Matthew 4:12-14 (ESV Strong's)
Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee.
And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali,
so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
Subject: God's Sovereignty
When John the Baptist is arrested, Jesus begins His public ministry. We do not hear about John the Baptist again until Matthew 14:1. Never-the-less, John the Baptist's ministry ends and Christ's earthy ministry begins. John was to be the "forerunner" of Christ, to prepare the way. He would be recorded in John the Gospel writer as saying the following:
John 3:30 (ESV Strong's)
He must increase, but I must decrease.
John the Baptist knew that his ministry was not THEY ministry. He probably did not suspect that his ministry would end with an "arrest," however. God allowed The Baptist to be arrested to move the spot light to Jesus. The Baptist would embrace that. Would we? Would we embrace being falsely arrested so that the ministry of Jesus might be furthered? When we allow our station, or even our own ministry, to become a hindrance for Jesus ministry we have caused alarm in the Kingdom. God moved John the Baptist, using a way that will eventually glorify God. It was never about John the Baptist. It is never about you and me.
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