the Fourth Week after Easter
Click to donate today!
Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 4 of 5
Luke 23:1-12
Getting people to be united in their opposition to the Lord Jesus was easily achieved. The rulers of the people rise up as one to lead Him to Pilate who alone has the power to pass the death sentence. Of what do they accuse their prisoner? Of perverting the nation, that is, of turning it to wickedness – He who had worked solely to lead the hearts of the people back to God. Of forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, when He in fact had said, "Render . . . unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s . . ." (Luke 20:25). But these lies do not have the effect on Pilate which the Jews expect. In his perplexity, the governor looks for a way to get out of his responsibility. He has the Lord Jesus taken to Herod who feels towards the Lord Jesus a mixture of fear (Luke 9:7), of hatred (Luke 13:31) and of curiosity (v. 8). But when this curiosity was not satisfied, all the moral baseness of this man in high position is shown: he takes pleasure in humiliating a defenceless prisoner whose miracles of love had even been reported to him! Then, disappointed, he sends the Lord Jesus back to Pilate.
As we consider Him so treated, railed on and despised, our hearts rejoice to think of the moment when He will appear in His glory and when all will have to acknowledge that He is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Isaiah 53:3; Philippians 2:11).
