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Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, was the Tetrarch or Governor of Galilee at this time. In Mark 6:17 we read that Herod had seized John and put him in prison, because he disapproved of Herod marrying Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. We also read that Herod feared John because he believed that John was a "righteous" person. He had called John to his chambers and listened to him on occasion and found him "perplexing". Never the less, he "gladly" listened to him and kept him safe not only because he respected him but also because he feared the multitudes that believed him to be a Prophet.
All was well until Herod had a birthday party for himself. At the party, the daughter of Herodias, danced before the group and she pleased Herod. Note, a vain and graceless heart is apt to be greatly in love with the lusts of the flesh and thus enter into great temptation, for by this, Satan gets and keeps possession. By now, Herod was full of wine and in a "playful mood" and nothing was more agreeable with him than that which would fed his vanity. By this he got caught up in the trap that Herodias had set for him.
Herodias had contrived a plan to get rid of John because of his objection to her marriage to Herod. Her daughter was the key to that plan. She knew that when Herod saw her dance that he would want her and she had instructed her daughter in what she should ask for. When Herod promised the girl that he would give her whatever she asked, and confirmed it with an oath, she did as her mother had told her and asked for John's head on a platter. It was not enough that John's life be taken, she had to be humored to, a fancy had to be gratified, his head had to be paraded around, served on a platter like a piece of meat. No public hearing, no trial, no pretence of justice, tried condemned and executed by a man full of lust.
Immediately, it would appear, the King was sorry for what he had done, but his oath was irreversible. But this was just the excuse that Herod used for going on with the execution, his oath amounted to nothing, it was his pride. He feared what his friends at the party would think if he when back on his promise to the girl. He sent and had John beheaded in the prison. Thus the "voice " crying in the wilderness, "REPENT, REPENT", the burning and shinning light was extinguished.
Notice how the remains of this blessed Saint and martyr was taken care of. First, his head was brought, in triumph to Herodias by her daughter. Tradition has it that when Herodias received the head, she pulled out his tongue and plucked it with a needle. Bloody minds are pleased with bloody sights.
Secondly, John's disciples went and got his body and buried it. They had fasted often while their master was in prison, they prayed earnestly for his deliverance, but now, all of a sudden, their hopes were gone. Then they went and told Jesus.
Why did they go to Jesus? It would appear that they did not do this to warn Him about His safety but rather in hopes for finding some comfort from Him and perhaps be taken as His disciples.
Josephus, the first century historian, believes that the destruction of Herod's Army which occurred shortly after this, was God's judgement upon Herod for killing John. Strangely enough, his army was destroyed by Aretas, King of Petrea, whose daughter was Herod's wife that he put away in order to take Herodias. This whole mess displeased the Emperor of Rome who had them both removed from office and banished to Lyons France. The daughter of Herodias later fell through some ice and had her neck cut by the ice as her judgement for her part in the death of John.
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