Mark 6:26-31 (New King James Version)
26 And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her. 27 Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison, 28 brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb. 30 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. 31 And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.
Matthew 14:13 When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.
After hearing about John's death, Jesus suggests that they depart to a deserted place. Notice that he said, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." I don't believe that Jesus had any intention of resting. He merely wanted to spend some time alone.
Do you think that Jesus never experienced grief? Think again. I believe that Jesus and John were very close friends growing up. Let's examine some of their similarities.
They had a similar preaching style:
Matthew 3:1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
They shared the same opinion about the religious leaders of that day:
Matthew 3:7 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (John)
Matthew 23:33
Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? (Jesus)
Neither man was too concerned about his appearance:
Matthew 11:7-8 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? 8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
Isaiah 53:2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.
Notice the familiar tones in their conversation at Jesus' baptism:
Matthew 3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"
15 But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him.
This doesn't sound like a conversation between two strangers. These men knew each other. In fact, John knew who Jesus was even before he was born!!!
Luke 2:41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
I doubt that as a child, Jesus was able to find many children who shared His passion for the ministry. However, I believe that John and Jesus could have spent some time together while Mary and Elizabeth conversed. They grew up together, they studied the scriptures together, and they were probably close friends.
I realize that I am not able to prove any of this, but I firmly believe every word of it. Some could argue that because of what Luke 1:19 says, John and Jesus couldn't have been close. Let's examine the verse together.
Luke 1:19 80 So the child (John) grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
Notice that he grew and became strong in spirit, and then went to the deserts until the day of his manifestation to Israel. I sincerely doubt that his parents dropped him off in the desert when he was two or three years old!
Now, with all of this in mind, imagine the grief that Jesus must have felt when he heard about the death of his beloved friend, John. He obviously felt grief, because he wanted to spend some time alone. I can picture Him in my mind, walking with his head held low, tears streaming down his face…and then he hears the sound of a multitude approaching.
Mark 6:32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.
33 But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. 34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.
He could have said, "I'm too depressed!" or "I just want to be alone!" But that wasn't his response at all. Instead, he realized that their need was greater than his desire to be alone.
Have you recently experienced the loss of a loved one, a family member or a close friend? Learn from Jesus' example and don't isolate yourself from everyone and everything. I'm not suggesting that you teach multitudes but, you should surround yourself with people who care about you and if need be, can provide a shoulder for you to cry on.
I'll never forget a conversation that I had with an elderly gentleman whom had just suffered the tragic loss of a nine year old granddaughter. He looked me directly in the eyes and asked, "Why on earth did God allow this to happen to that little girl?" I couldn't answer the question! I finally had to admit that I didn't know the answer. Then I thought about the story of Job and how that God allowed his children to die in order to test Job's faith and endurance. Later on in life, I wonder if Job ever looked back on the darkest days in his life and thought, "I understand why I had to go through the trial, but why did my children have to die? They didn't do anything to deserve such a horrible death"
I can't pretend to understand God's motives, but I can say that he always has a reason for everything that he does. Be assured that "all things work together for the good to them that love God and are the called according to His purpose." Don't become bitter and please don't isolate yourself from your brothers and sisters in Christ. You're not alone! There are people in the church that know what you're going through and more importantly, Jesus knows you're going through. "Cast all your cares upon Him, for He careth for you."
Hang in there brother…you're going to make it.
Jordan Mills
