1 Then 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.
Read Luke 23:1-12 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!
During Jesus’ final hours before His crucifixion, all the gospels seem to slow down and focus in on the last hours of Jesus’ life. However, only Luke shares Jesus spending time with a second Roman leader.
While Pilate was the ultimate judge who authorized Jesus’ crucifixion, Luke describes how Pilate sent Jesus to another governor who just “happened” to be in Jerusalem at that time. Part of me wonders if this was because of how Luke describes Jesus’ response when a group of Pharisees bring the message that Herod wants to kill Him. In Luke 13:32, Jesus begins His response to Herod by saying, “Go tell that fox, …” and this makes me wonder if Herod had made the trip to Jerusalem in case an opportunity arose to see Jesus.
But the phrase that really stands out in my mind in Luke’s version of Jesus’ trial before Pilate and Herod doesn’t come from either trial, but from the footnote that Luke includes about what happened afterwards. “That day [the day they both met Jesus in person] Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.” (v. 12)
This stands out in my mind because it brings out a huge truth about human nature that each one of us can apply: Shared experiences can break down the barriers to friendship. This truth can work both favorably, such as shared positive experiences like a group outing or sharing how one has faced a trial that another is going through. But this truth can also work negatively, if the shared experience is destructive or harmful.
In a strange way, Jesus became the reason for Herod and Pilate’s friendship. Differences of belief often separate people, but when two people who see the world differently can agree on the foundation of belief in Jesus, a friendship can begin to form. Friendships don’t seek to change the other person, but instead friendships seek to share life together.
This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!
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