Luk 23:6-12 | KingComments | STEP | By indicating the area where the Lord taught, the leaders give Pilate a way out. He sees a possibility to get rid of this Prisoner without getting his hands dirty. He asks whether “the man” is a Galilean. When Pilate hears that He indeed comes from Galilee, the area where Herod is in charge, he sends Him to Herod. The Lord does not have to leave Jerusalem for this, because Herod is in Jerusalem those very days. To Herod, this is a great opportunity. He sees a long cherished wish come fulfilled. He had wanted to see the Lord for so long ( ). He had already heard so much about Him. Now he gets the opportunity, without asking for it or searching for it. That makes him very glad. But it is not the kind of gladness with which a sinner comes to the Lord Jesus to be redeemed by Him of his sins (cf. ). It is the gladness of a spoiled child getting a fervently coveted toy to have fun with. Herod would like to see some sign from the Lord. He wants the Lord to entertain him with some magic. Herod sees no more in Him than a person with extraordinary gifts, things that astonish a person. He is out for thrills. His conscience is completely out of order. Many people look at the Lord Jesus in the way of Herod. He is a great miracle worker, at least that is what is claimed of Him, but they want to experience that for themselves. They visit manifestations of so-called divine power hoping that it will bring them something. It can be about the kick and also about solving a mental or physical problem. Herod does his utmost to get something out of the Lord, but the Lord does not say a word. He doesn’t go into anything. He will have looked at Herod during all his questions, but not with eyes like a flame of fire. The Lord stands before Herod in all the dignity of the perfectly Innocent. He is not in the hands of Herod, but in the hands of God. Just like before Pilate, the leaders of the people also accuse the Lord vehemently when He stands before Herod. If Herod then gets nothing to see from Him, all that’s left is to have some fun with this silent Prisoner. Herod and his soldiers play a game with Him, showing their contempt for Him. They mock Him. When the game is over, Herod puts on Him a beautiful robe, a mocking robe. He has said that He is a King, hasn’t He? Then he will treat Him like this. So Herod sends Him back to Pilate. In their common contempt for Christ, the sworn enemies find each other. The enmity between them melts like snow in the sun and they become friends. Hostility against Christ connects the hearts of people who are natural enemies. In the darkness, the powers of darkness unite. In these two persons who are both representatives of an empire, we recognize the future union between the beast coming up out of the earth, the antichrist, and the beast coming up out of the sea. Herod is a picture of the antichrist, the false king of the mass of apostate Jews ( ). Pilate is a picture of the beast, which is the dictator of the restored Western Roman Empire ( ).

‏ Luke 23:6-12

Before Herod

By indicating the area where the Lord taught, the leaders give Pilate a way out. He sees a possibility to get rid of this Prisoner without getting his hands dirty. He asks whether “the man” is a Galilean. When Pilate hears that He indeed comes from Galilee, the area where Herod is in charge, he sends Him to Herod. The Lord does not have to leave Jerusalem for this, because Herod is in Jerusalem those very days.

To Herod, this is a great opportunity. He sees a long cherished wish come fulfilled. He had wanted to see the Lord for so long (Lk 9:9). He had already heard so much about Him. Now he gets the opportunity, without asking for it or searching for it. That makes him very glad. But it is not the kind of gladness with which a sinner comes to the Lord Jesus to be redeemed by Him of his sins (cf. Lk 19:6). It is the gladness of a spoiled child getting a fervently coveted toy to have fun with.

Herod would like to see some sign from the Lord. He wants the Lord to entertain him with some magic. Herod sees no more in Him than a person with extraordinary gifts, things that astonish a person. He is out for thrills. His conscience is completely out of order.

Many people look at the Lord Jesus in the way of Herod. He is a great miracle worker, at least that is what is claimed of Him, but they want to experience that for themselves. They visit manifestations of so-called divine power hoping that it will bring them something. It can be about the kick and also about solving a mental or physical problem.

Herod does his utmost to get something out of the Lord, but the Lord does not say a word. He doesn’t go into anything. He will have looked at Herod during all his questions, but not with eyes like a flame of fire. The Lord stands before Herod in all the dignity of the perfectly Innocent. He is not in the hands of Herod, but in the hands of God.

Just like before Pilate, the leaders of the people also accuse the Lord vehemently when He stands before Herod. If Herod then gets nothing to see from Him, all that’s left is to have some fun with this silent Prisoner. Herod and his soldiers play a game with Him, showing their contempt for Him. They mock Him. When the game is over, Herod puts on Him a beautiful robe, a mocking robe. He has said that He is a King, hasn’t He? Then he will treat Him like this. So Herod sends Him back to Pilate.

In their common contempt for Christ, the sworn enemies find each other. The enmity between them melts like snow in the sun and they become friends. Hostility against Christ connects the hearts of people who are natural enemies. In the darkness, the powers of darkness unite.

In these two persons who are both representatives of an empire, we recognize the future union between the beast coming up out of the earth, the antichrist, and the beast coming up out of the sea. Herod is a picture of the antichrist, the false king of the mass of apostate Jews (Rev 13:11-18). Pilate is a picture of the beast, which is the dictator of the restored Western Roman Empire (Rev 13:1-10).