Sunday
Morning Bible Study
May
28, 2017
Introduction
Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel
preached? Does it address the person who is: Empty, lonely, guilty, or afraid
to die? Does it speak to the broken hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk
– Meat – Manna Preach for a decision Is the church loved? Regular: 2900 words Communion:
2500 words Video=75wpm
Israel Update
We had thought that the deadline to sign up for the November Israel trip
was May 1, but we have learned this week that was only the date to get your
deposit back if you cancelled.
The deadline to sign up for Israel is actually the end of July.
So … if you were sad because you thought you missed the chance to go to
Israel, cheer up! You can still go.
Harvest America
In two weeks we will be hosting the live webcast of Harvest America.
The “pre-concert” starts at 4:30, the actual event is 5-7pm.
Memorial Day
Just a quick reminder why this weekend is a holiday weekend…
Luke was a doctor and a traveling
companion of the apostle Paul.
He wrote this book while Paul was
in prison.
In writing this book about Jesus,
Luke made use of other older documents like the Gospel of Mark, as well as
extensive eyewitness accounts.
Jesus’ ministry is well under way,
and the people have been amazed not just at the things He’s been teaching, but
the things He’s been doing.
We are now at the end of Jesus’ ministry.
Jesus is hours from being crucified.
Luke has reminded us of what Jesus’ main purpose was in life:
(Luke 19:10 NKJV) for the Son
of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
He would do this by dying for our sins.
We saw Jesus arrive in Jerusalem on the previous Sunday, Palm Sunday, to
the shouts of an adoring crowd, crying “Hosanna”.
On the following Thursday night, Jesus celebrated the Passover with His
disciples before taking them back to spend the night at the Garden of
Gethsemane.
Judas showed up with a group of Jewish leaders and soldiers.
They took Jesus to the high priest’s house, and then early on Friday
morning Jesus was put on trial before the Sanhedrin.
The high priest has declared Jesus guilty of blasphemy. He was claiming to be the Messiah. He was claiming to be God.
23:1-7 Pilate Trial #1
:1 Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him
to Pilate.
the whole – hapas
– quite, all, the whole, all together, all
the multitude – plethos
– a multitude; a great number, of men or things; the whole number, the
whole multitude, the assemblage
:1 led Him to Pilate
Illustration
A Sunday school teacher asked her students to draw a picture of the Holy
Family. After the pictures were brought to her, she saw that some of the
youngsters had drawn the conventional pictures....the Holy Family and the
manger, the Holy Family riding on the mule, etc. But she called up one little
boy to ask him to explain his drawing, which showed an airplane with four heads
sticking out of the plane windows. She said, “I can understand that you drew
three of the heads to show Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. But who’s the fourth head?”
“Oh,” answered the boy, “that’s Pontius the pilot!”
If it weren’t for the trial of Jesus, Pontius Pilate would be considered a
minor figure in history.
He is mentioned by ancient historians Josephus, Philo, and Tacitus, besides
the four gospels.
Yet sixty years ago, he was considered by some scholars to be nothing more
than a myth.
In 1961, archaeologists turned over one of the stones in the ancient
amphitheater at Caesarea, and found the name of Pilate carves into it.
The inscription, translated from Latin, is:
“To the Divine Augusti this Tiberieum … Pontius Pilate …
prefect of Judea … has dedicated this”
Those of you going to Israel in November will see a replica of the stone
when we visit Caesarea.
Pilate and the Jews
Pilate arrived in Palestine in AD 26, having been appointed by Emperor
Tiberius.
When Pilate first showed up as governor of Palestine, he tried putting
images of the Emperor in Jerusalem, and the Jews didn’t like it because it
broke the Law of Moses.
They pleaded with him for five days to remove the images, and on the sixth
day of protests he almost ordered his soldiers to kill all the protestors.
When the protestors told him they’d rather be slain than offend God, Pilate
gave in and removed the images.
1.
(55) But now Pilate, the procurator of Judea, removed the army
from Cesarea to Jerusalem, to take their winter quarters there, in order to
abolish the Jewish laws. So he introduced Caesar’s effigies, which were upon
the ensigns, and brought them into the city; whereas our law forbids us the very
making of images; (56) on which account the former procurators were wont to
make their entry into the city with such ensigns as had not those ornaments.
Pilate was the first who brought those images to Jerusalem, and set them up
there; which was done without the knowledge of the people, because it was done
in the nighttime; (57) but as soon as they knew it, they came in multitudes to
Cesarea, and interceded with Pilate many days, that he would remove the images;
and when he would not grant their requests, because it would tend to the injury
of Caesar, while yet they persevered in their request, on the sixth day he
ordered his soldiers to have their weapons privately, while he came and sat
upon his judgment seat, which seat was so prepared in the open place of the
city, that it concealed the army that lay ready to oppress them: (58) and when
the Jews petitioned him again, he gave a signal to the soldiers to encompass
them round, and threatened that their punishment should be no less than
immediate death, unless they would leave off disturbing him, and go their ways
home. (59) But they threw themselves upon the ground, and laid their necks
bare, and said they would take their death very willingly, rather than the
wisdom of their laws should be transgressed; upon which Pilate was deeply
affected with their firm resolution to keep their laws inviolable, and
presently commanded the images to be carried back from Jerusalem[1]
Pilate’s second incident with the Jews took places when Pilate decided to
use Temple treasury funds to pay for more aqueducts.
The Jews were upset at this use of funds and the this time Pilate had his
soldiers beat the protestors with clubs.
4. (175) After this he raised another disturbance, by
expending that sacred treasure which is called Corban upon aqueducts, whereby
he brought water from the distance of four hundred furlongs. At this the
multitude had great indignation; and when Pilate was come to Jerusalem, they
came about his tribunal, and made a clamor at it. (176) Now when he was apprised
aforehand of this disturbance, he mixed his own soldiers in their armor with
the multitude, and ordered them to conceal themselves under the habits of
private men, and not indeed to use their swords, but with their staves to beat
those that made the clamor. He then gave the signal from his tribunal (to do as
he had bidden them). (177) Now the Jews were so sadly beaten, that many of them
perished by the stripes they received, and many of them perished as trodden to
death, by which means the multitude was astonished at the calamity of those
that were slain, and held their peace. [2]
The third incident involved Pilate wanting to honor the Emperor by putting
shields with Tiberius’ name in Herod’s palace in Jerusalem.
The Jews protested, sent a delegation to the Emperor to complain, and ended
up making the Emperor angry with Pilate for stirring up trouble.
Philo describes an
incident where Pilate, in an attempt to honor the Emperor Tiberius, placed
shields bearing the emperor’s name in the former palace of Herod in Jerusalem.
By placing the shields in the headquarters of the Roman administration, not the
temple, Herod was attempting not to offend the Jews (Bond, Pontius Pilate, 36–48; Thatcher, “Philo on Pilate”, 215–18).
However, the leading Jews, along with four of Herod’s sons, requested that
Pilate remove the shields. When he refused, they appealed to Emperor Tiberius
by letter. Tiberius was infuriated and ordered Pilate to remove the shields and
place them at the temple of Augustus at Caesarea. Pilate’s attempt to honor
Tiberius caused him to fall into disfavor.[3]
The last Pilate problem involved a
Samaritan false prophet who wanted to lead his followers to Mount Gerizim. Pilate didn’t like what was happening and
sent soldiers to stop them. Some Samaritans fled, others were killed, and
others were taken prisoner.
When the Samaritans protested to
the governor of Syria, Pilate was ordered to go to Rome and stand trial, and
that’s the last anyone ever heard of Pilate.
1.
(85) But the nation of the Samaritans did not escape without
tumults. The man who excited them to it, was one who thought lying a thing of
little consequence, and who contrived everything so, that the multitude might
be pleased; so he bade them get together upon Mount Gerizzim, which is by them
looked upon as the most holy of all mountains, and assured them that, when they
were come thither, he would show them those sacred vessels which were laid
under that place, because Moses put them there. (86) So they came thither
armed, and thought the discourse of the man probable; and as they abode at a
certain village, which was called Tirathaba, they got the rest together to
them, and desired to go up the mountain in a great multitude together. (87) But
Pilate prevented their going up, by seizing upon the roads with a great band of
horsemen and footmen, who fell upon those that were gotten together in the
village; and when they came to an action, some of them they slew, and others of
them they put to flight, and took a great many alive, the principal of whom, and
also the most potent of those that fled away, Pilate ordered to be slain.
2. (88) But when this tumult
was appeased, the Samaritan senate sent an embassy to Vitellius, a man that had
been consul, and who was now president of Syria, and accused Pilate of the
murder of those that were killed; for that they did not go to Tirathaba in
order to revolt from the Romans, but to escape the violence of Pilate. (89) So
Vitellius sent Marcellus, a friend of his, to take care of the affairs of
Judea, and ordered Pilate to go to Rome, to answer before the emperor to the
accusation of the Jews. So Pilate, when he had tarried ten years in Judea, made
haste to Rome, and this in obedience to the orders of Vitellius, which he durst
not contradict; but before he could get to Rome, Tiberius was dead. [4]
Nothing is recorded about Pilate
after having arrived in Rome.
Some think he was
exiled to France.
Eusebius recorded
that Pilate committed suicide.
It is worthy of note that Pilate himself, who was governor in the
time of our Saviour, is reported to have fallen into such misfortunes under
Caius, whose times we are recording, that he was forced to become his own
murderer and executioner; and thus divine vengeance, as it seems, was not long
in overtaking him. This is stated by those Greek historians who have recorded
the Olympiads, together with the respective events which have taken place in
each period.4[5]
This last episode with the
Samaritans took place in AD 36, after Jesus had been crucified.
Pilate got along with the Jews like President Trump gets along with the
Democrats.
They are not fans of one another.
This trial before Pilate was early in the morning.
Roman officials only met with the public from sunrise until noon.
Though Pilate spent most of his time in the coastal city of Caesarea,
Pilate is in Jerusalem to keep an eye on things during the Passover.
The reason the Sanhedrin brings Jesus to Pilate is because at the moment
there was a ban on the Jews carrying out executions (John 18:31)
John gives us more details about what
happened when the Jews brought Jesus to Pilate:
(John 18:28–32 NKJV) —28 Then they
led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they
themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but
that they might eat the Passover. 29 Pilate
then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this
Man?” 30 They answered and said to him, “If He
were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.” 31
Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge
Him according to your law.” Therefore
the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” 32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke,
signifying by what death He would die.
The Praetorium is the building that
served as headquarters for Roman military generals, governors, or traveling
officials.
There are two
theories as to where this building was located.
Some feel it was
the Antonio Fortress, located near the Temple mount, and where the Roman troops
would have been stationed.
Others feel it may
have been the palace of Herod, which might have been a more fitting place for
the governor to hang out in when in Jerusalem.
There
are differing opinions regarding the exact location of the praetorium in
Jerusalem. Two possible options include:
1. the Antonia fortress
2. Herod’s palace[6]
Somewhere around AD 30, the Roman
government limited the Jews’ ability to pronounce and carry out death
sentences.
In Jesus’ case,
the Jews did not have the authority to put Jesus to death, so they needed
Pilate to condemn Him.
If Jesus was
condemned and executed by the Jews, He would have been stoned.
The Romans were
the ones who practiced crucifixion.
In being
crucified, Jesus fulfilled specific prophecies about His death (like Ps. 22),
as well as His own predictions of being crucified.
:2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow
perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He
Himself is Christ, a King.”
:2 they began to accuse Him
to accuse – kategoreo
– to accuse; before a judge: to make an accusation
we found – heurisko
– to come upon, hit upon, to meet with; to find by enquiry, thought,
examination, scrutiny, observation, to find out by practice and experience
The Sanhedrin accuses Jesus of three things.
1. Perverting the nation
perverting – diastrepho – to
turn aside from the right path, to pervert, corrupt
the nation – ethnos
– a multitude (whether of men or of beasts) associated or living together;
a company, troop, swarm; a multitude of individuals of the same nature or
genus; a tribe, nation, people group; in the OT, foreign nations not
worshipping the true God, pagans, Gentiles
It's true that Jesus was definitely making a change in the nation, but He
was purifying it, not corrupting it.
2. Forbidding paying of taxes.
forbidding – koluo
– to hinder, prevent forbid; to withhold a thing from anyone; to deny or
refuse one a thing
tribute – phoros
– tribute, esp. the annual tax levied upon houses, lands, and persons
This would certainly get Pilate’s attention, yet it is an outright lie.
Jesus had just taught, “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s”
(Luke 20:25)
Earlier the Jewish leaders had
tried to trick Jesus by asking about the paying of taxes.
(Luke 20:25 NKJV) And
He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and
to God the things that are God’s.”
People will lie about you. An
amazing thing.
Be careful when
you hear strange things about people. Not everything you hear is true.
(1 Timothy 5:19–20 NKJV) —19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or
three witnesses. 20 Those who are sinning
rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.
3. He was a king
The Christ, the Messiah, was indeed a king, and Jesus had indeed claimed to
be the Messiah.
Christ – Christos – “anointed”
a King – basileus – leader of the
people, prince, commander, lord of the land, king
This was true.
But the Sanhedrin wants Pilate to
think Jesus is a threat to Rome. Jesus
is not a threat at all.
What’s ironic is that while the
Jews as a whole were hoping for the Messiah to come and free Israel from the
Romans, here were the leaders of Israel turning the actual Messiah over to the
Romans.
This is the charge that Pilate will
focus on.
Lesson
Don’t be surprised
Sometimes things in life go very wrong.
Believe it or not, you and I will go through times like Jesus went through.
People will lie about us. They will
try to hurt us. All because of our
relationship with Jesus.
Jesus said,
(John 15:18–21 NKJV) —18 “If the
world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet
because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore
the world hates you. 20 Remember
the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If
they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they
will keep yours also. 21 But all
these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know
Him who sent Me.
Peter wrote,
(1 Peter 4:12–16
NLT) —12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going
through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, be
very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so
that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to
all the world. 14
If
you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for
the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. 15 If you suffer, however, it must not
be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs.
16 But it is no
shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being
called by his name!
There is no blessing when you are insulted because you are
a jerk.
There is a “blessing” that comes when people give you a
hard time for being a follower of Jesus.
Illustration
Jan Hus was born in 1369 and became a priest in the country of Bohemia,
modern Czechoslovakia. He was a reformer
of the church a hundred years before Martin Luther.
He taught against the practice of indulgences and the immoral state of the
church leaders. He taught that Jesus was
the head of the church, not the pope.
Guess what? The pope wasn’t happy
with Jan Hus.
He was eventually put on trial and ordered to recant all the charges
brought against him. The problem was
that most of the charges were made up and Hus refused to recant things that he
had never said.
He was convicted and burned at the stake on July 6, 1415.
Be careful about becoming a “people pleaser”.
We all want people to like us.
When we compromise our faith for the sake of people liking us, we are not
only causing harm to ourselves, but especially to those very people who need to
hear the truth about Jesus, even if it offends them.
:3 Then Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” He
answered him and said, “It is as you say.”
asked – eperotao
– to accost one with an enquiry, put a question to, enquiry of, ask,
interrogate; to address one with a request or demand
:3 Are You the King of the Jews?
The force of the Greek could be translated: “YOU are the king of the
Jews?!”
I don’t think Pilate expected such an ordinary looking of a man to be a
king.
(Isaiah 53:2 NKJV) For He shall
grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we
see Him, There is no beauty
that we should desire Him.
:3 It is as you say
As we saw last week (Luke 22:70), this is a Greek way of saying, “Yes” or
“You said it!”.
(Luke 22:70 NKJV) Then they
all said, “Are You then the Son of God?” So He said
to them, “You rightly say that I am.”
:4 So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no fault in
this Man.”
the crowd – ochlos
– a crowd; a throng; a multitude; the common people, as opposed to the
rulers and leading men
I find – heurisko
– to come upon, hit upon, to meet with; to find by enquiry, thought,
examination, scrutiny, observation, to find out by practice and experience
fault – aition
– cause, fault; It means one who is the author, the cause of or responsible
for anything.
:4 I find no fault in this Man
John shows us how Pilate came to this conclusion regarding the claim that
Jesus was a king.
(John 18:33–38
NKJV) —33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to
Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or
did others tell you this concerning Me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests
have delivered You to me. What have You done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not
of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so
that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from
here.” 37 Pilate
therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly
that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come
into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the
truth hears My voice.” 38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he
went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.
Pilate did not see Jesus as a threat to Roman rule because His kingdom was
not of this world.
John 18:37 “bear witness to the truth”
Lesson
Truth
It’s at this crucial point that Jesus reminded His accusers that He’s all
about truth.
We live in a society that is having a lot of trouble with the truth.
Our kids are taught in school that truth is “relative”.
What is true to me might not be true to you.
Video: OneTimeBlind – Red Balloon
I find it interesting that some of the same people who teach that truth is
relative are now complaining about “fake news”.
I think our nation’s dilemma with “fake news” is rooted in
the fact that we don’t know what truth is anymore so we spin things to make
them sound the way we want them to.
This is a clip from the old TV show “E.R.” where a man facing death wants
to know if there’s forgiveness.
There are real, true answers.
Jesus came to tell us the truth and to show us how we could find real
forgiveness and be right with God.
The truth is we are all sinners.
The truth is Jesus died to pay for our sins.
The truth is we can find forgiveness if we will
acknowledge our sins and ask Jesus for help.
After Pilate spoke with Jesus, he responded, “I find no fault in this Man.”
You’re going to see that not finding fault in Jesus is not enough.
Pilate is going to eventually give in to crowd pressure and put Jesus to
death.
Matthew tells us that Pilate
understood the real reason the Sanhedrin wanted to get rid of Jesus.
(Matthew 27:18 NKJV) For he
knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.
:5 But they were the more fierce, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching
throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.”
the more fierce – epischo
– to give additional strength, to make stronger; to receive greater
strength, grow stronger
He stirs up – anaseio
– to shake up; to stir up, excite, rouse
teaching – didasko
– to teach; to hold discourse with others in order to instruct them,
deliver didactic discourses; instill doctrine into one
all – holos
– all, whole, completely
Judea – Ioudaia
– “he shall be praised”; Judaea; in a narrower sense, to the
southern portion of Palestine lying on this side of the Jordan and the Dead Sea,
to distinguish it from Samaria, Galilee, Peraea, and Idumaea; in a broader
sense, referring to all Palestine
from
Galilee –
A Galilean had led the tax revolt
of a.d. 6; Judeans also tended to
view Galileans as inferior to themselves, although much of Galilee was urban
and in touch with the larger Mediterranean culture, as Jerusalem was.[7]
:6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean.
:7 And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent
Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
as soon as he knew – epiginosko
– to become thoroughly acquainted with, to know thoroughly; to know
accurately, know well; to know i.e. to understand
jurisdiction – exousia
– power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases; the power of authority
(influence) and of right (privilege); the power of rule or government (the
power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and
obeyed); jurisdiction
he sent – anapempo
– to send up; to a higher place; to a person higher in office, authority,
or power; to send back
:7 He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction
This “Herod” is Herod Antipas.
His father was known as “Herod the Great”, and he was the one that not only
built great structures like the city of Caesarea, Masada, and the expansion of
the Temple, he was the one who had all the babies killed when Jesus was born.
Herod Antipas ruled over the area of Galilee and Perea (east of the Jordan
River).
(Luke 3:1 NKJV) Now in the fifteenth
year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea,
Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the
region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
:7 he sent Him to Herod
Pilate was not required to send Jesus to Herod, but keep in mind the
tension that Pilate has had with the Jews.
Pilate doesn’t want to do anything to upset the Jews.
Herod also was not normally in Jerusalem, but because it was the Passover,
he too was in Jerusalem like Pilate was.
Luke is the only writer who records
this meeting with Herod.
23:8-12 Herod Trial
:8 Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired
for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him,
and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him.
glad –
chairo – to rejoice, be glad; to
rejoice exceedingly
exceeding –
lian – greatly, exceedingly,
exceedingly beyond measure
he
had desired – thelo –
to will, have in mind, intend; to be resolved or determined, to purpose; to
desire, to wish; to love; to like to do a thing, be fond of doing; to take
delight in, have pleasure
he
hoped – elpizo –
to hope; hopefully to trust in
miracle – semeion – a sign, mark, token; that by
which a person or a thing is distinguished from others and is known; a sign,
prodigy, portent, i.e. an unusual occurrence, transcending the common course of
nature; of signs portending remarkable events soon to happen; of miracles and
wonders by which God authenticates the men sent by him, or by which men prove
that the cause they are pleading is God’s
:8 he was exceedingly glad
John the Baptist had been a constant nuisance to Herod.
John kept rebuking Herod for his own immoral lifestyle.
Herod arrested John and eventually had him beheaded.
Then Herod started hearing stories about Jesus, and some were telling him
that Jesus was John risen from the dead.
(Luke 9:9 NKJV) Herod said,
“John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?” So he
sought to see Him.
Later Jesus was warned…
(Luke 13:31 NKJV) On that very
day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, “Get out and depart from here, for
Herod wants to kill You.”
Herod is quite the conflicted man when it came to Jesus, and now he gets
his chance to finally meet Him.
:9 Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing.
he
questioned – eperotao –
to accost one with an enquiry, put a question to, enquiry of, ask, interrogate;
to address one with a request or demand; to ask of or demand of one
many – hikanos
– sufficient; many enough, enough
nothing –
oudeis – no one, nothing
he
answered – apokrinomai
– to give an answer to a question proposed, to answer; to begin to speak,
but always where something has preceded (either said or done) to which the
remarks refer
:9 He answered him nothing
This fulfilled prophecy:
(Isaiah 53:7 NKJV) He was
oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a
sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.
:10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him.
stood – histemi
– to cause or make to stand, to place, put, set; to stand
Pluperfect
vehemently – eutonos
– vehemently, forcibly
accused – kategoreo
– to accuse; before a judge: to make an accusation
:11 Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him,
arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate.
treated
Him with contempt – exoutheneo (“out of” + “nothing”) – to
make of no account, despise utterly; a variation of exoudenoo, to hold and treat as of no account, utterly to despise;
to set at nought, treat with contempt
men of war – strateuma
– an army; a band of soldiers; bodyguard, guards men
mocked – empaizo
– to play with, trifle with; to mock; to delude, deceive; from paizo, to play like a child; to play,
sport, jest; to give way to hilarity, esp. by joking singing, dancing
This is what the Jewish temple
guards had done already,
(Luke 22:63 NKJV) Now the
men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.
arrayed – periballo
– to throw around, to put around
robe – esthes
– clothing, raiment, apparel
gorgeous – lampros
– shining; brilliant; splendid, magnificent; splendid things i.e. luxuries
or elegancies in dress or style
sent Him back – anapempo
– to send up; to a higher place; to a person higher in office, authority, or
power; to send back
:12 That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for
previously they had been at enmity with each other.
friends – philos
– friend, to be friendly to one, wish him well; an associate; he who
associates familiarly with one, a companion
previously – prouparcho
– to be before, exist previously
at enmity – echthra
– enmity; cause of enmity
:12 Pilate and Herod became friends
Herod appreciated Pilate sending him some entertainment.
A new bromance started that day.
:8 he hoped to see some miracle done by Him
Lesson
Miracles and Faith
I think that sometimes we don’t really understand how things work.
Things don’t always work the way people think they do, and miracles are one
of those things.
Some folks have this notion that if God did more miracles, then more people
would believe.
Not so.
People want to see miracles for all sorts of reasons, and they’re not
always good reasons.
Yes, some people need a miracle because of a desperate need. But…
Herod wanted to be entertained.
There are churches where the main purpose clearly seems to
be entertainment.
Others just like things done the easy way.
When Jesus fed 5,000 people with a few loaves of bread and
a couple of fish, the people followed Him, for awhile.
(John
6:26 NKJV) Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you
seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and
were filled.
After Jesus did this miracle, Jesus began to teach some
difficult things.
(John
6:66 NKJV) From that time many of His disciples went back and walked
with Him no more.
They were following Him for the wrong reasons.
After Jesus rose from the dead, there was one disciple who had missed
church one Sunday and wasn’t there when Jesus had appeared to the others.
(John 20:25 NKJV) The other
disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said
to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger
into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not
believe.”
Jesus did show up again and challenged Thomas to believe,
(John
20:28–29 NKJV) —28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said
to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are
those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
I would define “faith” or “belief” as trusting in someone or something that
you can’t see.
There are going to be times when you simply don’t see, and you will still
need to believe.
Faith like that is what pleases God.
(Hebrews
11:6 NKJV) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for
he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder
of those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11 is filled with stories of men and women who
learned to trust God, even when things were tough, even when things didn’t look
like they were going in the right direction.
Don’t get me wrong.
God does miracles.
God heals.
Yet if you’re looking for the miracles as your reason to believe, you’re
missing the whole point.
God wants you to trust Him, even if you don’t see everything He’s doing.
(2 Corinthians 5:7
NKJV) For we walk by faith, not by sight.