It is John Whom Herod Beheaded - Mark 6:16

Mark wrote how, “king Herod heard of “ Jesus; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do show forth themselves in him, Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets”, and in chapter six and verse sixteen of his book, Mark wrote when, “Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded” where we read:

But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.

The verse reads, “But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded:” Mark began with the words, “but when Herod” or “however and nevertheless at the time and moment King Herod whose name means heroic” “heard thereof” which means “was given the faculty for hearing, understanding, discerning and discovering about Jesus”, “he said” or “Herod uttered, declared and proclaimed”, “it is John” which means “Jesus is John the Baptist”, “whom I beheaded” or “who Herod decapitated or had his head cut off”. Mark shared how “King Herod” “heard about” Jesus and determined that He was “John the Baptist” whom Herod instructed to have his head cut off.

The verse goes on to say, “he is risen from the dead.” Mark continued with the words, “he is risen” which means “John the Baptist is arisen and resurrected” “from the dead” or “separated from the non-living, ones who have breathed their last, inanimate and destitute of life”. Mark shared how Herod thought John the Baptist had “arisen” from people who were no longer living.

When we meditate upon Mark's words in this verse, we see how Herod made his own assessment concerning Jesus. Herod “beheaded” John the Baptist whom he admired at one point, and now he thought John the Baptist came back to life. Jesus made such an impact in the world that even those in powerful positions were making statements about Him. God desires to have a personal relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and when they understand He not only is the Son of God but also the “Savior of the world”, they should yield their lives to Him and align themselves with His ways.

Next time Mark shares how, “Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".