin, Jesus, to Zechariah the priest and his wife, Elizabeth. Like the birth of Christ, John's birth was also announced by an angel.

In time they would both grow up and assume the roles they were destined to assume from before time began. John's ministry was to be a messenger for the true Lamb of GOD. A role he faithfully followed as he called people to repent. John introduced Jesus, and later told his disciples that Jesus would overshadow him. While Jesus would claim of John, that no one greater was born of a woman;

"Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:36

He must increase, but I must decrease.
John 3:30

"Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Mark 11:11

So you would think that John would have had a better fate than what happened. Yet, like the fate of most of the prophets of the Old Testament, John's fate would also come from the hands of those who hated him. In today's study we read about John's death, and how Jesus reacted to the news.

1. (Matthew 14:1-12) A Fox Serves Up The Baptist’s Head At A Feast

1. Antipas 1 of 6 sons of Herod the Great

1. Same age, or close to, John the Baptist and Jesus, (6 or 4 B.C. - 39 A.D.)

2. Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea 

3. He is the one Jesus called the Fox, (Luke 13:32)

4. Of all the Herod’s, Antipas is referred the most (8 times)

1.  (Matthew 1-12) (Mark 8:15) (Luke 8:3) (Luke 3:19) (Luke 23:7) (Luke 13:31-32) (Revelation 2:13)

2. John and Jesus both carried out their ministries in his territories

2. When Herod first heard of Jesus, he feared HE was John the Baptist resurrected

1. It was 2 Years into Jesus’ ministry before Herod heard of Jesus

2. Was probably out of the country for most of Jesus early ministry

1. In Rome where he stole his brother’s wife Herodias

2. He divorced his first wife to marry Herodias

3. Her father Aretas, was the king of Arabia. Josephus records that one year before the death of the Roman Emperor Tiberius, in A.D.36, Aretas declared war against Antipas. Supposedly over boundaries, but Josephus believed it was over the insult to his daughter. Aretas routed Antipas’ army (Joseph. Antiguities 18, 5, 1). However, Rome forced him to stop from going too far because they did not want a full scale war in their Provinces. 

3. Antipas arrested John after he chastised for taking his brother’s wife Herodias

1. His arrest took place in the first year of His ministry

1. Just after he met the Samaritan woman at the well in  

4. Herod Antipas throws a birthday feast to honor himself

1. Quite often wealthy and powerful men like to show off

2. Birthdays are a perfect time to show off one’s wealth and power

5. Herodia allows her young daughter to be used as a sex symbol, by dancing before adult men

1. Herod and his guests are drinking and celebrating him

2. Samone, Herodia’s daughter dances provocatively for her stepfather

3. Herod is so excited he offers up to half his kingdom to her

4. She asks her mother what she should request

5. Herodias tells her to ask for John the Baptist's head on a silver platter

6. Matthew tells us that while he was grieved, he still honored the request

1. Herod wasn’t the first leader to have a great prophet as a nemesis

1. King Ahab and Elijah

2. King Ahab and Micaiah

3. King Zedekiah and Jeremiah

4. Isaiah and Manassah

5. Samuel and Saul

7. Speaking of Elijah, he and John have much in common

1. Both Elijah and John the baptist had evil women to deal with

1. Elijah had to deal with Jezebel who wanted him dead (1Kings 19:1-3)

2. Herodias got her wish in having John the Baptist executed

2. Elijah was the forerunner of one who did greater miracles than he

1. Elisha received a double portion for his devotion to Elijah (2Kings 2:1-15)

3. John was forerunner of one greater than he 

1. Jesus, The One Who is greater than him 

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 

(Matthew 3:11)

8. Jesus tells us that John was Elijah to come

 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.

(Matthew 11:11)

But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

(Matthew 17:12-13)

9. Jesus was referring to the prophecies by Isaiah  

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord;

Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.

(Isaiah 40:3)

10. And by Malachi 

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet

Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

(Malachi 4:5)

1. These admissions by Jesus, brings us full circle on Elijah’s ministry being fulfilled by John the Baptist

11. Finally, John had to die. For his death completes his task by fulfilling the prophecy he himself spoke of to his disciples when he told them, 

He must increase, I must decrease

(John 3:30)

12.  The last Old Testament prophet, John the Baptist, dies a quick death

1. The Lord sometimes subjects His people to the pride of the ungodly until at last He shows how precious their blood is in His sight.

2. While her cruelty triumphed over her critic, Herodias’s daughter would one day die an even more excruciating death. 

3. Josephus tells us the name of the daughter who asked for John’s head was Salome.

4. Whether true or just legend, we cannot ascertain, but ancient accounts survive to this day that Salome suffered a far greater tragedy in death than did the baptist

5. While crossing a frozen lake, the ice broke and she fell through. Her body was stuck as the river current caused her head to be slowly removed by the ice. It was said that after her body floated away, her head laid on top with the sun shining off the ice like it was on a silver platter. 

6. Oftentimes we read in Scriptures, how GOD visits justice for us against evil people. Justice that seems so sweet for those who felt the brunt of their cruelty. 

7. On this, I’ll leave it up to you to decide, as to the validity of the account.

2. (Matthew 14:13a) After hearing of John’s execution, Jesus withdrew to seclusion

When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself.

1. We then read HE left in a boat by himself

1. Have you ever been at a point in your life when you had to get away from everything, just to be alone with GOD?

2. I still find myself in the need to get away.

1. Something I began doing as a younger man

2. I would load up my backpack and head to the mountains

3. Spend the night on a secluded lake with nothing but a small pup tent

4. When I was alone and away from modern technology in the woods far away from others, I could feel His presence speaking to my heart.

5. It rejuvenated me

2. We read in Luke 5:16;

So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.

1. Luke 4:1-2 He went off after HE was baptized and spent 40 days praying in the wilderness. This is when Satan tempted HIM.

2. Mark 6:30-32 He just sent the 12 disciples out to do ministry. When they returned He encouraged them to separate from the people who were following them to rest.

3. Luke 6:12-13 Early in His ministry Jesus spent the whole night alone in prayer. The next day He chose his 12 disciples.

4. Luke 22:39-44 Just hours before HE was arrested He went to the Mt. of Olives and went a short distance away from His disciples to pray. He was in great emotional agony knowing what he was about to face.

3. For Jesus, I want you to consider for a moment the image of the Holy Trinity,

1. GOD the FATHER

2. GOD the SON

3. GOD the HOLY SPIRIT

4. All communing together. An image of the Father Son communication through the Holy Spirit

5. With the SON on earth in human form, his closest human relation is in fact John the Baptist

1. They were cousins, unlike any other cousins in history though

2. Jesus and John had been connected since before Mary visited Elizebeth

1. Considering Jesus Is GOD

2. Elijah was the messenger to come as Jesus said

3. One could say Spiritually, they’ve been connected for over 880 years 

3. Other than Moses, no other human has ever been so connected with GOD as was Elijah

4. Thus the transfiguration when all three are talking

5. John was for all purposes the last one qualified to actually be a High Priest, and He is the one who anointed the One Who would be our forever High Priest

6. Mary was about 16, Elizabeth and Zacharias probably in her 80’s

1. We know that John’s parents childless advanced in years

1. Moses gave us the age requirements for priestly service in the book of Numbers. We read that the priests, who are between 25 to 50, are to do the hard work, after 50 they are allowed to still do other duties. 

"This is what pertains to the Levites: From twenty-five years old and above one may enter to perform service in the work of the tabernacle of meeting; And at the age of fifty years they must cease performing this work, and shall work no more. They may minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of meeting, to attend to needs, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall do to the Levites regarding their duties."

(Numbers 8:27-28)

2. We learn from Dr Luke that Zacharias was ministering to the duties of burning the incense when he was visited by an angel, (Luke 1:5-25)

3. This would allow for the belief since early church days that Zacharias was in his 50s when he was visited by the angel while in service 

4. Elizabeth was six months pregnant, when Mary visited her. Upon entering the house John jumped in Elizebeth’s womb the moment he heard her voice 

5. John being Jesus’ cousin,but Mary being but about 16,  would mean John’s parents were the age of maybe even Mary’s grandparent.

Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

(Luke 1:39-41)

6. As the forerunner and messenger heralding the arrival of the Messiah, the symbolic relationship John had with Jesus would be greater than any man would have with GOD, other than Adam before the fall, and Moses and Elijah. Which makes sense since Jesus referred to John as Elijah who was to come

4. This points to a special relationship that called for Jesus to separate Himself from everyone so that He could commune with His FATHER in heaven, as HE used to before He took on human flesh

5. Another thing to consider is, Jesus knew John would die, and how

1. Jesus also knows how each disciple will die

2. It must have pained HIM to know the trials and tribulation, fear, and hurts each one would go through for their dedication to the Gospel.Yes, HE even felt sorry for What Judas would go through.

3. Maybe this is why HE needed time to Himself

4. He knew He had a year to prepare these men for what would happen

6. However, this quiet seclusion on the boat only lasted until he went ashore, where he saw the crowds of people following him from the cities. (But that's for next week's lesson)