WHEN VICE MOCKED VIRTUE, Daily Devotional, Saturday, March 16, 2013

SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 2013

Luke 23:13  “And the same day were Pilate and Herod made friends…”

SCRIPTURE READING: LUKE 23:1-12

 ¹And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate.

 ²And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.

 ³And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it.

 ⁴Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.

 ⁵And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.

 ⁶When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean.

 ⁷And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.

 ⁸And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.

 ⁹Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.

 ¹⁰And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.

 ¹¹And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.

¹²And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.

REFLECTION: 

Pilate was bothered and conflicted as he wrestled with the question of the ages, “What shall  I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?” (Matthew 27:22). He testified, “I find no fault in this man.”  Caiphas, the High Priest, could find no good in Him.  Perspective matters.

Then a way out of his dilemma, certainly a moral dilemma in every aspect, appeared.  He heard that Jesus was a Galilean.  Herod, the Tetrarch of Galilee happened to be in Jerusalem for the Passover.  Pilate ordered that Christ be extradicted to Herod’s Court.  It was our Lord’s third march on His way to Golgotha--From Gethsemane to the High Priest’s palace, from the High Priest’s to Pilate’s Court, and now to Herod’s residence.

This was not the Herod who had ordered the execution of the children in Bethlehem at the time of Christ’s birth.  That was his father.  This was the Herod that took his brother’s wife to be his own, imprisoned John the Baptist for decrying his gross immorality, and then ordered the execution of John the Baptist at the request of his salacious step-daughter and her wicked mother.

Jesus knew Herod.  (He knows all of us.)  He called him a “fox.” (Luke 13:32).  Dr. Luke tells us that “when Herod saw Jesus he was exceeding glad…he hoped to have seen some miracle” (Luke 23:8) He was not glad because he wanted to hear the truth, nor was he glad because he was ready to receive the truth. Herod just wanted to see a miracle. For him, Christ was nothing more than a magician—a spectacle.  Herod soon discovered that Christ would not be used. 

Herod then determined to ridicule Jesus. (Luke 23:11) How pathetic to witness vice mocking Virtue.  It must have cut our Savior’s heart.  But Christ stood, wrapped in one of Herod’s shining robes, as Herod and his minions feigned worship.  He “opened not his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7).  Save your pity for Herod’s eternally lost soul.

Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate.  And the Bible says, “the same day were Pilate and Herod made friends.”  Spurgeon preached, “As for those two foxes, Pilate and Herod, there were tied, tail to tail, that day by our great Samson!”  How often we have witnessed the enemies of Christ united in their purpose to destroy Him. 

The super-spiritual Jews, the skeptical Pilate, and the superstitious Herod were bound together for one dreadful purpose—that Light of the World would be extinguished. They would succeed, but not ultimately.  Praise God.

If we could make one application for those who love the Lord Jesus:  Might we be as united and fervent in our devotion to our Savior as His enemies are in their defiance.  The bands of hatred are strong, but the power of Divine love is stronger.  May the world admire and desire the love of our lives.

PRAYER: Father in Heaven, The more we see and know of your Son—his life, his love, and his sacrifice in our behalf—the more we are amazed “that God should love a sinner such as I.”We pray that when we are disparaged by the super-spiritual, when we are derided by the skeptical, and when we are despised by the superstitious, that we will, like our Blessed Lord Jesus, possess our souls in that peace that comes only from thy Spirit.  May we live this day in the center of your “good, acceptable, and perfect” will.  In the strong name of Jesus, Amen. “Our Father, &c.”