Luke 23:1-12
23:1Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.”
3 So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“You have said so,” Jesus replied.
4 Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
5 But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”
6 On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. 7 When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. 9 He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. 12 That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies. [1]
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We don’t like it when people think poorly of us. We like it even less when people talk ill about us behind our backs. As a pastor, a somewhat public figure, I’ve grown quite used to the idea that at any given time there are some who are upset with me, and some speaking ill about my words, motives and actions. In a way it doesn’t bother me as much as it used to. It’s not that I don’t care, because I do, it’s rather that I’ve just grown accustomed to it. It still hurts. And brings with it the desire to explain, to defend, and to work all things out.
But it takes it to a whole different level when the opposition is done publicly, and to your face. This is what Jesus faced in our passage today. There had been opposition for several years now, much plotting behind His back, sometimes to His face. But now, before the most powerful figures in the land, Pilate and Herod, in an open court, Jesus nemeses tell lies about Him and accuse Him falsely. They ridicule Him. They mock Him.
And through it all Jesus doesn’t defend himself. He doesn’t lash out with a witty, room-silencing comeback. He stands and takes it all, this barrage that would have been as painful to His psyche as the scourges were to His back. In fact, He threw fuel on the flames by acknowledging before Pilate that He was in fact the King of the Jews.
I don’t know how I would hold up under such treatment. Probably not very well. But this I do know: Jesus did this for me. Jesus endured this for my sin, for my brokenness, for my failures. What may look like silent resignation on His part is His indefatigable love for me and you in all of our weaknesses and failures.
And this gift of love speaks to me when I find myself falsely accused or gossiped about. My Savior loves me. My Savior is my judge, and He has paid the penalty for me. My Savior endured worse for me than anything I will ever undergo. My Savior will give me strength for this and for all trials.
And He will for you as well.
Lord Jesus, thank you for enduring such opposition from those You came to save. Give me strength to endure opposition that some my way as I seek to follow You.
What is the Word leading you to pray about today?
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[1] The New International Version. (2011). (Lk 23:1–12). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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