7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Jesus; and he was very perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, 8 and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again. 9 Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this, about whom I hear such things?” He sought to see him.

Luke 9:7-9 - World English Bible

History knew Herod the tetrarch as Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee and the craven son of Herod the Great. Antipas beheaded the Baptist at the behest of his second wife, Herodias (see Mark 6:14-29). This verse tied that incident to his encounter with Jesus when the Lord was on trial before Pilate (Luke 23:5-12).

Why did Herod seek Jesus? Luke portrayed Jesus as a charismatic figure who caught the attention of everyone. But, Herod had other concerns; he beheaded one critic, but the ministry of that man lived on in the person of the Lord. Since he ruled as a client king, he kept one eye on local affairs and the other on his Roman minders, who expected him to keep the peace and keep tax revenues flowing in. If Jesus riled up the populace like John did, both peace and tax collection could be interrupted; this would not make his overlords happy; they could replace him (as he was by his nephew in 39 AD). So, he wanted to see Jesus for mixed reasons, the Lord's reputation as a teacher with healing powers and a possible critic whose preaching could cause internal strife.

Why do people seek the Lord? Why do you seek Jesus in your life?