Daily Devotional For Friday, November 21, 2025
Good morning Southside. Thank you for taking the time to read and meditate on these devotionals. We are making our way through Matthew’s Gospel looking at the life of Jesus in small increments. Today, we come to Matthew 14. For today, I am going to first give you the context, which will mean a longer devotional. Starting Saturday we will look at this passage in depth. Today we come to a sad passage involving John the Baptizer in Matthew 14:1-12:
“When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about Jesus, (2) he said to his advisers, ‘This must be John the Baptist raised from the dead! That is why he can do such miracles.’ (3) For Herod had arrested and imprisoned John as a favor to his wife Herodias (the former wife of Herod’s brother Philip). (4) John had been telling Herod, ‘It is against God’s law for you to marry her.’ (5) Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of a riot, because all the people believed John was a prophet. (6) But at a birthday party for Herod, Herodias’s daughter performed a dance that greatly pleased him, (7) so he promised with a vow to give her anything she wanted. (8) At her mother’s urging, the girl said, ‘I want the head of John the Baptist on a tray!’ (9) Then the king regretted what he had said; but because of the vow he had made in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders. (10) So John was beheaded in the prison, (11) and his head was brought on a tray and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. (12) Later, John’s disciples came for his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what had happened” (NLT).
Who is this Herod? We know that this Herod ruled over the territories of Galilee and Perea. In 4 B.C., Herod had been named tetrarch. This means he was one of four rulers over the four districts of Palestine. He was the son of Herod the Great, who had ordered the killing of the babies in Bethlehem (Matt. 2:16). Also known as Herod Antipas, this would be the same Herod who would hear Jesus’ case before the crucifixion (Luke 23:6-12). Here is what New Testament scholar Bruce B. Barton writes on Herod:
“The history of the Herod family is filled with lies, murder, treachery, and adultery. Herod Antipas was known for his insensitivity and debauchery. Though he was popular with his Roman superiors, his unbridled political ambitions eventually led to his exile in A.D. 39 by the Roman emperor Caligula, who removed him on the basis of charges by his nephew (Herod Agrippa I), who ruled Galilee after Herod Antipas” (Source: Bruce B. Barton, The Life Application Bible Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 281).
No one likes to be “undressed” publicly. The shame of being “undressed” is often stronger than the guilt from our offense. Though Herod would silent John the Baptizer, he could not silent his own guilty conscience. Hearing now of Jesus, he wanted to see Jesus perform some miracles for him. This was a 3-year fascination for him (see Luke 23:8). Fearing John the Baptizer, Herod had him arrested and thrown into prison. We know from a Jewish historian named Josephus this was a prison named Machaerus, a fortress (combination palace and prison) near the barren northeastern shore of the Dead Sea in the region of Moab.
John the Baptizer had criticized Herod’s marriage, which some think was the start of Herod’s resentment towards John the Baptizer. It was not. New Testament scholar William Barclay tells when and now this started:
“John was too popular with the people. Josephus also tells the story of the death of John, and it is from this point of view that he tells it. Josephus writes (Antiquities of the Jews, 18. 5. 2): “Now when many others came in crowds about him, for they were greatly moved by hearing his words, Herod, who feared lest the great influence John had over the people might put it into his power and inclination to raise a rebellion (for they seemed ready to do anything he should advise), thought it best, by putting him to death, to prevent any mischief he might cause, and not bring himself into difficulties by sparing a man who might make him repent of it when it was too late. Accordingly he was sent a prisoner out of Herod’s suspicious temper to Machaerus … and was put to death.” As Josephus read the facts, it was Herod’s suspicious jealousy of John which made him kill John. Herod, like every weak and suspicious and frightened tyrant, could think of no way of dealing with a possible rival other than killing him” (Source: William Barclay, The Daily Bible Study Series, “The Gospel of Matthew,” Vol. 2, p. 93).
So paranoid jealousy started this. John’s popularity with the people led Herod to fear a rebellion by John against Rome. If this happened, Rome could remove him as tetrarch. While Josephus says it was jealousy, the New Testament writers say it was for John rebuking Herod for his marriage. Family trees can be exciting to trace and sometimes shocking to learn some things. I hope you can follow Herod’s family tree. New Testament scholar Bruce B. Barton gives us Herod’s family tree and the scandal that John exposed”
“Herod’s first wife was the daughter of Aretas, king of the Nabateans, whose land was south of Perea. This marriage was arranged by Augustus to keep peace between Arabs and Jews. Philip was Herod’s half brother and not Philip the tetrarch. According to Josephus, Salome was the one who later married Philip the tetrarch, who was her granduncle. When Herod Antipas met Herodias, his brother’s wife, he divorced his first wife and married Herodias. Herodias was the daughter of Aristobulus, another half brother. Thus, Herodias was a half niece to both Philip and Herod (and they, in turn, were her half uncles). Herodias married her half uncle Philip and then divorced him to marry another half uncle, Herod. Thus, in marrying, Herodias and Herod had committed adultery, as well as a type of incest. John the Baptist condemned Herod and Herodias for living immorally. It was not lawful for Herod to be married to his brother’s (that is, half brother’s) wife (not to mention that she was also his half niece). Lev. 18:16 and Lev. 20:21 describe the laws that Herod was breaking. Herod was Jewish, and whether or not he cared about the Jewish law, he did care about a revolt against him by the Jews” (Source: Bruce B. Barton, The Life Application Bible Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 283).
When we read the Bible, we can’t make this stuff up. The Bible portrays life like it is with no filters. The stories in the Bible are not invented stories to entertain, but a mirror of life in Biblical days and ours. Herod’s jealousy and fear of John compounded with John’s rebuke motivated Herod to find a way to get rid of him. The story of Herod reads like a modern day soap opera. This is why some stories are shocking and sordid, but also truthful. Pastor and author John MacArthur writes this:
“It is a story of infidelity, divorce, remarriage, incest, political intrigue, jealousy, spite, revenge, lewdness, lust, cold-heartedness, cruelty, brutality, violence, ungodly remorse, and godly mourning. But above all, it is the story of godless fear and the power of such fear to confuse, deceive, corrupt, destroy, and damn” (Source: John MacArthur, MacArthur’s New Testament Bible Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 416).
Assignment: Have you ever been “undressed” in front of others? Have you ever done that to someone else? When we read the Bible, we can’t make this stuff up. The Bible portrays life like it is with no filters. The stories in the Bible are not invented stories to entertain, but a mirror of life in Biblical days and ours. This is why some stories are shocking and sordid, but also truthful. What “skeletons” have you learned about your family tree and how has it affected you? Looking at your own life, what are some of your regrets? How is the Lord helping you with them?
Scripture To Meditate On: 1 John 1:8-10, “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. (9) But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. (10) If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that His word has no place in our hearts” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, I am so sorry if I have ever undressed someone publicly. Please forgive me. Lord, I have some regrets. Please help me to move past them with your forgiveness of them and grace to deal with the consequences of them. I do not want my own life to look like a modern soap opera, but a life that brings You glory and honor. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly