|
“Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Him [the Lord Jesus]: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead…and Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see Him” (Luke 9:7,9).
The Herod family, started by Herod the Great, were really not Jews at all. They were Edomites, descended from the family of Esau. However, they managed to gain favor with the authorities in Rome, and thus had political power over certain parts of the land of Israel.
Sadly, while Herod had built a magnificent temple for the Jews, it does not seem that any of the family had real faith. The Herod mentioned in our verses today was the son of Herod the Great, and his desire to see the Lord Jesus was only because of curiosity. Later, the Lord Jesus referred to him as “that fox” (Luke 13:32), and when Pilate sent the Lord Jesus to him, Herod mocked and humiliated Him, and as part of the shame, put on Him a gorgeous robe.
How sad it is to have only a natural curiosity about the Lord Jesus, and not to have any real interest in being saved!
|
