We are looking at the trials of our Lord. Every trial is filled with irony. The One whom men judge is the Judge of all men. The One whom men condemn is the One who will eternally condemn them. The perfectly righteous, sinless, and innocent One is condemned as if He were the worst criminal. The most beloved of a holy God is the most hated by sinful men. Men seek to kill the very One who gives everyone life. Every trial proves His innocence more and more beyond any doubt, yet they will finally sentence Him to death as if He were guilty—irony after irony.
The First Roman Trial: A Verdict Compromised
We saw the first phase of the Roman trial before Pilate end with an acquittal. After investigating everything, Pilate was clearly convinced of Christ’s innocence of any crime threatening Roman supremacy. His verdict was: “I find no fault in this man.” As a judge, he was bound to release Jesus immediately. However, due to the political blunders of his past, Pilate was in danger. He lived in fear of another riot that might cost him his position or even his head.
To save his career, he compromised justice. He found himself in a “Catch-22”: he could not punish an innocent man, yet he could not release Him because the leaders would cause a riot. Hoping to avoid the death sentence while still satisfying the leaders, the shrewd politician attempted three tricks:
- Sending Him to Herod.
- Offering to release Him instead of Barabbas.
- Scourging Him.
The Second Trial: Jesus Before Herod Antipas
Matthew skips the attempt to send Jesus to Herod, but Luke 23:4-12 provides the details. When Pilate announced his verdict of “no fault,” the leaders became even more fierce, shouting that Jesus stirred up the people from Galilee to Jerusalem. Hearing the word “Galilee” gave Pilate an escape route. Since Jesus was a Galilean, He fell under the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas, who happened to be in Jerusalem for the festival.
Who was this Herod? He was the son of Herod the Great. His father had divided Palestine among his three sons. Herod Antipas ruled Galilee, while Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor over Judea. This Herod was the same wicked man who had beheaded John the Baptist to please his wife, Herodias. For a long time, Herod’s conscience had pricked him; he even feared Jesus was John the Baptist risen from the dead. But by the time Jesus stood before him, Herod’s heart had hardened.
Luke 23:8 tells us that Herod was “exceedingly glad” to see Jesus—not because of faith, but out of sheer curiosity. He had heard of the miracles and hoped to see Jesus perform a “sign” for his entertainment. He questioned Jesus at length, likely asking about secrets or the afterlife, perhaps pretending he would believe if he saw a miracle.
The Majestic Silence Continued
The poorest beggar or leper who asked for a miracle for relief was never denied, but this proud prince, asking merely to gratify his curiosity, was denied. Jesus stood there and answered him nothing. This was a terrible affront to a man like Herod, to whom everyone usually bowed.
Imagine the scene: Jesus had been up all night, abused and spat upon. With matted hair and a bruised face, He did not look like a revolutionary or a king. To Herod, He looked like a joke. Meanwhile, the chief priests and scribes stood by, “vehemently accusing” Him.
Herod, like Pilate, saw no evidence of a crime. He concluded that Jesus was no threat—just a “nobody.” Treating the whole affair as a comedy, Herod and his “men of war” treated Jesus with contempt and mocked Him. To please the Jewish leaders, they dressed Him in a “gorgeous” (lampros—brilliant or shiny) robe, likely a white royal robe woven with silver, and sent Him back to Pilate.
Two Witnesses of Innocence
Pilate then announced the result of this second trial to the leaders:
“I have found no fault in this Man… no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him.” (Luke 23:14-15)
According to the Law (Deuteronomy 19:15), a matter must be confirmed by the mouth of two witnesses. Here were two judges, Pilate and Herod, both declaring Him “Not Guilty.”
A Sordid Friendship
Luke 12 records a strange detail: “That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity.” They had been political rivals, especially after Pilate had slaughtered Galileans in the Temple. However, their shared mistreatment of Jesus and their common goal of “adjusting” the Jews brought them together. It was a sordid friendship between two corrupt characters.
Now, Jesus is back before Pilate. Both verdicts prove His innocence, yet look at the compromise that follows.
Look at the blatant injustice here. Pilate knows Jesus is innocent, yet instead of releasing Him, he says: “I will therefore chastise Him and release Him” (Luke 23:16). One must ask: if He is innocent, why chastise Him at all?
Pilate is proposing a compromise to the leaders. Having sensed the depth of their venomous hatred, he is afraid to pronounce the verdict that justice demands. He thinks he can find a middle ground—satisfying the leaders’ bloodlust by subjecting Jesus to a terrible flogging, thereby avoiding the necessity of an execution. It is justice sacrificed for the sake of political expediency.
At this point, the narrative returns to Matthew. We have seen the second trial before Herod end in an acquittal. Jesus now stands before Pilate for a third time. Pilate could have ended this after the first investigation, or certainly after the second, but this coward conducts a third phase because he is trapped. He cannot defy the Jews without risking a riot, which could be fatal to his career.
He comes up with a second attempt to release Jesus by using a custom of the feast. Matthew 27:15 tells us:
Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished.
This was known as “paschal amnesty”—a concession to a conquered people. Even today, governments occasionally release prisoners for good behavior during national holidays. Though this was an unbiblical custom, we must marvel at the providence of God, who uses the traditions of men to accomplish His divine purposes.
Pilate sees an opportunity to escape. At that time, the Romans held a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. His name means “son of a father” (Abba), suggesting he may have been the son of a well-known Rabbi. He was no ordinary criminal; he was an arch-criminal. Mark 15:7 tells us he was a murderer and a rebel. John 18:40 calls him a robber or a “brigand”—a violent plunderer.
Barabbas was a terrorist with a knife in his belt; wherever he went, people trembled. He was already condemned to die. After the feast, he was scheduled to be taken to Calvary to be crucified between two of his own thieving associates. Pilate assumes that no one in their right mind would want such a dangerous threat released back into their streets.
So, he offers the crowd a choice:
“Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” (Matthew 27:17)
By adding “who is called Christ” (the Anointed One), Pilate emphasizes the contrast. He is playing a political game. He knows the leaders handed Jesus over because of envy, but he assumes the common people—who had received Jesus’ healing, kindness, and teaching—would choose their Messiah over a murderer. He attempts to use a “majority vote” to bypass the leaders. He is pitting the people against the Sanhedrin, laughing inside at his own cleverness.
As the crowd gathers around 6:00 a.m., everyone is breathless. By all logical calculations, Jesus should be released. But then, a divinely appointed interruption occurs that turns the case upside down. We will explore that suspenseful turn next week.
Application: The Tragedy of Rejection
We see three groups of characters—the Sanhedrin, Herod, and Pilate—coming into contact with the Savior of the world. Jesus is the one Mediator, the Creator, and the Judge of all. The greatest tragedy in life is not financial or educational failure; it is to stand face-to-face with the Exalted One and reject Him for cheap, worldly motives.
These men are monumental tragedies. Within thirty years of this trial, the Jewish nation was destroyed. Pilate eventually lost his position, fell into a deep depression, and reportedly committed suicide. Herod was later accused of treason, stripped of his wealth, chased into exile like a beggar, and killed. They sought to save their lives by rejecting Christ, and in doing so, they lost everything. Do not play with this Jesus; He is the cornerstone. Whoever falls on this stone will be broken.
The Sin of Envy
What was the specific motive that drove the leaders to kill their own Messiah? Matthew 27:18 reveals it clearly: “For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.” It is staggering to realize that the triggering sin that precipitated the death of Jesus was envy. We seldom hear sermons on envy, yet it is the sin that killed Christ. Envy is the burning displeasure we feel when we see someone else possess what we don’t want them to have.
The leaders were provoked because the crowds compared them to Jesus. He taught with authority, while they merely babbled. He healed the sick; they could not. When He raised Lazarus, they were frustrated. They hid their envy behind a mask of “national concern,” claiming Rome would take their nation away. But the truth was they could not bear a common carpenter attracting the whole nation.
Consider the nature of this sin:
- It is Rooted in Pride: Envy refuses to accept God’s sovereignty—that He gives to each man as He wills.
- It is a “Rottenness to the Bones”: Proverbs 14:30 warns that envy destroys physical health and saps emotional energy. It removes gratitude and replaces it with a restless, negative spirit.
- It Destroys Relationships: Love and envy cannot coexist (1 Corinthians 13:4). Envy sows discord and toxic bitterness.
- It Blinds the Soul: These leaders had the Scriptures and the Temple rituals, yet envy blinded them to the Truth standing right in front of them.
This is the sin that made Lucifer the Devil, drove Cain to kill Abel, and led Saul to chase David. If you find a “volcano” of resentment rising within you when others are blessed with a new house, a promotion, or a better life, do not take it lightly. This monster will grow until it ruins your life and leads you into presumptuous sin.
The only cure for the disease of prideful envy is the cross of Christ’s selfless sacrifice. He went to the cross for uncurable, envious people like us. If you see this symptom in your heart, acknowledge it as a sign of a deeper problem: a heart in rebellion against God’s providence. Humble yourself and bring this sin to the only One who can deliver you.
Come to Calvary and see the suffering of Christ as the innocent Lamb of God. Ask Him to forgive your sins and fill you with His grace. When you come to Him, feeling the pain for the sins of your heart, Christ gives you a new heart; He regenerates you. This is the greatest blessing. Jesus Christ alone can change a selfish, envious, and restless heart and fill it with a heart of love. When He does that, a great joy fills your soul. You don’t have to live with the torture of burning restlessness; instead, your heart will rejoice with those who rejoice. He will make you grateful for what you have, helping you grow in contentment and thankfulness. Do you know the peace your heart can experience when you are free from envy? Learn from the leaders the danger of the worst expression of envy, and run to Christ so He can heal you.
The Motive of Herod: A Hardened Conscience
Learn from Herod the spiritual state one reaches when the conscience is hardened by sin. We see people today who become psychologically unstable, constantly changing their thoughts and words in deep confusion. This is a sign of a conscience hardened by sin.
Herod was an adulterer who coveted his brother Philip’s wife, Herodias; he divorced his own wife to marry her. John the Baptist warned him that this was not right. To satisfy his wife, Herod put John in jail, yet, remarkably, he still liked to listen to John’s preaching. He had some semblance of a conscience then. However, when his stepdaughter danced before him, he was so captivated that he promised her half his kingdom. At her mother’s urging, she asked for John’s head on a platter. Herod complied. Afterward, his conscience screamed. When he heard of Christ’s miracles, he shuddered, thinking, “This is John the Baptist risen from the dead.”
What happened to that fear? That sense is now gone; he has become like a confused, dead corpse. Note the mingled motives within him. When our Lord was sent by Pilate to Herod, the King of Galilee, “Herod 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 some miracle” (Luke 23:8).
These words are remarkable. Herod was a sensual, worldly man and the murderer of John the Baptist. We might have supposed such a man would have no desire to see Christ. Initially, he feared Jesus was John returned to witness against his sin, but he became so hardened that he felt no remorse. Even with the blood of John on his hands, he was not seeking truth; he was seeking a miracle for entertainment.
When you live only for yourself and without faith, you risk becoming like Herod. When Jesus did not provide a “thriller” by performing a miracle, Herod turned the scene into a comedy. Some people, stricken by conscience, come to Jesus seeking a sign, and when He does not provide it, they turn to mockery and blasphemy. Have you reached that stage? Has Jesus become a joke to you? Sin can harden a person to that extent. Our Lord had words even for the pagan Pilate, but for Herod, He said nothing. Herod had crossed a line. Fear the consequences of a hardened conscience more than anything else in life.
Though hardened by sin, men like Herod often possess a morbid curiosity for God’s witnesses. Yet, their hearts are linked to the world by chains of iron. Tossed to and fro by the storms of lust, they are never at rest. After fitful struggles of conscience, they eventually die in their sins. This is the painful history of many wealthy souls. Herod eventually lost his position and power, dying in exile and torture.
Let us learn from Herod’s case to pity the “great” men of the world. Despite their splendor, they are often miserable within. Silks and official robes often cover hearts that are strangers to peace. A man does not understand what he is wishing for when he wishes only to be rich. Let us pray for them, for “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24).
The Unholy Friendship: Herod and Pilate
Luke 23:12 says: “That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other.”
Friendship is a precious thing, a bond where we share joys and sorrows. But see the foul basis upon which this friendship was built. Herod was glad Pilate respected his jurisdiction by sending Jesus to him. Pilate was glad Herod agreed with his verdict. Their friendship was cemented by their joint rejection of the claims of Jesus. They became “buddies” in a guilty conscience, partners in a pathetic attempt to avoid the inevitable.
All former enmity was laid aside when a common object of contempt was brought before them. This hatred for Jesus made them friends. This pattern repeats in every generation. Men of discordant opinions unite to oppose the truth. In the days of our Lord, the Pharisees and Sadducees combined forces to entrap Him. In our own times, we see worldlings and idolaters ranked together against true biblical religion. One common hatred binds them: they hate the cross of Christ!
In Acts 4, the people of God saw this as the fulfillment of Psalm 2:
“The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ” (Acts 4:26).
This has been the pattern of the human heart. Even in academic or religious circles, rivals may be at one another’s throats, but they reach an unholy agreement to reject the authority of God’s Word.
Consider your own relations. Young people, you may find that you become friends with those who were once enemies the moment you agree to reject Jesus Christ as Lord. You find common ground in dirty jokes, curses, and the counsel of the wicked. Once you throw Christ out, you become close friends in sin. Some seek friendship with the world, and once they discover a shared dislike for Jesus, all previous rivalries vanish.
Are these the friendships that keep you from coming to Christ? May God deliver you from friends who drag you toward hell. Think of the basis of your closest bonds. Is it a commitment to love and serve Jesus, or is it a common commitment to resist His claims? Any friendship based on the rejection of Jesus Christ is built on a foul foundation and will lead to ruin.
Today, you have come face-to-face with Christ and His Word. Will you be like the leaders living in envy, or like Herod with a dying conscience, or will you continue in friendships that lead to destruction? Turn to the Lord. While men did their worst to Christ, God used it to bring salvation. Christ died for our sins so that we might be saved and not become like Herod or Pilate.