Commentary - Luke 9:7-9

Bird's-eye view

In this brief but potent passage, Luke gives us a glimpse into the court of a troubled king. Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, hears the reports of Jesus' mighty works, which were being amplified by the recent missionary tour of the twelve apostles. The fame of Jesus confronts Herod not as a matter of idle curiosity, but as a torment to his guilty conscience. The various rumors swirling about, that Jesus is John the Baptist raised from the dead, or Elijah, or another ancient prophet, show the spiritual confusion of the age. But for Herod, one of these possibilities is a haunting specter. Having murdered John the Baptist to satisfy a foolish oath and a wicked woman, the thought that his victim might be back from the grave, now endued with even greater power, leaves him "greatly perplexed." This passage reveals the clash between two kingdoms: the corrupt, fearful, and temporary authority of a petty earthly ruler, and the powerful, inexorable, and eternal authority of the Son of God. Herod's desire to "see" Jesus is not the longing of a seeker but the morbid curiosity of a haunted man, a man who will eventually get his wish and mock the very one who could have saved him.

This section serves as a crucial hinge in Luke's narrative. It demonstrates that the gospel's impact is reaching the highest levels of secular power, not as a political movement to be co-opted, but as a spiritual reality that cannot be ignored. The world, represented by Herod, can only interpret the work of God through its own superstitious and guilt-ridden categories. It is a powerful illustration of how a guilty conscience, uncoupled from repentance, leads not to faith but to fear, confusion, and a desperate desire to manage the unmanageable reality of God's presence in the world.

Outline

Context In Luke

This passage is strategically placed by Luke. It immediately follows his account of Jesus sending out the twelve on their first missionary journey (Luke 9:1-6), where they preached the kingdom, healed the sick, and cast out demons. The events of our text are a direct result of that amplified ministry; "all that was happening" refers to the works of both Jesus and His newly empowered apostles. This section also serves as a dark prelude to the disciples' triumphant return and the feeding of the five thousand (Luke 9:10-17). While the crowds are being miraculously fed, the ruler of the region is starving for an answer, tormented by his sin. Furthermore, this is the first significant mention of Herod Antipas since he imprisoned John the Baptist (Luke 3:19-20). His reappearance here reminds the reader of the fatal opposition that the kingdom of God faces from the kingdoms of men. Herod's perplexity about Jesus' identity sets the stage for Peter's great confession just a few verses later: "The Christ of God" (Luke 9:20). The world asks in fear, "Who is this?" The church answers in faith, "He is the Messiah."

Key Issues

The Tyrant's Ghost

There is nothing quite so unsettling as a guilty conscience. It is God's internal alarm system, and when it goes off, it cannot be easily silenced. Herod Antipas was a tetrarch, a man with significant earthly power. He could command soldiers, levy taxes, and, as he reminds himself, he could behead prophets. But he could not command his own conscience. Having committed a grievous sin in the murder of John the Baptist, a man he knew to be righteous, Herod is now haunted. The news of Jesus' ministry does not come to him as a political report to be analyzed, but as a ghost story. The power of Christ's ministry is so undeniable that the naturalistic explanations of the Sadducees, Herod's likely theological party, are insufficient. The supernatural has broken in, and Herod's first thought is that his sin has come back to life.

This is a profound illustration of the biblical truth that all men know God, and they suppress that truth in unrighteousness (Rom 1:18). When confronted with raw, divine power, the suppressed truth bubbles to the surface in the form of superstition and fear. Herod, the worldly politician, is suddenly confronted with the categories of resurrection and divine judgment. He is a practical atheist in his daily life, but a terrified believer when the lights go out. His reaction is a testimony to the fact that no man, no matter how powerful, can escape the reality of the God he has offended. The ghost that haunts Herod is not actually John the Baptist; it is the living God, whose authority Herod has flouted.

Verse by Verse Commentary

7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead,

The gospel has reach. The ministry of Jesus and His apostles was not a corner affair. The news traveled, and it reached the ears of the regional ruler, Herod Antipas. The word for "tetrarch" means a ruler of a fourth part, a title that reminds us of the fragmented and derivative nature of his authority compared to the absolute authority of the King of kings. When Herod hears the news, his reaction is not anger or political calculation, but profound confusion and agitation. He was "greatly perplexed." The word in Greek, diaporeo, suggests being at a total loss, utterly bewildered. And the source of this confusion is a specific rumor that has taken root: John the Baptist, the man Herod had murdered, was back. A guilty conscience is a powerful interpreter of current events, and it almost always interprets them in the worst possible light for the guilty party.

8 and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen again.

Luke records the other popular theories. The Elijah theory was rooted in the prophecy of Malachi that Elijah would come before the great and awesome day of the Lord (Mal 4:5). This was a standard part of Jewish messianic expectation. The idea of an old prophet returning was more general, but it shows that the people recognized Jesus' ministry as being of a prophetic caliber not seen in Israel for centuries. All these theories have one thing in common: they are attempts to fit the unprecedented reality of Jesus into a pre-existing box. People are trying to explain the new thing God is doing by using old categories. While not entirely wrong, Jesus is indeed the ultimate prophet, these explanations fall far short of the reality. They are the best that the natural, unregenerate mind can do when confronted with the Son of God. It is a mixture of biblical hope and folk superstition.

9 And Herod said, “I myself had John beheaded, but who is this man about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see Him.

Herod dismisses the other rumors and focuses on the one that torments him. His statement is stark and personal: "I myself had John beheaded." This is not a boast; it is the confession of a haunted man. He is trying to reassure himself with the brute fact of John's death. He knows John is dead because he gave the order. But the reports of Jesus' power are so overwhelming that his certainty is shaken. The logic is that of a terrified man: "I killed him, so he should be dead. But this new man has power like him, or even greater. So who on earth can this be?" His sin has created a ghost that his reason cannot exorcise. This leads to his desire to see Jesus. The verb tense here implies a continual, ongoing effort. This was not a passing whim. But his desire was not for salvation or truth. It was the morbid curiosity of a man wanting to get a look at his ghost, perhaps to reassure himself that it wasn't real. He wants to see Jesus to manage his fear, not to bow before his Lord. When he finally does see Jesus, on the day of His crucifixion, he will treat him with contempt and mockery (Luke 23:8-11), proving that a desire to "see" Jesus that is not born of repentance only leads to greater condemnation.

Application

This short passage is a powerful mirror for us. First, it teaches us about the nature of a guilty conscience. Sin has consequences, not just externally, but internally. When we sin and refuse to repent, we do not erase the sin; we simply give it a key to the house. It becomes a ghost that haunts our thoughts, colors our perceptions, and fills us with a nameless dread. The only solution is not to try and rationalize the ghost away, as Herod did, but to confess the sin to the one who can cast the ghost out forever. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin, and with it, from all legitimate guilt. A Christian who is walking in the light does not need to be haunted by the past.

Second, we see the world's reaction to Jesus. When Christ moves in power, the world gets perplexed. It tries to explain Him away, to fit Him into familiar categories, a great moral teacher, a historical figure, a religious guru. Herod represents the powerful of this world who are intrigued by Jesus, who might even want to "see" Him, but who have no intention of obeying Him. They want to observe Him as a phenomenon, not worship Him as Lord. We must be wary of any interest in Jesus, our own or others', that is mere curiosity. A desire to see Jesus that is not accompanied by a desire to repent and follow Him is a dangerous thing. It is the desire of a spectator at the crucifixion, not a disciple at the empty tomb.

Finally, this passage reminds us that the gospel is an unavoidable confrontation. Herod could not ignore "all that was happening." The kingdom of God had invaded his kingdom, and he had to react. So it is today. The claims of Christ are not optional. He is either a ghost born of our superstitions, or He is the risen Lord of all. He is either a perplexing problem to be managed, or He is the King to be obeyed. There is no middle ground. Herod tried to find one, and it led him to mockery and judgment. Our task is to answer his terrified question, "Who is this man?", with the clear and joyful confession of Peter: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."