John the Baptist got a raw deal

In a cathedral in Seville, Spain, I ran across this painting. Sorry it’s not a great photo, but you get the idea. It’s a painting of John the Baptist’s head on a platter. I’ve been reading about John the Baptist recently and I’m always impressed with his devotion to Christ, right up to his death. Did you know that he first met Jesus when both were in their respective mother’s wombs? And John jumped for joy when he heard Mary’s voice? It’s a remarkable story that you can read about in Luke 1:39-45. Being a Christ follower from the womb is impressive.

A wild-looking man, John lived on locusts and wild honey and wore a camel skins, which was odd even back in the day. He pulled no punches as he called on people to change their lives. Herod locked him up in prison and eventually took his life, angry at John’s calling him out for taking his brother’s wife as his own.

Such a short yet powerful life. Jesus tells us that there has been no one ever born who was greater than John the Baptist. High praise for someone who has a brief sojourn across the pages of scripture and who ends his life in such a grisly style.