John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him

 Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."   But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod Himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

- Mark 6:14-29

On Saturday, we read that Jesus went out from Capernaum and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?"  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.  And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

 Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  My study bible tells us here that this King Herod is the son of Herod the Great, the one who had slain the infants of Bethlehem in an attempt to kill the infant Christ, whom he had heard about from the Three Wise Men, or Magi (see Matthew chapter 2).  He is known also as Herod Antipas.  He's technically a governor working with the Romans, but he's popularly called king.  He knows that John the Baptist worked no miracles while he was alive, but Herod now believes John was raised from the dead, thinking that powers are at work in him.  Thus, my study bible says, he fears John more dead than alive.

Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."  Here we're given evidence of the times; people live in expectation of the Messiah.  Elijah was expected to return and work signs before the second coming of the Lord (Malachi 4:5), and Jesus will say Himself that John the Baptist is Elijah returned in spirit.  The Prophet is interpreted by some to be a reference to the Messiah, my study bible tells us; he is the one foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15).  Others simply interpret it as meaning that a new prophet had arisen.

But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod Himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.  Here begins a sort of "flashback" in the story.  Jesus puts Herod in fear that John has returned, and the text begins to explain to us why, and to give us the story of John's beheading.  My study bible notes that Herod, with all his wealth and soldiers, feared John -- a man who lived in poverty and was clothed in camel's hair (Mark 1:6).  This is a testament, a note tells us, "both to the power of personal holiness and integrity, and also to the people's perception of John, for they held him in the highest esteem (Mark 11:32)."

Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.  We get the whole story as a reason why Herod fears John -- a graphic, gruesome tale of corruption and blood.   The Church views this story in a very distinctive way, however, and that is about John's mission.  He is the Forerunner, the one who heralded the coming of the Messiah or Christ.  But this holds true even for John after death, when the Church traditionally considers him herald also to the souls in Hades -- John's martyrdom becomes a vehicle whereby the coming of the Christ may also be made known to those who have come before.    Salvation is for all.

We can make a lot out of this horribly gruesome tale.  Even Herod fears the holy power of John the Baptist, although the Baptist did not do the signs and wonders that Christ Himself has produced.  Herod's fear is that John has returned from the dead.  We look at the awful story:  a king's birthday party, a lavish promise to the daughter of his wife, made in front of all the nobles and the "great people" of his kingdom.   All the important and influential people are there.  Think about it, this girl could have asked for anything.  But she goes to her mother, and the mother's one desire is for a whole kingdom and the marriage it depends on.  All she thinks about is the death of John the Baptist, and demands a horrible "proof" to that effect.  So we get the drastic picture of imprisonment and beheading, but we also get the understanding of the gospel:  what really matters is John the Baptist's role in the plan of salvation.  He will go first to the souls of the dead, who await Resurrection also, and they then are able to receive the "good news" of the coming of the Christ.  God's salvation plan isn't just about us -- we who live in this world.  It's a salvation plan for an entire cosmos, without end or limits.  It's also for those who've come before, or all those who never had an opportunity otherwise to hear about the Christ.  Our faith isn't just about those whom we know, but also about so many multiple possibilities of those whom we know nothing about.  Christ is for everyone -- truly, everyone.  This is the way the Church sees this story, it is the way the Church has always viewed any martyrdom:  what is better for salvation, for the plan of the Kingdom?  In this, we are given an important understanding of the power of the gospel, the good news.  Its healing impact isn't only for those we know about, but for those of all times and places, living and dead.  In the communion of saints, we consider the Church -- the Body of Christ -- to be truly universal.  There is no one left out of the good news, and every single thing -- no matter how gruesome or horrific -- may in some way serve that salvation plan.  We see and know one thing:  the evil we can witness in the world.  But we shouldn't lose sight of the work of the Kingdom which is deterred by nothing, and the work of the Kingdom that can come about even through the darkest of circumstances.  This is an important reality to grasp; it is right at the heart of the Cross, the power of real holiness, the saving power of God.  Let us consider, in our own darkest times, the story of John the Baptist, the perspective of the Gospel, the present help for salvation in all ways, at all times, for all human beings.   In a very real sense, Herod may be quite right:  John the Baptist is "risen from the dead" and the power of the holy is at work in him, to bring news of the light to those in the tombs as they await the Christ and His power of life and resurrection as well.  How ironic that the death of John the Baptist takes place on Herod's birthday; the Gospels give us accounts of what people do, what their lives mean, what their works and fruits are.  John works for salvation even by his death; Herod's celebration of his life is an occasion for death of the holy.  Let us consider the ways of God and the truths the Gospels teach us.