seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Mark 6:14 King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
15 Others said, “He is Elijah.”
And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”
16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”
17 For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, 20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.
21 Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.
The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23 And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”
“The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.
25 At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28 and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29 On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb
John was the first Baptist. John's mother, Elizabeth, was the cousin of Mary, Jesus's mother. His father was Zechariah, a priest. Neither Mark [John Mark] nor Matthew went into the story of John. Matthew went through his heritage. The tax collector would know who's who. Mark [John Mark who wrote this Gospel and associated with Paul and Barnabas in the Book of Acts] gives a look into the lewd actions for Herodias and her daughter, Salome. Herodias was a whore and John the Baptist made no bones about it. He put a burr under Herod's bonnet. Herod thought John the Baptist was Elijah, the prophet, who came back from the dead. Herod was afraid of John. He only had John imprisoned to keep John quiet, so Herodias wouldn't nag him.
Luke will tell us more about the miracle of John's conception and birth. Zechariah was confronted by an angel with the news.... and on top of that, he was struck dumb until after John's birth. It happened in the synagogue while he was going about his priestly duties. It's in Luke's testimony. Elizabeth, according to Luke [the doctor] had been barren. They were really old when John came along.
When Mary got pregnant, she went to see Elizabeth. It was the custom to stone a woman to death who became pregnant out of wedlock. Having Zechariah on her side was a big deal. It says in Luke [when we get there] that John jumped in the womb when Mary walked up to Elizabeth. I've been taught that John recognized Jesus in the womb. That's a good miracle. I can buy that. I could also buy that Elizabeth was about 13-16 weeks along and John was "leaping in the womb" was a way telling us how far along Elizabeth was compared to Mary.
When he became a man, John went to work out in the river. He would dunk people in the river. The idea was to mimic death [drowning] and starting a new life [being pulled out of the water]. John taught, "Change your ways! Repent!" John didn't mess around with droplets on the forehead, only a good dunking can bring about a "new beginning". I'm glad my baptism was a quick dunk.... I can imagine John would have held me under a minute or two to let me think about death and rebirth. I bet the people he dunked came up gasping for air. "Repent!"
Because of that whore, Herodias, and her whorey daughter Salome, John the Baptist was murdered.
The First Baptist was murdered!
