(Luke 23:6-17)
You can see the Headline now: JESUS AWARDED NOBEL PEACE PRIZEYes, it was Jesus who brought reconciliation between Pilate and Herod. Pilate was the ruling Roman Governor and Herod Antipas was the Tetrarch of the province of Galilee. It is believed that Pilate had made an enemy out of Herod when he slaughtered a group of Galileans in Jerusalem during the animal sacrifices. The incident is related by Jesus in Luke 13. Pilate took no regard for Herod’s rightful authority over his people. Thus, political animosity ensued.When the Sanhedrin had Jesus arrested, they didn’t have the power to crucify Christ themselves, and had to send him to Pilate. Pilate was anything but hostile toward Jesus and didn’t believe him to be guilty.Finding that Jesus was a Galilean, and that Herod was in Jerusalem, he sent Jesus to Herod to be tried. In front of Herod the Sanhedrin continued their barrage of accusations against Jesus. Herod was pleased. Pleased that Pilate had finally acknowledged his authority, pleased to finally meet this famous Jesus, pleased that he might be entertained by a miracle, and pleased to be able to question him for himself. When Jesus stood silent, Herod obviously became bored. So, he and his soldiers ridiculed Jesus, dressed him in an elegant robe, then sent him back to Pilate – as if to say, ‘I will allow you the honour of judging him for yourself—this one is beneath me!’ Luke records: “That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies (Lk.23:12). Pilate and Herod had no ultimate power over Jesus, no matter what they did or said. The Psalmist was including them with all the other rulers of this world who refuse to submit to Jesus: “Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather against the Lord and against his Anointed One” (Psa.2:1-2).Herod and Pilate killed the best friend they ever had to stand before them.
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