The Imprisonment of John

The Imprisonment of John [∞]

Common Elements in the Different Accounts

• John the Baptist rebukes Herod: All three accounts mention that John the Baptist publicly criticized Herod for taking his brother’s wife, Herodias.
• Herodias is involved: Herodias plays a role in the conflict, as John’s rebuke directly relates to her marriage to Herod.
• Herod imprisons John: As a response to John’s rebuke, Herod imprisons him.

Differences Among the Accounts

• Mark 6:17-18:
  • Emphasizes Herod’s fear and perplexity—Herod is torn between his respect for John and his obligation to Herodias.
  • Includes more details on Herod’s personal attitude, saying he knew John was righteous.
• Matthew 14:3-4:
  • Gives a simplified version of events—states that John rebuked Herod and was imprisoned, without details about Herod’s personal feelings.
• Luke 3:19-20:
  • Broadens the scope of John’s rebuke, mentioning that John also condemned other evil things done by Herod.
  • Places the imprisonment of John before Jesus’ ministry—Luke arranges events more thematically rather than chronologically.

How Study During the Gaps of Authorship Explains the Differences

• Mark wrote first and focused on Herod’s reaction, possibly treating it as an example of how worldly rulers respond to prophets.
• Matthew, having discovered that Israel was a son of God and a shadow of Christ, kept the focus on the prophet’s rebuke and judgment on Herod, rather than Herod’s conflicted emotions.
• Luke, studying further and realizing the pre-Abrahamic shadows of Christ, saw John as the last of the prophets in the old order, highlighting that all of Herod’s evil deeds were part of why John was rejected, just as prophets before him were.

Unique Ideas of the Gospel Authors

• Mark: John’s rebuke put Herod in a moral dilemma—he was drawn to John’s righteousness but controlled by his own corruption.
• Matthew: Focuses on John’s prophetic authority and Herod’s moral failure, aligning it with Israel’s rejection of the prophets.
• Luke: Expands the moral indictment to all of Herod’s sins, fitting John’s rejection into the broader theme of prophetic opposition before Christ.

Old Testament Scripture That May Have Reminded Matthew of This Event

• 2 Samuel 12:1-10 – Nathan rebuking David for taking Bathsheba, mirroring John rebuking Herod. Matthew sees John as another prophet calling a king to account.
• Isaiah 40:3 – John’s mission as the voice crying in the wilderness, now suffering rejection like past prophets.

Genesis Scriptures That May Have Reminded Luke of This Event

• Genesis 6:5-11 – The wickedness of rulers before the flood, paralleling Herod’s growing sins.
• Genesis 37:17-28 – Joseph being thrown into prison by a corrupt ruler (Potiphar’s wife’s influence over Potiphar), just as John was by Herodias’ influence.
• Genesis 4:8-10 – Cain killing Abel, paralleling Herod silencing John out of jealousy and guilt.

Unique Ideas of the Author (Me) in Putting This Together

• The progression of revelation explains why each Gospel has its particular focus:
  • Mark presents the event plainly as a historical moral conflict.
  • Matthew, seeing Israel as a shadow of Christ, connects John’s rebuke to prophetic warnings to Israel’s kings.
  • Luke, seeing pre-Abrahamic Christ-figures, expands the sinfulness of Herod to parallel earlier biblical patterns of rulers opposing righteousness.
• John the Baptist's role as a forerunner follows the biblical pattern of prophets confronting kings, leading to their rejection, similar to Jesus’ own confrontation with earthly rulers.
• The wordplay and formations of names and themes in Hebrew may provide deeper insights into the significance of John's role in Herod’s downfall.