Mark 6:26 Commentary and Bible Study

This was the king's last chance to turn away from evil. Conscience suddenly spoke to him again, and he was exceedingly sorry at what was about to happen. He was not so much angry at being made to do this, as sorry because of his respect for John. He knew he was being manipulated but his foolishness had allowed this to happen and he was trapped. Satan was going to make it a good day and break this respect Herod had for the prophet. A more powerful influence even than Herod’s tendency to fear John and his desire to keep him had arisen, and it was going to be triumphant over all else. His very public and ostentatious oath had been seen by all. How could he now lose face by back-tracking on it? If he had done this privately or before only a few, he might have retraced his steps with minimal dishonour, but now he was in the presence of the great ones of his kingdom who he had deliberately assembled to show off to. How could he bring them together to present himself as a great man before them and then bring such shame on himself by breaking his own word? And they had all appreciated the symphony of seduction so much. Herod was torn in two; he was so deeply troubled. ‘Yet for his oath’s sake on account of those which sat with him, he would not reject her.’ ‘And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought.’ Satan still had a handle on Herod’s heart. The tie that bound him to his sin was still intact; Satan could reel him in and there was nothing Herod could do. He acted immediately, not because he wanted to, but because he had to.Incomplete repentance is fatal. We may think we have put certain things out of our lives, but the devil can still hold onto us by what we are yet unwilling to part with. To come to Christ is to repent of all sin. Not that sin is immediately taken out of us, but we must die to sin: all of it. It will try to reassert itself in our lives, but we go back to our conversion experience when we turned to Christ with all our hearts. Sin has no more dominion over us. ‘[We] were the servants of sin, but [we] have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered [us]’ (Romans 6:17).