It was in the year 33 A.D. that the Lord Jesus was taken by the Jewish leaders. At that time the Romans were the most powerful of all nations, with one of the Caesars being the emperor. They ruled the countries around them by a governor in each area. The governor in Judea, of which Jerusalem was the chief city, was a man named Pilate, and he made the final decisions in all important matters.
So it was to Pilate at the judgment hall, or what we would call a court house, that Jesus was brought and stood before him bound, to be tried. The priests told Pilate that they had found Him speaking against the Roman rule and forbidding the people to pay Caesar tribute, which was all false. They said He claimed to be their king, but Jesus had come from God as the One to be King, if they had received Him.
He did not make answer to the untrue words against Him, but when Pilate asked, “Art Thou the king of the Jews?” He answered, “Thou sayest,” meaning that was true.
Sent to Herod
Soon Pilate learned from the priests that Jesus had come from Galilee, and he said He should be tried by Herod, the ruler of that country. Herod was then in Jerusalem and Pilate sent Jesus to him. The priests went also, speaking the same charges against Jesus.
Herod knew the great miracles Jesus had done and was curious about Him, and asked many things, but found no wrong He had done. So he and his soldiers made a mockery about His being a king, and put a fancy robe on Him in ridicule, and sent Him back to Pilate.
Injustice
At last Pilate told the priests that neither he nor Herod had found any fault in Jesus of what they accused Him, and that He had done “nothing worthy of death,” as they had charged.
They were so loud in their cries against Jesus that Pilate let them have their way, and sentenced Him to be crucified, as they demanded, which was the most shameful of any death. The soldiers were then given orders to lead Jesus away to the place of death.
The Lord Jesus had been tried by the highest courts of the time, but all unjustly. The Jewish leaders had the just laws given by God to Moses, but they had acted entirely falsely, and the Roman judge, Pilate, had sentenced to death a person he knew to be innocent.
Jesus did not in any way ask for mercy or defend Himself, knowing it was God the Father’s way that He should suffer on the cross to bear the punishment of sins which men deserved. And the men showed how wicked the heart can be to hate or be careless of the only perfect Man, so they could keep on with their sins.
Because of this, God has given Christ to be the Great Judge of all who refuse Him on earth. How different from the wicked trial that day! (Acts 17:31; Revelation 20:11-15).
Further Meditation
1. How did Herod treat the Lord Jesus?
2. How many different injustices can you name from these last two days of the Lord’s life?
3. The Lord as a judge is infinitely better than the wicked men who accused and tried the Lord. You can thoroughly enjoy one aspect of that fairness in The Judgment Seat of Christ: Reviewing, Rewarding and Rejoicing by B. Anstey.