{And they went and told Jesus} (kai elthontes ap(8867)geilan
t(9369) I(8873)ou). As was meet after they had given his body decent
burial. It was a shock to the Master who alone knew how great
John really was. The fate of John was a prophecy of what was
before Jesus. According to  Mt 14:13  the news of the fate of
John led to the withdrawal of Jesus to the desert privately, an
additional motive besides the need for rest after the strain of
the recent tour.