SUCCESSFUL SUFFERER SERIES
(Author’s Note: While we will be exploring the Scriptures to understand how people responded to Christ, this is not meant to be a modern-day indictment on people who currently hold these positions. In fact, I am hoping that we will see beyond titles and individuals and focus on characteristics. These may not only be behaviors that have been perpetrated against us but we may even be exhibiting some of these characteristics ourselves in response to Christ, as well as others. I am prayerful that this series will give us strength to endure as we reflect on our Lord. His suffering is an example for us as we strive to be Successful Sufferers. Let’s proceed in a spirit of grace and humility as we each receive what the Holy Spirit is saying to us. Blessings, T.L.)
Pontius Pilate and Herod Antipas were the government officials that Jesus encountered during His trial. Pilate was the fifth Roman procurator (governor) of the province that included Judea, Samaria, and Idumaea. He served under the emperor Tiberius Caesar Augustus for approximately ten years from 26-36 A.D.
Pilate’s title of prefect implies that his duties were primarily military; however, Pilate’s troops were meant more as a police than a military force, and Pilate’s duties extended beyond military matters. As Roman governor, he was head of the judicial system. He had the power to inflict capital punishment, and was responsible for collecting tributes and taxes, and for disbursing funds, including the minting of coins. Because the Romans allowed a certain degree of local control, Pilate shared a limited amount of civil and religious power with the Jewish Sanhedrin…As governor, Pilate had the right to appoint the Jewish High Priest and also officially controlled the vestiments of the High Priest in the Antonia Fortress (Wikipedia).
After being unable to find Jesus guilty under the Law, the religious leaders brought Jesus before Pilate because of his ability to impose capital punishment. When the religious leaders tried Christ, they wanted to know if He was the Christ. Now that they have brought Him to Pilate, they “enhanced” the charge against Him.
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.” (Luke 23:2)
Their attempt to influence Pilate (and call upon his loyalty to Caesar) initially failed. After questioning Jesus, Pilate found no fault in Christ. However, the religious leaders were intent on killing Jesus. When Pilate heard that Christ was a Galilean, he sent Jesus to Herod Antipas.
Herod Antipas was a tetrarch (ruler of a quarter) who ruled over Galilee and Perea (Wikipedia). Since Jesus was a citizen of his territory, Herod could hear Jesus’ case and determine a verdict and sentence. However, Herod Antipas was more interested in satisfying his long held curiosity about Christ. Herod thought that Jesus was a resurrected John the Baptist and that is how He was able to perform miracles (Matthew 14:1).
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 (Luke 23:8).
Herod Antipas questioned Christ, mocked Him, and then returned Him to Pilate. Pilate once again was confronted with a man that he determined to be innocent. He knew that the religious leaders brought Christ to him because they were envious (Matthew 27:18). Pilate was warned by his wife to avoid being entangled with convicting Christ. He attempted to use the custom of releasing one prisoner at Passover but was met with fierce resistance from the crowd.
From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.” When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat…When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all [against the desires of the crowd to release Barabbas], but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.” And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.” So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified. (John 19:12-13a; Matthew 27:24-25; Mark 15:15)
Although we know that Jesus’ death was part of the Father’s plan, Pontius Pilate and Herod Antipas allowed an innocent man to be put to death. Herod was more interested in being entertained by this wonder of the Man that he heard so much about. Pilate was attempting to juggle the delicate relations between his subjects (he did not want an insurrection), his responsibility to Tiberius (he did not want to seem disloyal), and his own conscience in executing an innocent man. Jesus was a casualty that Pilate was willing to make to preserve himself once he felt that he was absolved from the responsibility of passing the sentence of death upon Him. Both rulers betrayed Christ by focusing on their own desires and self-interests and not executing righteous judgment (despite the cost).
We may not always be treated fairly and may be the recipient of unjust decisions, but like Christ, we must learn to endure through grace if we are to be a successful sufferer like Him. Even as Christians, we can struggle with making decisions that are right before God especially when it comes at a great expense to ourselves. Proverbs 29:25 warns and encourages us that, The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe. My prayer is that we will continue to grow in faith, trust, and boldness in our Lord as we make the difficult decisions to live for Him in spite of ourselves and the voices that are around us.
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Copyright 2021 T.L. Lockley. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
