He had James, the brother of John, executed with a sword. ¹ 

When ¹  John’s messengers had gone, Jesus ²  began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness ³  to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ⁴ 

For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John appeared. ¹ 

Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.

Now ¹  when the other ten ²  heard this, ³  they became angry with James and John.

John’s baptism – was it from heaven or from people? ¹  Answer me.”

John’s baptism ¹  – was it from heaven or from people?” ² 

Now a dispute came about between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew ¹  concerning ceremonial washing. ² 

So Paul ¹  said, “Into what then were you baptized?” “Into John’s baptism,” they replied. ² 

Now ¹  John’s ²  disciples and the Pharisees ³  were fasting. ⁴  So ⁵  they came to Jesus ⁶  and said, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don’t fast?”

Now ¹  as soon as they left the synagogue, ²  they entered Simon and Andrew’s house, with James and John.

(Now ¹  all the people who heard this, even the tax collectors, ²  acknowledged ³  God’s justice, because they had been baptized ⁴  with John’s baptism.

Before ¹  Jesus ²  arrived, John ³  had proclaimed a baptism for repentance ⁴  to all the people of Israel.

Then John’s ¹  disciples came to Jesus ²  and asked, “Why do we and the Pharisees ³  fast often, ⁴  but your disciples don’t fast?”

While they were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness ¹  to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ² 

From ¹  the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and forceful people lay hold of it. ² 

Instructed by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.”

Now ¹  in those days Jesus came from Nazareth ²  in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River. ³ 

So ¹  she went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” Her mother ²  said, “The head of John the baptizer.” ³ 

Immediately she hurried back to the king and made her request: ¹  “I want the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.”