John the Baptist is Arrested

Luke 3:19-20

Father, please make me fearless in speaking the truth, in love, to those who need to hear it, not concerning myself with the consequences. Amen.

Father, the life and times of our Savior, Jesus Christ, were not the only headlines of this time period. What do you get when you merge a mob family with royalty? The family line of Herod the Great. I can imagine the reality TV series that could be produced from this family’s drama. The text of Luke 3:19-20 is highlighted in gray in the table below.

Episode Plot

1 Herod is declared "King of the Jews" by the Roman Senate, but they don't give him real power.
2 Herod marries Mariamme I to gain favor with the Jews, even though he is already married to Doris, the mother of Antipater.
3 Herod joins Sosius to defeat Antigonus and win control of Judea.
4 Herod's mother-in-law, Alexandra, tries to overthrow him and return power to her Hasmonean family. She asks Cleopatra to persuade her husband, Mark Antony, to make a Hasmonean the high priest in Judea.
5 Herod learns of Alexandra's plot and has the Hasmonean executed.
6 Octavian, otherwise known as Caesar Augustus, defeats Mark Antony to take control of the Roman Empire. We watch Herod, who had been an ally of Mark Antony, "kiss up" to Caesar.
7 Herod executes his first wife, Mariamme I, for being unfaithful.
8 Philip I is born to Herod and another one of his wives, Mariamme II.
9 Herod conquers the areas north of Galilee.
10 Archelaus and Antipas are born to Herod and Malthace, Herod's fourth wife.
11 Philip the Tetrarch is born to Herod and Cleopatra, Herod's fifth wife.
12 Herod rebuilds the temple in Jerusalem.
13 Herod's granddaughter Herodias is born to Herod's son, Aristobulus.
14 Herod executes his sons Aristobulus and Alexander, the sons of Mariamme I.
15 Herod arranges the marriage of his now orphaned 8-year-old granddaughter Herodias to her uncle, and his son, Philip I.
16 Herod's son Antipater, from his first wife, Doris, tries to poison him and Herod has him executed. He also divorces his second wife, Mariamme II, the mother of Philip I, for assisting Antipater.
17 Jesus Christ is born. Herod sends his troops to kill all male children under the age of two in the region of Bethlehem.
18 Herod dies in Jericho of an excruciatingly painful disease that left him smelling putrid.
19 Caesar Augustus splits Herod's kingdom into three: Archelaus will rule Judea, Antipas will rule Galilee, and Philip the Tetrarch will rule the regions north of Galilee.
20 Archelaus is exiled to Gaul after not surviving complaints to Rome about his cruelty to the Jews.
21 Salome is born to Philip I and Herodias.
22 Herod Antipas marries and divorces Phaselis, the daughter of King Aretas IV of Nabatea (location of Iraq and Saudi Arabia today).
23 Herod Antipas and Herodias become lovers, even though Herodias is his sister-in-law.
24 Herodias takes initiative, even as the woman in a patriarchal society, and divorces Philip I and marries Herod Antipas.
25 The Jewish population disapproves of the marriage between Herod Antipas and Herodias. John the Baptist, who has a large "social media" following, so to speak, criticizes Herod Antipas for marrying Herodias. He is arrested. Luke 3:19-20.
26 Herod Antipas has John the Baptist beheaded at the request of his step-daughter Salome, who makes the request on behalf of her mother Herodias.
27 Herod Antipas does nothing to stop the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, delegating the decision to Pontius Pilate.
28 Herod Agrippa, the brother of Herodias and son of Aristobulus, rules Palestine during the events recorded in the book of Acts.
29 Herod Antipas was accused of conspiracy and sentenced to exile by Roman emperor Caligula.

Father, I believe John the Baptist knew his mission was complete. He paved the way for Jesus Christ but now Jesus has properly surpassed him. John is still filled with the Holy Spirit; so he remains fearless, calling out immorality and injustice when he sees it, even when it occurs in the family most feared in Palestine. It was “politically incorrect”, and John the Baptist was “cancelled” by his arrest. John most likely understood that his criticism of such a violent and powerful family could lead to his demise. Such a thought did not deter him. Herod arrested John the Baptist because of his public criticism of the “first family” of the land. Amen.