Conversely, Matthew explicitly attributes the statement to Herod himself, mentioning that he spoke to his attendants. Luke maintains the order found in Mark, without compelling the reader to recognize it as the definitive sequence, relating: “And Herod the tetrarch heard about all the works of Jesus and was troubled; some were saying that John had risen from the dead, others that Elijah had appeared, and others that one of the ancient prophets had come back to life.” Herod reacted by saying, “John I beheaded; who is this of whom I hear such things?” and he sought to meet Him. In this regard, Luke agrees with Mark, attributing the claims of John's resurrection to others, not to Herod. He conveys Herod’s uncertainty through his inquiry, “John I beheaded; who is this One about whom I hear such things?” The state of Herod’s thoughts can be interpreted in various ways. Initially, he may have had doubts, but later accepted the prevailing belief, as Matthew indicates when he claims that Herod told his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead, and therefore miracles are performed by him.” Alternatively, the words from Luke may imply that his doubts lingered, as if he were mulling over the questions, “Is this truly John the Baptist?” or “How can this be?” suggesting he remained uncertain. However, since no one quotes these direct questions, we can acknowledge both interpretations. We can agree that Herod expressed his belief, either persuaded by the opinions of others or, as described by Luke, without fully relinquishing his doubts. For instance, Mark initially states that others spoke of John’s resurrection, and ultimately he quotes Herod saying, “This is John whom I beheaded; he has risen from the dead.” These words could be uttered by someone with confidence or someone still doubting. Following this, Luke transitions to the miracle involving the five loaves, while Matthew and Mark depict the account of John’s beheading by Herod.
THEOSIS