Mark 1:14 – 15
14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
In this section of Mark, we see an interesting comparison between a False King and The True King. In the beginning of verse 14, we hear that “John [the Baptist] was put in prison.” This is referring to John’s arrest at the hands of Herod Antipus, son of Herod the Great for condemning Herod’s incestuous marriage to his wife, Herodias (as recorded in Matthew 14:1 and Mark 6:14–29).
While Herod is often referred to by the title ‘King’, he was actually only the Tetrarch of Galilee, meaning “Ruler of a Quarter’. The Romans allowed him to remain as Tetrarch so long as he was submissive and maintained order within the region. Knowing John the Baptist’s great influence, Herod was hesitant to kill him, due to his status as a holy man and for fear of inciting a rebellion. So, what happened to John next?
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.”
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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.”
Mark 6:22-23, 35
As Tetrarch, Herod had no kingdom. So, in saying that he would give “up to half [his] kingdom”, he promised a reward he knew he could not give. The Kingdom belonged to Rome, and he was merely their puppet. Herod was no more than a False King, with a False Kingdom and a False authority.
Enter Jesus, the True King, with a True Kingdom and True Authority. This was the news the Jews had been waiting for, foretold by the prophets centuries prior. “The time has come” and the True King has arrived, not to establish an oppressive authority like most kings in that time, but to bring his Kingdom near through his gift of salvation upon the cross. And how do we get to know this King? “Repent and believe the good news”!
Joel Bulow – Creek Road
