Where Jerusalem, and the leaders of Israel led - crying out concerning the Messiah who had come to them, for their salvation, "crucify him" (Mk. 15:13, 14, 20) - Rome would follow. Now to be sure Herod sought to put to death the Messiah, thinking that he would cause a political uprising, the Jews rejected Jesus because He claimed to be the Messiah. Both Jerusalem and Rome were wrong, wicked, anti-Christ in their response to the heavenly King, come to earth. They not only put Christ to death, but persecuted His disciples, the Apostles, and so many in the early church. For their beastly behavior, they would judged, and Christ wanted to convey their miserable end to the early church, through John so that they might have hope that only Christ's kingdom endures forever