The Ruler and the Martyr

May 3, 2025 | Read and Think About Mark 6:14-29

Today’s passage contains nothing uplifting.  But it happened, and the Bible recorded it. The murder of John the Baptist at the hands of a terrible man and his spiteful wife was the end of the person who prepared the way for the Lord.

They called this terrible man King Herod, but he wasn’t really a king.  The Roman government allowed him some control over Jerusalem and surrounding areas because he could help deliver what they wanted – a people submissive to Rome.

His hateful wife, Herodias, despised John the Baptist for saying the truth, that the marriage of Herod and Herodias was not righteous.

The account of what happened shows us there was deep evil at work in the world then.  There have always been people like Herod and Herodias.  Equal parts powerful and fearful, calculating, desperate to keep what power and status they have, always feeling it’s never enough, and super sensitive to perceived threats. 

Herod’s own stupidity and hubris was the opportunity Herodias had looked for.   

Seeing no other way out of his ridiculous pledge, he put his own artificial pride over the life of a righteous man. 

And tragedy followed. 

Though his life was cut short, John the Baptist had a marked impact on the world even to this day.   He opened people’s hearts to the coming of the Savior.  Just like the people then, we all sin and fall short of the glory of God.  We all need Jesus as our Savior. 

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Congratulations in finishing module 1!  Our look at John the Baptist covered some things the Bible says about him.  We also looked at the theme of his preaching – repentance and forgiveness – and saw how this played out in the lives of people then, which allows us to think about how this plays out in our lives today.

If you would like to keep reading, our next module will begin in a couple of days and contain readings about Jesus’ earthy family.  This will focus on His mother, father, and siblings, who played an important role in the events of Jesus’ life and beyond.