Welcometo Pastor's Chat today. We're continuing to look at Luke 23, and today we'refocusing on verses 6-12. Jesus had three unfair trials before the Jews; beforeAnnas, the father-in-law of the high priest Caiaphas, and also Caiaphas at hishouse, and then before the Sanhedrin. Now, in the early morning hours betweensix and nine o'clock on Friday morning, Jesus is taken before Pilate. Pilatehas his first trial with Jesus and finds no fault in Him after questioning Himpersonally in the praetorium.
WhenPilate hears that Jesus is from the region of Galilee, he knows that's Herod,King Herod's jurisdiction. King Herod Antipas, who murdered John the Baptist,had longed to see Jesus because he had heard of the miracles Jesus had done andwanted to see Him perform a miracle, like a trick. When Pilate heard ofGalilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean. I love the scripture here becauseit capitalizes the "M" in the Man Christ Jesus. Yes, there was no manlike this Man, the Man Christ Jesus.
Assoon as Pilate knew that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him toHerod, who was also in Jerusalem at the time. When Herod saw Jesus, he wasexceedingly glad, for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he hadheard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him. Thenhe questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing.
Thechief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him. You can imaginethis crowd of chief priests, scribes, and Sanhedrin following Jesus to whereHerod was in Jerusalem. I can imagine Herod waking up this morning, having hisbreakfast, and suddenly all this is going on. Here comes this crowd ofPharisees, chief priests, and Sanhedrin, bringing Jesus with them.
Herod,with his men of war, treated Him with contempt, mocked Him, arrayed Him in agorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate. That very day, Pilate and Herodbecame friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity witheach other. Both Pilate and Herod had the opportunity to try Jesus. What'sinteresting is that Jesus was not truly on trial before Pilate and Herod;rather, Pilate and Herod were on trial before Jesus. Obviously, they failed thetest. They did not receive Jesus as the Christ. Neither did they find Himguilty, as Pilate later said that even Herod found no fault in Him (v. 15).
Eventhough Herod mistreated Jesus and had his men mock Him as a the King of the Jews,Jesus the Man did not respond to them. I believe they did this because Herodand his crowd hated the religious hypocrites, the Pharisees. Even the lostworld doesn't like religious hypocrites. They mocked Jesus because He wassupposedly the King of the Jews, putting a beautiful robe on Him to make Himlook like a king.That day two men became friends because they had a commonenemy, the Jews, and a common purpose: Jesus needed to be condemned, and theJews wanted Him condemned and it was an opportunity to show distain for thereligious hypocrites.
Today,what stands out to me the most is that Jesus is the Man, the Christ Man, theGod Man. Oh, my friend, He’s the Man who took on flesh so that through death Hecould become our sin on an old rugged cross. Romans 8:3 tells us: “For whatthe law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sendingHis own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemnedsin in the flesh.” I love how Hebrews 2:14 puts it: “Inasmuch then asthe children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared inthe same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death,that is, the devil”.
Iinvite you today to trust Jesus, to put your hope in this Man. There’s no manlike this Man, the Man Christ Jesus. “For there is one God and one Mediatorbetween God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all,to be testified in due time” (1 Timothy 2:5-6).
Godbless!
