In partnership with

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, May 26th, aka National Sorry Day.

🥳 Congratulations on starting today with God, and thank you for letting us be a part of it.

📖 Verse Of The Day

— Matthew 11:2-3

❤️ Today’s Sponsor

Every headline satisfies an opinion. Except ours.

Remember when the news was about what happened, not how to feel about it? 1440's Daily Digest is bringing that back. Every morning, they sift through 100+ sources to deliver a concise, unbiased briefing — no pundits, no paywalls, no politics. Just the facts, all in five minutes. For free.

Read the newsletter trusted by 4.5 million fact-seekers.

🧠 Devotional

Let’s look at what happens to John the Baptist in prison.

John is arrested by Herod Antipas, who ruled Galilee under Rome. He had taken his brother Philip’s wife, Herodias, and John kept telling him directly that it was not lawful (Mark 6:17–18).

So Herod has John seized, bound, and put in prison for saying that.

While John is in prison, Herod doesn’t immediately kill him. He actually fears John, knows he’s a righteous man, and listens to him at times, even though it confuses him (Mark 6:20). At the same time, Herodias wants John dead but can’t act yet (Mark 6:19).

So John stays in prison.

While he’s there, he hears about what Jesus is doing. And from prison, he sends two of his disciples to ask Jesus directly, “Are you the one, or should we look for another?” (Matthew 11:2–3).

Jesus answers by telling them to go back and report what they are seeing, the blind seeing, the lame walking, the gospel being preached (Matthew 11:4–5).

So that message is sent back to John in prison.

After that, Jesus tells the crowd that no one born of women is greater than John (Matthew 11:11).

At the same time, this is a transition.

John had already publicly identified Jesus as the Messiah (John 1:29), and had said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

Now John is in prison and no longer preaching, while Jesus’ ministry is continuing to grow.

Later, while John is still in prison, Herod throws a birthday banquet with his leaders and officials (Mark 6:21). Herodias’ daughter dances, and Herod makes a public promise to give her whatever she asks (Mark 6:22–23).

She asks her mother what to request, and Herodias tells her to ask for John the Baptist’s head (Mark 6:24–25).

She comes back immediately and asks for it.

Herod is deeply distressed when he hears this, but because he made the promise in front of everyone, he does not take it back (Mark 6:26).

He orders it.

An executioner is sent into the prison, and John is beheaded there (Mark 6:27). His head is brought out on a platter and given to Herodias (Mark 6:28).