They
went out and preached that people should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed many with oil who were sick, and healed them. King Herod heard this, for his name had become known, and he said, “John the Baptizer has risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He is Elijah.” Others said, “He is a prophet, or like one of the prophets.” But Herod, when he heard this, said, “This is John, whom I beheaded. He has risen from the dead.” For Herod himself had sent out and arrested John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, for he had married her. For John said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” Herodias set herself against him, and desired to kill him, but she couldn’t, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he did many things, and he heard him gladly.
Mark 6:12-20
Mark 6 [7.] He called to himself the twelve, and began to send them out two by two; and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a staff only: no bread, no wallet, no money in their purse, but to wear sandals, and not put on two tunics. He said to them, “Wherever you enter into a house, stay there until you depart from there. Whoever will not receive you nor hear you, as you depart from there, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony against them. Assuredly, I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”
Mark 6 [12.] They went out and preached that people should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed many with oil who were sick, and healed them. King Herod heard this, for his name had become known, and he said, “John the Baptizer has risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He is Elijah.” Others said, “He is a prophet, or like one of the prophets.” But Herod, when he heard this, said, “This is John, whom I beheaded. He has risen from the dead.” For Herod himself had sent out and arrested John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, for he had married her. For John said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” Herodias set herself against him, and desired to kill him, but she couldn’t, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he did many things, and he heard him gladly.
Mark 6 [21.] Then a convenient day came, that Herod on his birthday made a supper for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee. When the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those sitting with him. The king said to the young lady, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.” He swore to her, “Whatever you shall ask of me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.”
Meaning:
Mark 6:12-20 moves from the success of the apostles’ mission to the troubled conscience of a king. The twelve preach repentance, cast out demons and heal the sick, and news of Jesus reaches the court of Herod Antipas. People offer different explanations of who Jesus is, but Herod is haunted by one: John the Baptist, whom he had beheaded, has come back to life. Mark then steps back in time to explain how John came to be in prison, setting up the dramatic story of his death.
- The Mission Bears Fruit
The apostles preached the same message as John the Baptist and Jesus: repent. Jesus had begun his ministry saying, “The time is fulfilled, and God’s Kingdom is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News” (Mark 1:15). Repentance means a change of mind that leads to a change of life, turning from sin to God (Luke 13:3).
They also “anointed many with oil who were sick.” Olive oil was a common remedy and a sign of God’s blessing. The early church continued the practice: “let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 5:14).
- Who Is Jesus?
Mark lists three popular opinions. Some said Jesus was John risen from the dead. Others said he was Elijah, the prophet God had promised to send before the great day of the Lord (Malachi 4:5). Others said he was a prophet like those of old. All three answers saw Jesus as a messenger from God, yet all fell short of the truth. Later Peter would confess him as the Christ.
Herod is called “King”, but strictly he was a tetrarch, a ruler of a quarter of his father’s kingdom. Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, governed Galilee and Perea for Rome from 4 BC to AD 39. Mark uses the popular title. Ironically, years later Antipas lost his position after asking the emperor for the title of king.
- A Prophet in Prison
Herod had arrested John because he publicly condemned his marriage to Herodias. She had been the wife of Herod’s half-brother, whom Mark calls Philip, and she was also Herod’s niece. The Law forbade a man to take his brother’s wife (Leviticus 18:16). According to the Jewish historian Josephus, John was held at Machaerus, a fortress-palace east of the Dead Sea.
John’s words cost him his freedom, but he would not soften God’s truth for a powerful ruler. As the proverb says, “the righteous are as bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1).
- Herod’s Divided Heart
Herodias wanted John dead, but Herod protected him, “knowing that he was a righteous and holy man.” Herod liked listening to John and “heard him gladly”. Many ancient manuscripts read that he was “greatly perplexed” when he heard him. Either way, Herod was drawn to the truth but would not obey it. He respected the preacher but kept the sin. Such half-heartedness would soon lead him to commit murder.
The Significance of Mark 6:12-20
- Hearing Is Not Enough
Herod enjoyed John’s preaching, yet never repented. James warns, “But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves” (James 1:22). A troubled conscience is a gift from God, calling us to confess and forsake our sin, for whoever “confesses and renounces them finds mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).
- Courage to Speak Truth
John the Baptist shows that faithfulness sometimes means speaking unwelcome truth to the powerful. Paul urged Timothy to preach the word in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2). Believers today are called to speak God’s truth with love and courage, whatever it costs.
Cross-References:
Mark 1:15: “The time is fulfilled, and God’s Kingdom is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.” The apostles preached the same message of repentance that Jesus preached.
Malachi 4:5: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Yahweh comes." This promise explains why people wondered whether Jesus was Elijah.
Leviticus 18:16: "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife. It is your brother’s nakedness." John applied this law to Herod’s marriage.
James 5:14: "Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord," The church continued the apostles’ practice of anointing the sick.
Conclusion: Mark 6:12-20 contrasts the bold ministry of God’s messengers with the guilty conscience of a compromised king. The apostles called people to repent; John confronted Herod’s sin; Herod listened but would not change. The passage invites us to respond to God’s word not only with interest but with repentance and obedience, and to speak his truth with courage.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible