The Suffering Servantنموونە

It was a line out of a nightmare or a horror story: “Give me the head of John the Baptist on this serving tray.”

It’s hard to imagine the impact of those words on the room. King Herod had summoned his court for a lavish feast and was charmed enough to offer a pretty girl whatever she asked. He didn’t expect she would go for blood. But Herod couldn’t find a conscience all of a sudden. He couldn’t allow himself to be embarrassed in front of his guests and rivals. He hated John the Baptist anyway.

Herod served up God’s prophet on a plate, displaying him for all to see—as if he were just one more course among a long train of delicacies.

John was born to be the herald who announced the coming of Jesus. He had warned all Judea: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2). The prophet Isaiah refers to John as “[t]he voice crying out in the wilderness,” who tells God’s people that they must “[p]repare the way of the Lord [and] make his paths straight” (Matt. 3:3).

Herod’s feast is a dark contrast to the banquets God invites us to. In the beginning, feasts were bloodless. When God created Adam and Eve, he first invited them to eat the plants, grain, and fruit from the trees (Gen. 1:29). Even after God allowed humanity to eat meat, his people were called to have feasts of forgiveness and reconciliation. Sharing a meal was supposed to be about restoring peace with God and with one another (Lev. 3:1-3, 2 Sam. 9:7-13, etc.).

When Jesus was told that John had been killed, he went away to be by himself in a “desolate place” (Matt. 14:13). God ordained John to be a prophet crying out in the wilderness and Jesus mourned him in the wilderness just the same. Isaiah was right to call Jesus “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3). But Jesus’ grief gave way to compassion when he was greeted by crowds of thousands.

Here they were—the hungry sheep of Israel, whose leaders were wolves and thieves. Here were the few men and women who listened to John’s call, now dragging their children in tow. Out of all the people in Judea, these few were attempting to follow after Jesus, even if some only hoped to fill their bellies.

Jesus is the one sent by a Father who knows how to give good gifts to his children, and the Father won’t fail to give his children bread when they ask (Matt. 7:8-11). Jesus multiplies wine atweddings and is the bridegroom sent to invite guests to his own heavenly feast (John 2). Jesus is glad to give us our fill and is powerful enough to fill thousands from meager loaves and fish.

Jesus came into this world of grief to die so that one day men won’t kill. Jesus came to defeat sin and death so that one day every wolf like Herod would bow to him. Jesus is the kind of King who offers his guests the new covenant meal, giving up his own body and blood to set his banquet before us.

Jesus calls out to the harassed and weary, come to me and eat your fill! Jesus cries out to the bloodthirsty, come to me and drink from my cup! In Christ, we can find forgiveness and receive new hearts that hunger for righteousness. Let us trust in Jesus, God’s suffering servant, that we might learn to make others suffer no more.