Thursday 28 March 2013

Background

This passage begins in the early hours of Good Friday. On thenight before Jesus had eaten his last meal with his disciples (Luke22:7-38). And after supper they went out to pray on the Mountof Olives (Luke 22:39-53); it was here that even hisclosest friends let him down. The disciples slept while he prayed,Judas betrayed him and later Peter denied ever knowing him (Luke 22:54-62).

Now the action moves to the extraordinary trials conducted byPilate and Herod.

Jesus was brought in to see Pilate alone and unprotected,following a sleepless night and a beating by the guards. Pilate'squestion, "Are you the king of the Jews?" (verse 3) is full ofsarcasm, who could imagine anyone less like a king than thisexhausted, battered and bruised man? Jesus did not deny it. Pilatewas now inclined to believe that this man was deluded but harmless.So Pilate passed Jesus on to Herod.

Herod wanted Jesus to entertain him, to perform miracles andimpress him (verses 8-10). He treated Jesus as if he was an act ina circus side show. Herod came to the conclusion that Jesus was madbut harmless. So Herod sent him back to Pilate.

Pilate called together the crowd and told them he could not findany cause to execute Jesus so he would give him a flogging and sendhim home (verses 13-16).

But the crowd was not having this. They were baying for blood.The crowd had picked up how dangerous Jesus was and they screamedfor his execution, but even they had no idea why or how Jesus wasdangerous!

The scene that this passage describes is a farce. Pilate andHerod are behaving like a slapstick double act. Surprisingly, inspite of Herod and Pilate's incompetence, God's purpose was stillmoving forward.

To Ponder

• What do you think Pilate and Herod told their wives about whathappened that morning?

• It is difficult sometimes for powerful people to decide betweenwhat is 'right' and what will be 'popular'. If you look at theactions politicians today through the eyes of Jesus, what do yousee?

• In what ways can you bring beauty into the life of a person whois suffering?