Pilate and Herod Become Friends

Scripture: Luke 23:6-12

6 “Oh, is he a Galilean?” Pilate asked. 7 When they said that he was, Pilate sent him to Herod Antipas, because Galilee was under Herod’s jurisdiction, and Herod happened to be in Jerusalem at the time. 8 Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been hoping for a long time to see him perform a miracle. 9 He asked Jesus question after question, but Jesus refused to answer. 10 Meanwhile, the leading priests and the teachers of religious law stood there shouting their accusations. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers began mocking and ridiculing Jesus. Finally, they put a royal robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. 12 (Herod and Pilate, who had been enemies before, became friends that day.) (Luke 23:6-12 NLT)

The trial of Jesus is a politically charged occasion. It highlights the complex web of Roman-Jewish politics, and the strange ways enemies can find unity by identifying someone or something that can become a common enemy to them both.

Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, was in a tight spot. He didn’t find valid legal grounds to execute Jesus, but he was facing a potential riot from the religious leaders. When he heard that Jesus was from Galilee, he saw a political escape hatch. Galilee was ruled by Herod Antipas, who had executed John the Baptist. By sending Jesus to Herod, Pilate tried to pass the responsibility—and the blame—to someone else.

Herod was not interested in the innocence or guilt issue, he merely wanted to see Jesus perform a miracle! After asking Jesus question after question without any response from Jesus, and growing frustrated and a little anxious about the shouting of the priests and teachers of the law along with their mob, Herod and his soldiers began mocking Jesus, then sent him back to Pilate without a guilty verdict.

Herod and Pilate were weak leaders who were brought together by fear of the disruption that Jesus and his followers could bring. Herod and Pilate, who had been political enemies before, became friends that day. The Prince of Peace, who came to reconcile humanity to God, inadvertently reconciled two corrupt politicians, not through their faith, but through their fear of love, rejection of truth, and greed for power.

Jesus prayed that we would be united not by fear, nor by ideology, nor by a common enemy, but by our love for God and for one another!

Prayer:

Father, We join with Jesus in a prayer for unity, not a unity of uniformity, or of ideology, nor a unity of fear, but a unity of love for you and for others. In Jesus’ Name!