“But when Herod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and because of all the wicked things which Herod had done, Herod also added this to them all: he locked John up in prison."
We just ended our previous section of Luke’s gospel with John preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Many people were rebuked and exhorted by John through the Divine knowledge given to him from above.
As we begin this next portion of our study, we learn that John also rebuked Herod the tetrarch for taking Herodias, his brother’s (Philip) wife. While Luke doesn’t give us many details, we can see this truth expressed in other accounts (Matt. 14:3-4; Mk. 6:17-18). The reason that John rebuked Herod, was because he had violated the covenant of marriage that existed between his brother and his brother’s wife.
We are taught that each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband (I Cor. 7:2). God never intended for there to be polygamy and other foreign marriage laws. They were tolerated because of the hardness of the hearts of the people, but from the beginning of marriage, in creation, these things were not so (Matt. 19:1-9).
Today, we see so many who are living in adultery and committing fornication. It is not a popular thing to preach against the errors associated with these types of sinful relationships. But just as the message was sounded forth long ago, we preach today, that unless you repent of such things, you will perish (Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 17:30-31). We must reprimand everyone who is found disobedient to the will of God, in hopes that they might repent and be saved, even those in authority (tetrarch).
A “tetrarch” was one who ruled over a fourth part of a kingdom and in this case, we are addressing the son of Herod the Great. Herod Antipas, the tetrarch, held great authority and yet John knew that the word he was preaching held even more authority than any earthly ruler, because it came from God.
Barnes said of this incident, “This Herodias was a granddaughter of Herod the Great. She was first married to Herod Philip, by whom she had a daughter, Salome, probably the one that danced and pleased Herod. Josephus says that this marriage of Herod Antipas with Herodias took place while he was on a journey to Rome. He stopped at his brother's; fell in love with his wife; agreed to put away his own wife, the daughter of Aretas, King of Petraea; and Herodias agreed to leave her own husband and live with him. They were living, therefore, in adultery; and John, in faithfulness, though at the risk of his life, had reproved them for their crimes. Herod was guilty of two crimes in this act:
1. Of "adultery," since she was the wife of another man.
2. Of "incest," since she was a near relation, and such marriages were expressly forbidden, (Lev. 18:16).”
Herod the Great married several times and in one of these marriages he married a woman by the name of Malthake. Herod the Great and Malthake gave birth to Herod Antipas who in the text had taken Herodias from His brother, Philip.
Herodias was born to Aristobulus who was also a son of Herod the Great, through Mariamne the Hasmonean. When Herod divided up his kingdom to his sons, they each took their respective places. The kingdom went to Archelaus, Herod Antipas, and Herod Philip. Then Herod the Great married another woman by the name of Mariamne the daughter of a high priest, and she also gave birth to a son who was called Herod. This last son had no place in his kingdom but lived in Rome as a private citizen. So, the kingdom was divided between Aristobulus, Archelaus, Herod Antipas, and Herod Philip. Again, this is why Herod Antipas is said to be a tetrarch, since he was over a fourth of the kingdom.
Now when Herod Antipas took Herodias to be his wife, not only did he take unto himself his half-niece, being her half-uncle (Aristobulus was his half-brother and the father of Herodias), but he also took his sister-in-law from his brother (half-brother) Philip.
Do you not see what sin does to God’s divine plan for marriage? Herod the Great was setting an example of disobedience and failure for his children. Herod Antipas, his son, stole another man’s wife; even his own brother’s wife. This is not to mention that she (Herodias) was close relation to his family.
God commands that one man and one woman be joined together in marriage for life. As soon as a man marries more than one woman or a woman gives herself to more than one man, it is a never-ending cycle of sin and heartache that can only be overcome through repentance and obedience to the word of God (Rom. 7:2-3) Today we are even having to deal with homosexuality and a host of other sinful relationships that are strictly condemned by God (I Cor. 6:9-10)
What about you? Are you in a right relationship before God with your partner today? Many people are trying to hide the details of their past marriage(s) and little flings to try and sneak around with the partner of their choice. You may be able to blind others from the truth, but God knows where you stand today (See John 4:16-19).
The Lord intended for one man and one woman to be together for life and we cannot change his eternal blueprints for marriage. Make sure you are in a proper relationship today and put away any error and sin that may be associated with a violation of the covenant you made before God and your original marriage partner. God will judge every person in light of these truths someday (Heb. 13:4)
The passage in Luke concludes that John’s reason for reprimanding Herod was,
“because of all the wicked things which Herod had done…”.
When we are found practicing wicked things, how do we respond when someone rebukes or reproves us? James wrote in James 1:21-22,
“Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and {all} that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”
It seemed that Herod was continuing to sin as the last phrase of this section stated,
“Herod also added this to them all: he locked John up in prison.”
John was placed in a prison near the Dead Sea called the dungeon castle of Machaerus. The man of the wilderness who preached the truth of God’s word was now confined to a cell in a dark dungeon because of the error of sinful man.
Not only were Herod and Herodias unwilling to heed the gospel message, but they wanted to destroy the messenger. This they did, by having him beheaded. So many would be willing to do the same, today. What about you?
Once the Earl of Morton who was the regent of Scotland, threatened Andrew Melville, the reformer. He said, “There will never be quietness in this country till half a dozen of you be hanged or banished from this country.” Melville replied, “Tush! Sir, threaten your courtiers in that fashion. It is the same to me whether I rot in the air or in the ground…God be glorified, it will not lie in your power to hang nor exile His truth”. Plato also offers that a wise man will always choose to suffer wrong rather than to do wrong. Who would you rather be, Herod Antipas or John the Baptist? Think about it!
Now let's look at the last few verses in this context as we see a shift,
"Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased."
John continued to baptize the people who were willing to repent, as the text says, “Now when all the people were baptized…” When the word of God falls on good and honest hearts, there will be an overwhelming response towards obedience to the commandments of the Lord under the present dispensation (See Acts 2:37-41). This has been true from the beginning of time. When man sins against his Creator, the only options are to repent and straighten your ways unto righteousness in being saved or to continue in sin and be lost.
As John prepared the way for the Lord and it was obvious that people were ready to receive Him, he showed up on the scene to make known to all that the Lord of heaven and earth had arrived. John had finished His work and now Jesus would take over where he left off (John 3:30).
Jesus also was obedient to the heavenly commandment to be baptized, not because of sin in His life, but because He had to fulfill all righteousness. Matthew recorded in Matthew 3:13-15,
“Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan {coming} to John, to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent Him, saying, 'I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?' But Jesus answering said to him, 'Permit {it} at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.' Then he permitted Him.”
John must have realized his humble state and was requesting that Jesus would baptize Him. Many good scholars have speculated and studied about why Jesus was being baptized. In the writings of Jerome, a church father, we find his explanation as, “He (Jesus) did not so much get cleansing from baptism, as impart cleansing to it” Pulpit Commentary says, “It would seem that Jesus, submitting to the rite himself, did it with the intention of sanctifying the blessed sacrament in the future. While these ideas have some good thoughts, they are laced with denominational tradition.
Here I will offer three suggestions of my own about why Jesus was baptized by John with supporting scriptures:
-He had to learn obedience (Heb. 5:8-9)
-He had to give His approval to John’s work (Matt. 3:15)
-He had to show that He was the appointed Son of God (Matt. 3:17)
Jesus set an example for all, in demonstrating His love and submission to the Father in heaven, as John publicly baptizes him, and he is found in prayer to the Father (peculiar detail in Luke’s gospel as Luke records the Lord in prayer over 8 times). It is said in the text,
“Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased."
What a beautiful picture of our Lord after His baptism, praying to the Father and receiving Divine approval through obedience on the earth. While we do not know what He asked the Father for, we do know that the Father was showing favor to the Lord Jesus.
God sent the Holy Spirit to rest upon Jesus, as if to anoint Him and appoint Him, the Son of God. Remember that the Holy Spirit was very involved in revealing prophecy and Scripture. It had been almost 400 years since the last prophets had passed on from this life. People had not seen or heard from the Holy Spirit until the events of the coming of the Messiah. Now, while John is baptizing Jesus, the rest of the Godhead is present, and Jesus is found in the presence of the Father and the Holy Spirit as heaven is opened unto Him. The Spirit came in the form of the bird of peace and gentleness to hover over Jesus. This may be Luke’s way of putting into human terms what happened on that day, or it may very well be what the Holy Spirit appeared as a dove on this occasion hovering over the waters (See Gen. 1:2). God appeared in many ways and forms in the Old Testament, and it is not unlikely that He did the same here.
Keep in mind that the events that took place on this occasion were fulfillments of prophecy as well (See Psalm 2:7; Isaiah 42:1). This is also not the only time that Jesus will be given this Divine stamp of approval (See Luke 9:34-35; also, II Pet. 1:16-17).
Just as the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus in baptism to show that He was the Son of God, we too receive the gift of the Holy Spirit in baptism to show us that we are the children of God (Gal. 3:26-28). Peter promised this gift to everyone that the Lord our God has called by the gospel and who will respond through obedience (Acts 2:38-39; 5:32; Rom. 8:16).
There is no doubt that Jesus was sinless and that his baptism by John was not for the forgiveness of sins. But we who follow in His footsteps must have the example of complete obedience to the Father in heaven with the hope of the same Divine approval as His children (Read I Pet. 2:21-25).
Jesus’ ultimate act of obedience to the will of God, would be death upon a cross for our sins. This he did, and we can now be saved unto eternal life. Just as Jesus was buried in death, only to be raised to eternal life, we too are immersed or buried in water in the likeness of his death to be raised to walk in the newness of life on the earth, and with the hope of eternal life in heaven with the Lord (Rom. 6:1-8; Col. 2:12-13; I Pet. 3:21).
While we follow the Lord every day, we take up our cross and proclaim allegiance to Him. Are YOU following Jesus today? Do you need to repent and obey the gospel? If I can be of assistance with your spiritual needs, please do not hesitate to reach out. I will be glad to help.
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