Luke 23:1-12

content/bible_journal/luke_23:1-12.md

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+title = "Luke 23:1–12"
+date = "2023-02-15"
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+
+### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Lk23.1-12)
+
+Confident that they have ample justification to kill Jesus, the entire Council
+takes Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, to demand His execution.
+Now, Pilate doesn't care at all about a blasphemy charge, so they have to get
+Jesus on the hook for something that will bring a capital punishment under the
+Roman code. They choose insurrection and "misleading the nation" (_v. 2_),
+whatever that means. They even claim that Jesus was encouraing the people not
+to pay the tributes, collected as tax by the Romans. They say He claimed to be
+the Christ, which they explain as a king to Pilate. But none of these charges
+are true. Jesus didn't claim for Himself the title of Christ, but He did affirm
+Peter's answer, speaking for the rest of the disciples, when He asked, "Who do
+you say that I am?" That was a private conversation; hardly a movement meant to
+throw off Roman rule.
+
+I think even at this point Pilate knows that the Jewish leaders are trying to
+pull one over on him. He asks Jesus if He is the King of the Jews, and Jesus
+again replies with "If you say so." With just that "interrogation" Pilate
+determines that Jesus isn't guilty of the charges. It would be comedic if this
+were any other situation, and the fate of the whole world didn't hang in the
+balance. "Are you guilty?" "No." "You see? He says he's not guilty. Case
+closed."
+
+Pilate then finds out that Jesus is from Galilee, so he says he doesn't have
+jurisdiction over Jesus, and tries to pass the whole situation off onto Herod
+so he can have the headache from dealing with the Sanhedrin. Herod has actually
+wanted to see Jesus for a long time, so he's glad to have the chance. Jesus
+doesn't provide any entertainment or inspiration, so Herod and his soldiers
+mock and mistreat Him instead and send Him back to Pilate in fancy clothing.
+Somehow, this makes Herod and Pilate become friends, but I can't figure out how
+that works really.
+
+Throughout this whole drama, the Council members are lobbing accusation after
+accusation against Jesus to everyone who will listen. They probably see their
+chance to be rid of Jesus slipping away as Pilate and Herod drag their feet.
+
+* * *
+
+We remember the prophecies of the silent lamb being led to the slaughter. All
+of these things were foreordained from the beginning to bring about salvation.