Trial Before Herod

July 5, 2025 | Read and Think About Luke 23:6-11

Pilate had just played a second card he thought he had up his sleeve – have Herod deal with Jesus.

Pilate was the governor appointed by Rome.  Herod had some power, but he also answered to Pilate. 

This is the same Herod that had John the Baptist executed as we read in Matthew 14.  Like Pilate, Herod was pushed into ordering an execution by the pressure of a crowd – the people at his birthday banquet. 

There now is a different kind of pressure mounting on Pilate, but for a moment he hopes that Herod’s presence in Jerusalem would get him out of the situation the religious leaders had imposed on him. Make no mistake, they were playing Pilate, too, and ultimately would figure out how to force his hand.

But turning to the trial before Herod, while he had heard much about Jesus, Herod had never seen Him. He was interested to meet Jesus. Not because of His grace, His teachings, or His wisdom.  Herod wanted to see Jesus perform a miracle.

There would be no miracle.  There was only a very short trial.  The religious leaders accused Jesus before Herod, but Jesus did not answer Herod’s many questions.  This was now the 4^th trial of the day. 

Herod found no crime committed by Jesus.  But just like Pilate would show extreme disdain and dislike for Jesus, so Herod and his men mocked and ridiculed Jesus, before sending Him back to Pilate.  Going before Pilate again would become the fifth and final trial before Jesus was crucified.