Now when Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself also was in Jerusalem in those days. Now when Herod saw Jesus, he rejoiced greatly; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some sign performed by Him. And he questioned Him at some length, but He answered him nothing. And the chief priests and the scribes were standing there, vehemently accusing Him. And Herod with his soldiers, after treating Him with contempt and mocking Him, dressed Him in a bright robe and sent Him back to Pilate. Now Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for before they had been at enmity with each other.
Luke 23:6-12
Introduction
Isn’t it interesting just how old the human tendency to pass the buck is? 2,000 years ago, Pilate did not want to deal with Jesus in his court, and when he learned the Lord began His ministry in the northern region of Galilee, he saw the opportunity to solve his impasse. In verse 4 of this chapter, Pilate found no guilt in Jesus, but the people continued to insist He be crucified. What better loophole to satisfy the crowd and his own conscience than to make it someone else’s problem?
Of course, evading responsibility is even older than this exchange. Think back to Genesis 4. Immediately after Cain killed his brother Abel, he dodged responsibility before God by famously asking, “am I my brother’s keeper?” But even older than that is the phrase uttered by Adam when he sinned and was expelled from the garden a chapter earlier: “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave to me from the tree, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12)
Adam took no responsibility for his sin. Neither did Cain. And in our passage today, Pilate assumed he could avoid responsibility for Jesus, being afraid of the crowd and yet also a man who understands justice.
Eager to see a sign
Herod seemed to have a penchant for collecting prophets. Think back to when he had John the Baptist arrested. Even with John, Herod found himself drawn to the man of God, even enjoying listening to him (Mark 6:20). And since Jesus was known as a greater prophet than John, Herod was “eager to see a sign.”
Jesus’ ministry was certainly famous for the way He healed and restored people. On merely hearing His name, people would gather in hopes of hearing a good word and participating in a miracle.
But as with the pharisees who demanded a sign, Jesus refused to give Herod what he sought, prompting Herod to relinquish his hold on Jesus and send Him back to Pilate. And this only after “treating Him with contempt and mocking Him.”
Something interesting happens in verse 12, though: “Now Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for before they had been at enmity with each other.” Prior to this exchange, these two rulers of the earth were opposed to one another. But now that they have found a common enemy in the anointed One, they conspire together. Does that wording ring a bell? Psalm 2 begins by saying the rulers of this earth work with each other to oppose the Lord and His anointed (direct translation of Messiah or Christ).
Blessed is the man
This evil opposition they shared against Jesus brought the two men together. The idiom “thick as thieves” comes to mind, demonstrating the bond wickedness can create among men. If you have ever participated in or know someone who has gone through a 12 step program or rehab, you will know that one of the biggest things recovering addicts are to adhere to is breaking off relationships that center around their addictions. That is because the very basis of those friendships is sin. If you wish to kill the sin, you must remove yourself from those relationships.
Very different from Psalm 2 in this regard is Psalm 1, which teaches us a man is blessed for keeping evildoers out of his company. The more we indulge sin, the more it brings us into relationship with others who indulge sin. And this accumulates to the point where many will find their faith entirely lost, choked out by the thorns and thistles.
So be wise. Keep your company with the righteous, and learn from godly people who have wisdom. You will never be fully out of the influence of evildoers until you leave this world, but you can minimize their impact in your life by preaching the gospel to them and being bold in your denial of sin. And remember that when you are reviled for His name, you are blessed (1 Peter 4:14).
May the Lord bless you and conform you into the image of His Son.
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