At the park near our home there are hundreds of ducks and Quite a few sea gulls. Whenever we can we collect all the stale bread we have and break it into small pieces. Then we go to the park and throw it to the ducks. As soon as they see us start to throw the bread, they all swim over - white ducks, tan ducks, dark ducks, big ducks, little ducks and middle-sized ducks. Right away they all start squabbling over the bread, nipping at each other, Quacking and chasing each other away. Sometimes one duck will even snatch bread right out of another’s beak.
One day a sea gull swooped down and picked up some bread. Immediately all the ducks stopped squabbling among themselves, and four or five of the biggest ducks pounced on top of the gull. For a few minutes I thought they would drown the poor gull or tear it to pieces, but the gull struggled frantically and finally flew away without the bread.
Those ducks ganging up on the sea gull made me think of what the Bible tells us about Pilate and Herod. Let me tell you what happened.
Even though Judas Iscariot had followed the Lord Jesus for three years, he was really a thief and loved money far more than he loved the Lord. Because of his deceitfulness God allowed Satan to enter into Judas, and Judas went to the chief priests and captains to plan how he might betray Jesus. The chief priests were very glad he had come and agreed to give Judas 30 pieces of silver for his wickedness.
Jesus and His disciples, including Judas, had met together in a large upper room to keep the passover. When supper was over and it was dark, Judas went to the chief priests and told them, Now is the time! He knew that Jesus had gone with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane. Since Jesus and the disciples would be there alone, it would be a good time to betray Him. So the chief priests gave Judas a group of men and officers to go with him. Judas told the men he would kiss Jesus so they would know which man to take captive. Then Judas led the group of men with lanterns, torches and weapons into the Garden of Gethsemane and, going up to Jesus, he covered Him with kisses. Quickly the men tied up Jesus and led Him away to the priests.
The men that held Jesus mocked Him. Then they blindfolded Him, spit on Him, struck Him across His face and abused Him the rest of the night.
The next morning the chief priests and scribes held a counsel against Him. “Tell us whether Thou be the Christ, the Son of God,” they said to Jesus. When Jesus answered, “I am,” they became very angry and took Him to Pilate, demanding that He should be crucified. Pilate said, “I find in Him no fault at all.”
But the Jews answered, “We have a law, and by our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God” (John 19:77The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. (John 19:7)). Of course, Jesus was the Son of God, but they would not acknowledge it.
When Pilate heard that Jesus was a Galilean from Herod’s part of the country, he sent to Herod who was just then visiting in Jerusalem. “And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity [ fighting] between themselves” (Luke 23:1212And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves. (Luke 23:12)).
That’s why when those ducks stopped squabbling with each other and attacked the sea gull together, they reminded me of Pilate and Herod. Those two men stopped squabbling too and joined together to condemn the Lord Jesus, God’s beloved Son. But the sea gull escaped while the Lord Jesus allowed Himself to be nailed to the cross.
Why did He do that when He could have prayed to God His Father who would have set Him free?
For this reason: “The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John 4:1414And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. (1 John 4:14)). The Lord Jesus always did only what pleased His Father, even though it meant He had to die on Calvary’s cross for us. He bore the punishment for the sins of those who accept Him as their Saviour. “Our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world” (Galatians 1:34).
Have you accepted Him as your Saviour?
ML-12/08/1996