# John The Baptist, Son Of Zacharias And Elisabeth, Beheaded In The Castle Of MachæRus, At The Command Of Herod Antipas, A. D. 32. · Page 1 of 2

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BEHEADING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.

This John, surnamed the Baptist, because he was
ordained of God to baptize the penitent, was the
son of the priest Zacharias, and his wife Elisabeth;
whose name was made known to his parents
through the angel of God, before he was born.
Luke 1:5,13.

When he was about thirty years old (about six
months before the Lord Jesus Christ began to
preach), in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberias
Cesar, Pontius Pilate being governor, and
Annas and Caiaphas the high priests, he was called
and sent of God, to preach the baptism of repentance
for the remission of sins, to prepare the way
for the Messiah, as an angel or messenger before
the face of Christ, to turn the hearts of the fathers
to the children. Luke 3:1,2; Mark 1:2,3; Luke
1:17.

Of the dignity of this man the angel of the Lord
had said, that many would rejoice at his birth, that
he would be great in the sight of the Lord, to make
ready a people well-prepared (as not only the
prophets, but also Zacharias had prophesied of him
through the Spirit of the Most High), to give
knowledge of salvation unto the people of the Lord
for the remission of their sins. Luke 1:14,15,77.

John, being thus sent of God, to bear witness of
Christ, that he is the true light, came to the Jordan,
at Salim, and other places, teaching and baptizing.
John 3:23.

In the meantime, while he was baptizing the penitent,
Christ himself came to him (to confirm this
holy work), and asked to be baptized by him.
But when John, from humility and good intention,
declined, Christ instructed him that this was necessary,
saying, “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it
becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he
baptized the Lord. Matt. 3:13–16.

He held the Lord Jesus in high estimation, calling
him the Lamb of God, the Bridegroom of his
church, the true Messiah, whose shoes he was not
worthy to bear. John 1:29; 3:29; Matt. 3:11.

He himself possessed such great influence, though
in humility, that many were in doubt whether he
was not himself the Messiah; hence the Pharisees
sent their messengers to him, to inquire of him his
vocation, mission, authority, etc. To all this he
answered candidly and with an humble heart, saying,
“I am not the Christ.” John 1:19,20.

When the course of his pilgrimage drew near its
close, a certain matter occurred, which was the
cause of his death, and happened as follows: King
Herod Antipas had committed a wicked deed;
namely, he had taken his brother Philip’s wife, having
put away his own wife, the daughter of Aretas,
king of Arabia; which conduct John the Baptist, on
account of his ministry, could not let go unreproved,
but called Herod’s attention to it, according
to the law, saying, “It is not lawful for thee to have
her.” Matt. 14:4.

However, even as the ungodly will not be reproved,
so it was with Herod; for he conceived a
hatred for John, and sought opportunity to kill him.
But, since many had a very high opinion of this
pious man, and great numbers, therefore, came to
him, Herod, for the present, did not dare to lay
hands on him, to kill him; however he did not let
him go free, but imprisoned him in the castle of
Machærus. Euseb. Hist. Eccl. lib. 1 chap. 11.

In the meantime John did not relax in his calling,
but even from prison sent some of his disciples to
Christ, that they with the others might assure themselves
through the doctrine and the miracles which
they would there hear and see, that Christ, and
none other, was the true Messiah. Matt. 11:2;
Luke 7:18.

Thereupon, not only when these messengers
came, but also on many other occasions, Christ testified
of the greatness and worthiness of John the
Baptist; namely, that he was the true spiritual
Elias, a burning and shining light, the greatest
prophet among all those born of women. Matt.
11:14; John 5:35; Luke 7:28.

Time went on, meanwhile, and the hour of his
departure was near at hand. As regards the circumstances
of his death, they are thus described by
68
the holy evangelist Matthew, chap. 14:3–12: “For
Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and
put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother
Philip’s wife. For John said unto him, It is not
lawful for thee to have her. And when he would
have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because
they counted him as a prophet. But when
Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias
danced before them, and pleased Herod.
Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her
whatsoever she would ask. And she, being before
instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John
Baptist’s head in a charger. And the king was
sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them
which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be
given her. And he sent, and beheaded John in the
prison. And his head was brought in a charger,
and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her
mother. And his disciples came, and took up the
body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.”

![Illustration from Martyrs’ Mirror](/sources/martyrs-mirror/images/i0129.jpg)

## Original source

[Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#i0129)

[Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855)

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