THE STORY OF HEROD: FROM JOHN THE BAPTIST TO THE TIME OF JESUS

Perfect 'timing' for this study.
 

Archaeologists find theater box at Herod's palace..... (Report: Tues Sept. 21, 2010) JERUSALEM – Israeli archaeologists have excavated a lavish, private theater box in a 400-seat facility at King Herod's winter palace in the Judean desert, the team's head said Tuesday.


When the Jews had mentioned Galilee as the starting point for our Lord’s “seditious” work they thought that they would be stimulating Pilate to act against Christ, for Galilee had been a notorious place of sedition against Rome. This plan appeared to backfire, for Pilate did not want to be the one who sent Jesus to His death and was looking for a way to pass the problem on to someone else. Therefore, he seized upon the mention of Galilee as an opportunity to get rid of this troubling case. Luke writes: “When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilean. And as soon as he knew that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time” (23:6-7). According to Roman law a criminal might be tried in any one of three different jurisdictions: “at the court of his birthplace, of his domicile, or of the place of the commission of his crime. Jesus had lived and worked in Galilee for so long a time that he might be remanded to the jurisdiction of Herod.”

[note from the view of man's law: The Sedition Act of 1918 was an Act of the United States Congress signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson on May 16, 1918. It forbade the use of "disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language" about the United States.]

If Herod made a judgment for or against Jesus that angered the people or caused a riot then Pilate would not be blamed before Caesar. From the standpoint of truth and justice it was selfish, cowardly and sinful. So, our Lord is once again moved through the streets of Jerusalem to (according to various scholars) either Herod’s father’s old palace or the old palace once owned by the Maccabean rulers. The distance from Pilate’s praetorium and Herod’s residence was not great and thus it would not have taken long to move the Savior back and forth between these places. It is very likely that the Jewish leaders followed Jesus to Herod’s residence to press their accusations if necessary.

In the trial (or trials) of our Lord this would be the fourth time that He would be led in bonds through the streets of Jerusalem. First, He was taken to the house of Annas; then, the secret illegal meeting with Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin; then, to Pilate; and now to Herod. Satan arranged a two-fold antichristian witness against the Savior with two wicked ecclesiastical judges, Annas and Caiaphas, and two evil civil judges, Pilate and Herod. The apostolic church understood that there was a satanic coalition between the heathen and the Jews against the Messiah. “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done” (Ac. 4:27-28).

The events that transpired before Herod are only recorded in the gospel of Luke.

And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. And Herod with his men of war set Him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him again to Pilate. And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves. (Lk. 23:8-12)

The Herod of which Luke speaks is Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great who attempted to murder Christ by having all the male children two years old and under slain in Bethlehem (Mt. 2:1-18). After the death of Herod the Great his kingdom was divided by Augustus and ruled by three of his surviving sons. Archelaus was given the southern area of Herod’s kingdom which included Judea, Samaria and Idumea. Philip was placed over the area of Decapolis, a sparsely populated region that encompassed the eastern section of Herod’s kingdom. Antipas had authority over the northernmost region which included the provinces of Galilee and Perea. In A.D. 6 Archelaus (Herod’s eldest son) was deposed because of his incompetence, severe tyranny and cruelty and was banished to Vienna in Gaul. Therefore, while Antipas and Philip retained their territories, “Archelaus’ domains were reduced to a province under the rule of prefects or procurators.” This point explains why Pilate had authority over the southern section of Herod’s old kingdom during the trial of Christ.

Herod Antipas figures more prominently in the gospels than his brothers because he ruled over Galilee and Perea where John the Baptist and Jesus conducted most of their preaching. He is presented in Scripture as a very wicked man who arrested and then murdered John the Baptist to please his wife Herodias (Mt. 14:3-12; Mk. 6:17-29; Lk. 3:19-20). When he first heard about the ministry of Jesus, he feared that Christ was John the Baptist raised from the dead (Mt. 14:1-2; Mk. 6:14-16; Lk. 9:7-9). In Luke’s account we learn that Herod wanted to kill Jesus (13:31). Although this report came from some Pharisees, Jesus accepted it at face value and called Herod a “fox,” an animal noted for its cunning and deception in capturing prey. Herod likely wanted to kill the Lord because of His popularity among the people. Herod Antipas, like many rulers in his day, was dedicated to hanging on to power and fulfilling carnal pleasures. That he was a weak and indecisive leader can be deduced from the sway his wicked wife held over him. He submitted to his wife’s will when he beheaded John the Baptist whom he knew to be a righteous and innocent man. The history of Herod and his evil character must be kept in mind when we examine the Savior at the bar before Herod.

Another interesting question is why do none of the other gospels offer any parallel to Luke 23:6-12? One likely reason is that Luke who is writing to Theophilus (an educated Christian Gentile who likely is from the ruling class of society) and thus is more concerned with showing the Roman judicial procedure. He may also have wanted Gentiles to know that two separate Roman courts could find nothing wrong with Jesus. Another more remote possibility is “that Antipas has been introduced, in part, for the sake of a parallel with the role of Agrippa in the trial of Paul in Acts 25.”In any case, we can be thankful that Luke was inspired by the Holy Spirit to include this encounter in his gospel.

Herod had a perverse interest in Christ. Luke writes: “Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding 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” (Lk. 23:8-9). We refer to Herod’s interest in the Savior as perverse because it was not a sincere saving interest. Herod’s desire to behold the Messiah was carnal in nature. We know this both from Herod’s past and the passage before us. For our edification let us note Herod’s ungodly motives for wanting to meet the Master.

First, there is the issue of Herod’s tortured conscience. Herod had arrested John the Baptist to please his wife Herodias because John had preached against their marriage which according to Scripture was unlawful (Mt. 14:3-4; Mk. 6:17-18). Herod Antipas took Herodias from Phillip his brother (Mk. 6:18). Therefore, he was involved in adultery (for Phillip was still alive) and incest. “The Mosiac law forbid the marriage of a brother’s wife (Lev. 18:16; 20:21) with the [rare] exception of raising children to a deceased childless brother by levirate marriage (Deut. 25:5; Mark 12:19).”[4] Even though Herodias wanted John dead, for a time Herod refused because he feared the multitude who regarded John as a prophet and he knew John was a righteous man. “Herodias…wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly” (Mk. 6:19-20).

However, Herodias, through her daughter, manipulated Herod into having John beheaded in his prison cell. From this time on Herod was haunted by a guilty conscience. John had paid Herod secret visits and Herod had even toyed with the true religion. But, he never truly repented or looked to Christ. Thus, Herod knew that his act against John was very wicked. The gruesome murder troubled his conscience and he developed a superstitious obsession with John, to the point that at times he believed that Jesus may have been John raised again from the dead. “Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Him; and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead…. Herod said, ‘John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?’ So he sought to see Him” (Lk. 9:7-9).

Given this history we can see why Herod was happy to see Jesus. Herod had a guilty conscience regarding John that increased his curiosity and fear of the Nazarene. The Savior would now stand before Herod as a bound prisoner dependent on Herod for His freedom. A bound helpless figure would calm Herod’s fears and satisfy his curiosity for someone in Herod’s position would expect a bound man under the threat of death to answer questions and perform on cue.

Second, we see in Herod’s history a certain curiosity with religion. He had met privately a number of times with John the Baptist and was to a certain degree pricked in his conscience regarding the truth. He even acknowledged John to be a just and holy man. He also had a strong curiosity regarding Jesus the miracle worker. The problem with Herod, however, was that he viewed the true religion as a spectator sport. It was not something that should control one’s life but rather something to seek pleasure in, like a sporting event or some entertainment. At bottom, Herod was a hedonist. He was a self-centered egomaniac who thought that everything existed to satisfy his wants and needs. Whenever the time came that he had to make a decision between truth, justice and following God; or, serving his own interests, he always followed the latter. His god was self. His ethic was purely autonomous and situational. His real religion was pleasure.   

Tragically, many Christians have much in common with Herod Antipas when it comes to Christ and the true religion. They are very curious regarding the Savior and are interested in some doctrinal things. However, they do not have a saving interest in the Mediator. They occasionally attend church out of curiosity; but, they have no heartfelt seek out the True Church of God established by Christ, the Church that Christ promised would remain until His 2nd Coming. They like the idea of going to Heaven. But when circumstances arise where a decision has to be made between following Christ and one’s own selfish interests, they act just like Herod. They like to talk the talk, but are unwilling to walk the walk. They have what the Puritans called a mere historical faith. They regard the truths of Scripture regarding our Lord as they would a good history book. “Yes, it is very interesting. But it is not something worth making any personal sacrifices over.” This is the general 'lukewarm' 'falling away' of the "last" Church era.

We must learn from Herod’s profane and worldly example. Curiosity and religious impressions are not enough. The Son of God must never be treated as a side show at the county fair. It is self-deception to think that Christ can be relegated to a side compartment so we can live self-centered, hedonistic lives. This attitude is common today because many professing Christians do not have true saving faith and do not really love Jesus. They are not looking for the Rose of Sharon or the pearl of great price but for a fire escape from hell. This point is exhibited in the answer many “evangelicals” give to the question, “What is your central hope in life?” Do they say: “My hope is in the person and work of Christ; his precious blood which washes away my guilt and sin; and the imputation of His perfect righteousness to my account.”? No! They say: “My hope is in the rapture. I can’t wait to escape the great tribulation.”

It is important that we examine our hearts to see if the spirit of Herod has affected us. Do we treat Christ and religion as a curiosity or do we have a hearty trust in the Savior at all times? Do we play with doctrine as a pure intellectual exercise or do we search the Scriptures daily to be closer to the Lord; to be holier to please Him. There is perhaps nothing more dangerous to the soul than to play with Christianity as an intellectual toy; to have even been influenced by its teachings to a degree; but, to set it all aside to serve one’s own lusts. As Peter says, “If, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: ‘A dog returns to his own vomit,’ and, ‘a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire’” (2 Pet. 2:20-22).

The practice of treating Christ, His church and His teachings as a vain curiosity is not new. Charles H. Spurgeon was well familiar with religious Herodites in his own day. In preaching about such people he says, “It is not likely that their knowledge of religious things will be of any use to them, but they are even eager after it; the church of God is their lounge, divine service is their theatre, ministers are to them as actors, and the gospel itself so much play-house property. They are a sort of religious Athenians, spending their time in nothing else than in hearing some new thing: hoping that perhaps some singular and unexpected discourse may be delivered in their hearing which they can retail in the next company where they would raise a laugh. To them preaching is all a farce, and, worked up with a few falsehoods of their own, it makes excellent fun for them, and causes them to be regarded as amusing fellows. Let them look at Herod, and see in him their leader, the type of what they really are or may soon become.”

Third, Herod had an interest in Christ, not for who He truly was or because of His mission on earth, but because Jesus was a kind of celebrity. The Nazarene was the talk of the town and Herod had “heard many things about Him” (Lk. 23:8). Throughout history there has always been a fascination regarding people who are famous or even infamous. Herod no doubt had heard of the Savior’s following, His amazing teaching and His frequent miracles. There was something unique about Jesus and Herod wanted to be in the presence of a person so famous and noteworthy for His words and deeds. The problem for Herod, however, was that he did seek to behold the Lord out of a deep sense of need; out of consciousness of guilt and sin. Herod was an adulterer and murderer, yet he did not think that he needed atonement for his sin.

The great joy of Herod to see Jesus the celebrity should be a warning to professing Christians in our own culture, which is obsessed with the cult of personality. The obsession in our society for the rich and famous has had an impact on many churches; in particular, the congregations which subscribe to the church growth movement. The trend in the last twenty years has been toward mega-churches where the pastor is a celebrity-entertainer and where everything is big and extravagant. Many churches are no longer places of the exposition of Scripture and worship but are essentially theatres where large flashy productions take place. People do not come to church to get closer to the Savior as revealed in Scripture but to be entertained by a celebrity preacher. Many people in these mega-churches are not following Christ but rather are jumping on the band wagon of some new sensation. We know this is true because when prominent ministers are caught in situations of scandalous sin or are guilty of heretical teaching their flocks for the most part remain intact. These people are the Herodites of celebrity. 

Fourth, Herod was “exceedingly glad” because he hoped that our Lord would perform a miracle. Herod Antipas had very likely heard all about Jesus from John the Baptist. We must remember that John’s purpose in life was to point men to the Lamb of God who redeems men from their sins. Herod probably knew that Christ was the only One who could forgive sin. He also certainly knew that he himself was an adulterer and a murderer. Note, however, that Herod’s interest is not in truth, doctrine or forgiveness but in witnessing a miracle. In keeping with Herod’s desire to be entertained, he ignored the central purpose of Jesus’ mission and wanted to see something extraordinary; something bizarre and fantastic that he could tell his friends. In modern terminology, we would say that Herod wanted to have an exciting experience.

[miracles: (cf. Ex. 7:3; Dt. 6:22; 34:11; Neh. 9:10; Ps. 135:9; Jer. 32:31; Dan. 6:27; Jn. 4:48; Ac. 2:43; Rom. 15:19; 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:4) ]

Just like Herod people go to church to see a miracle, but they are not interested in Christ as He is revealed in Scripture or in the true gospel of sovereign grace.

What is important in these churches is having a wonderful experience, not in learning the truths of Scripture. Tragically, most Charismatics place having an experience (i.e. a supposed Charismatic manifestation of the Holy Spirit) before biblical truth.

When the Bible is used it is twisted to fit in with one’s experience. For many the Bible is ignored because it lacks the excitement and immediacy of a “spiritual experience.” Like Herod they fail to understand that authentic spirituality comes only from a belief in the truth not from watching an exciting miracle. Like Herod they confuse spirituality with excitement, emotion and external phenomena. God, however, is interested in one’s faith in Christ and the personal godliness that grows out of the Holy Spirit’s application of the Word of God to the heart (Jn. 17:17; 1 Pe. 2:2; etc).

Herod had heard the Word of God regarding Jesus directly from one of the greatest prophets of God (John the Baptist) and had rejected it. Therefore, Herod’s desire for a miracle had more in common with sorcery and witchcraft than true religion.

In our day when there are Herodites warming the pews of many churches, we need to search our hearts and ask some probing questions. Are we in love with Christ as He is revealed in the Scripture; or, are we in love with the spectacular? Do we look to Jesus as Savior and Lord; or, are we looking for a magic talisman to bring us health, wealth and more material pleasures? Are we treating the majestic Son of God as a mere ticket to the Holy Ghost circus; or, are we praying for the Holy Spirit to deepen our love, faith, knowledge and commitment to the King of kings? Are we looking to the Bible, the whole Bible and nothing but the Bible, as our standard for faith and life; or, have we exalted subjective experience and vague impressions above the authority of Scripture? While Charismatics believe they are part of the greatest revival in history, the truth is that they are ushering the church into a new dark age of ignorance, superstition and charlatanism. Remember, John warns us that many who professed faith in Jesus because of the miracles were not true believers. “Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man” (Jn. 2:23-25). These people were astonished at our Lord’s miracles and were even intellectually convinced that He was the Messiah. But Jesus knew that these people were not to be depended upon. Yes, they were greatly excited by the miracles but they were never truly converted. The Savior knew that their hearts were not right in the sight of God even though they had a wonderful experience and their feelings were moved. Beloved, beware of the modern Herodites.

Luke says that Herod questioned Jesus with many words “but He answered Him nothing” (Lk. 23:9). This silence raises a question. Why was our Lord willing to speak to Pilate and tell him about the nature and purpose of His kingdom but not willing to speak even one word to Herod Antipas? There are a number of reasons why the Savior refused to speak.

First, Herod had already heard the truth from John the Baptist on a number of occasions and had refused to repent. Herod had denied the Word of God by his base lifestyle, his continued adultery and his worship of sinful pleasures. Herod had even silenced the great prophet John with the sword. He had silenced the “voice of one crying in the wilderness” (Mk. 1:3; Mt. 3:3). Men silence the voice of prophets in order to banish the Word of God from their presence. They murder the voice of God because they cannot tolerate the bright shining light of the truth upon their darkened lives. Since Herod had trod John the Baptist and the gospel he preached underfoot as worthless rubbish, Jesus had no intention of wasting words on this heartless, truth-murdering profligate.

If Herod had been an ignorant heathen who was sincere in his questions, our Lord probably would have given him some instruction. If Antipas had some conviction in his soul and wanted to believe in Christ, then Jesus would have spoken to him the words of life. But the Savior knew that Herod was a hardened reprobate who had already emphatically and repeatedly rejected the truth. Therefore, our Lord had no intention of satisfying the curiosity of this satanic dog. The Mediator in His absolute silence was simply following His own instructions to His disciples. “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces” (Mt. 7:6). “Dogs and swine are those who, after the gospel has been preached to them retain their vicious, filthy nature”[8] The pearls represent the gospel and the great truths of the Bible which must be treated with reverence and respect. We are commanded not to set forth the precious mysteries of the faith to men who already despise them; who will simply trample God’s beautiful and pure gospel pearls into the mud. Christ teaches that not only will such people not benefit from the truth but will abuse our goodwill and treat us like dirt. It is for this reason that our Lord instructed His disciples saying, “And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words [i.e. receive the truth of the gospel], when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet”

Spurgeon writes:

Disclaim all fellowship with those who will not have fellowship with your Lord. Be not angry; do not denounce with bitterness; just “shake off the dust of your feet,” and go elsewhere. Don’t depart to rail at the people in private; but let them know that you quit them because they refuse your message. Do this openly, and in the most solemn and instructive manner, hoping that your departing act may be remembered. It is to be feared that we treat rejectors of Christ in a sadly trifling manner, and do not hold up their rejection of our King to the detestation it deserves. We ought to let impenitent sinners know that we consider them out of our fellowship. If they will not hear, we must make them see that we disown them, and count them to be unclean, because they refuse Christ Jesus. How little of this is done by the smooth-tongued preachers of today!

Jesus saw in Herod a man “so mean, cunning, cowardly, and heartless, that he viewed him as a fox to be let alone rather than a lost sheep to be sought after. He was a tree twice dead, and plucked up by the roots. All the Master did was to maintain an absolute silence in his presence; and, let him question as he might, ‘He answered him nothing.’”

Jesus knew that Herod wanted a performance and He did not come into this world to entertain men but to save them. Antipas viewed his court as a theatre and the Savior as a circus act. For this reason our Lord gave him what he deserved—pure silence. It would be good for ministers and elders to learn from Christ’s example and stop turning the church into a theatre for crass entertainment: skits, music performances, jokes and various frivolities. While the Master said not to cast pearls before swine, modern churchmen think churches should be made into swine troughs to give the unregenerate masses what they want. In the matter of sacred truth let us follow Jesus and not cater to the Herods of this world.

Third, Herod had known about our Lord for over three years and had had plenty of opportunities to hear Him preach; yet, Herod had passed these opportunities by to indulge his own sinful pleasures.

Antipas did not hear the Son of God preach because he didn’t want to hear the truth. He simply didn’t care. He was a busy ruler; he had parties and great feasts to attend. Herod had treated the Messiah as of no importance and the Word of God as irrelevant to life and thus he despised the truth. Now that he had Jesus before him in bonds, on terms acceptable to himself, he was ready for a little intellectual stimulation. But having despised hundreds of opportunities to hear the truth from God’s own Son the door was now closed. Christ had no intention of rewarding his habitual shunning of the truth. The Savior was silent before him. Nothing! Not one word!

What a warning this scene should be to every one of us. How many people are there who have wasted years upon years refusing to attend a Bible-believing church and thus have willingly refused to hear about Jesus Christ and His gospel. “Beware how you waste opportunities. Dear hearers, beware how you waste your Sabbaths. There may come a day when you would count all your wealth to have another invitation to Christ, but it will be denied you; for you must die, and the voice of mercy will never ring in your ears again. They that will not when they may, shall not when they would. Many will knock after the Master of the house has risen up and shut to the door; but when he shutteth, no man openeth. The door was shut on Herod.”[11] If you do not look to Christ today with the eyes of faith and trust in His perfect sacrifice for sin and glorious resurrection, then the time will come when you will agonize over your Herodite ways. “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries” (Heb. 10:26-27).

Fourth, Herod approached Christ as a proud prince instead of as a poor beggar. Whenever we come to Jesus we must always do so from a position of complete humility; as helpless sinners in need of grace and mercy. Our Lord is no respecter of men. He is not in the least impressed by political power, riches, talents or fame. He will answer the prayers of a poor, diseased, blind beggar who acknowledges his sin; who admits that he has absolutely nothing to offer God. But he will not listen to those who are proud, who think that God must answer to their so-called personal righteousness or good works. Therefore, the Savior said, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mt. 9:13). This passage makes it clear that, not to those who consider themselves worthy, but rather to those who understand that they cannot save themselves and are in desperate need of salvation the gospel invitation is carefully applied. “It was sinners, the lost, the straying, the beggars, the burdened ones, the hungry and thirsty, whom Jesus came to save.” Our Lord was critiquing the Pharisees works righteousness religion with satire. To everyone who thinks that their own good works or subjective righteousness plays a role in salvation Jesus says “I will not save you.” Those who think they are qualified are disqualified. Only those who are poor in spirit shall enter the kingdom of heaven (Mt. 5:3). Herod who likely had already heard the gospel from John, who had been confronted by the baptizer regarding his scandalous sins, was not sensible of his guilt or his condition. He was not hungering or thirsting after righteousness (Mt. 5:6). He was not begging God saying, “Turn thou me, and I will be turned” (cf. Lam. 5:21). He did not think he was sick and saw no need for a physician (Mt. 9:12). If we are to receive salvation from Christ then we must come to Him as naked beggars with nothing in our hands. We must look away from ourselves and cling to Him by faith alone. Herod’s arrogant self-sufficiency and refusal to acknowledge his guilty record and wicked heart shut him off from the fountain of life.

 We need to examine the abuse and suffering that our Lord endured at the hands of Herod and his soldiers. Herod Antipas had looked at the Savior as a curiosity. He wanted dearly to be entertained by some miracle. As noted, he looked at the Messiah as a person would look at a famous circus performer. He wanted amazing signs and profound teaching. Yet, the Lord gave Herod nothing. He stood there silent. How does Antipas respond to this silence? Interestingly, he does not condemn Jesus. There is no shouting in anger. There is not even any evidence that Christ was beaten or threatened with violence. Instead, Herod and his men proceed to mock Him. Herod had wanted our Lord to perform as in a theatre. The Savior’s refusal did not stop Herod from attaining the entertainment that he so desperately desired. Luke writes: “Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate” (23:11).

Herod the entertainment seeker became the director of his own mock comedy with Christ as the star and his body guards as laughing stage hands. Antipas and his soldiers made sport with the Mediator by repeatedly ridiculing and mocking Jesus. They laughed and giggled as they insulted the Son of God. They mocked our Lord’s kingship by placing a gorgeous, bright, shiny, radiant garment on Him. It is possible that “Herod put it on Christ as a kind of caricature of the so-called toga candida in which according to the Roman custom those persons were dressed who presented themselves as candidates for this or that official office. If this interpretation is correct, Herod would have been mocking Christ by ludicrously making him a candidate for the kingship. Naturally the motivation for such conduct would have to be found in the charge of the high priest that Christ had wanted to regard himself as king.”However, it is much more likely that Herod simply found it amusing that a man in bonds, with no visible supporters, with a face disfigured, beaten and bloodied, covered with dirt, spit and sweat could claim to be a king. He was probably thinking, “Well if you claim to be a king, then here is a shining, beautiful robe. Here, we will make you a king.” After the robe was placed on Jesus they circled Him, laughing and jeering at His humiliation.

At one time Herod had feared Jesus thinking perhaps He was John the Baptist who had risen from the dead. But now that Antipas saw the Savior in His state of deep humiliation he was relieved. Not understanding the necessity of the cross, the Lord’s battered face and bound hands brought him relief. His fear and curiosity turned to contempt. The Man he once feared, he now considered to be a fool; a man worthy of ridicule, a man willing to suffer and die for nothing. First Pilate and now Herod looked upon Jesus as a misguided religious fanatic, a fantasy king of nothing, a man of supreme absurdity. Thus Christ was “a reproach of men, and despised by the people” (Ps. 22:6).

As our Lord moved closer to the cross His humiliation deepened. Although Luke says nothing about physical abuse in Herod’s court, the soul sufferings of Jesus no doubt were great. The sinless, “delicate and sensitive mind of our Master was perhaps, more touched by what he suffered in the palace of Herod than by the rougher [physical] torture.”[14]

The fact that Herod went from curiosity to open contempt and derision regarding Christ should not come as a surprise. Many people who express curiosity about the Savior and Christianity for a time and even attend church for a while turn upon the Master and reject Him. In their rejection of the truth they feel the need not simply to walk away but also to ridicule. We often encounter reprobates who make fun of the Bible; who use pseudo-scientific theories to laugh at the teachings of Scripture.

Why do people who reject Jesus also think that there is a need to ridicule and insult Him? The answer to this question lies in the fact that deep down people know that what they are rejecting is true and therefore they must convince themselves that they are going down the right path. “The case of Herod is not uncommon; there are many who once received good impressions, and who once struggled with strong convictions, who are now grown hard, scornful and hostile. They would not obey the truth, and therefore they tried to disbelieve it, and they have succeeded. Now, alas! No sermons make them tremble, no afflictions touch their hearts, they are steeled against warnings and persuasions, against mercies and judgments.”[15] It is a dreadful thing when men willfully deceive themselves and sear their own consciences with a hot iron.

The self-deception involved in convincing oneself to push the truth out of one’s mind has saturated every aspect of our wicked post-Christian culture. This reality is evident in how secular humanistic scientists twist the abundant, perspicuous evidences for creation into proofs for macro-evolution. Their methodology and findings reveal their vitriolic hostility to the doctrine of creation and orthodox Christianity that stands upon it. They ridicule creation ex nihilo by an infinite personal God while they argue that man is the product of pond scum. They embrace that which is unscientific and absurd because they do not want to answer to a holy, righteous God who judges sin; and because they want to take the place of God. They want to determine what is right or wrong. They mock the God of the Bible to assert their godhood as the pinnacle of evolution. “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (Jn. 3:19-20).

            (5) There is a point of union in wicked men. Luke says, “That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other (Lk. 23:12). There had been a longstanding rift between Herod and Pilate. Yet with the trial of Jesus there is a change of relationship for the better. “The cause of the enmity between these two men is unknown. Some think it may have been the massacre of the Galileans. Luke xiii.l. It probably grew out of conflict in regard to their respective jurisdictions…. The courteous act of Pilate in sending Jesus to be tried before Herod, and the equally courteous return made by the Galilean prince in remanding Jesus to Pilate’s judgment-seat, it would appear, furnished the occasion for the renewal of friendship. Both these men agreed in despising Jesus, and insulting Him, and were utterly unbelieving as to His claim to faith and respect.” The circumstances of the trial and this reconciliation were something that deeply struck the apostolic church. They understood that in it part of the twenty-second Psalm was fulfilled (see Acts 4:23-30).

 It is a common thing for men of very different worldviews, personalities and faiths to join themselves together in opposition to Christ. The reason for this is that the gospel is the mortal enemy to falsehood whatever its form. In modern times the atheistic naturalist is often found rubbing shoulders with people who hold the most absurd superstitious beliefs such as astrology, reincarnation, auras, witchcraft and the like. The atheistic socialist/communist movement in America has merged with the left-wing hippie earth worshippers in opposing the Savior and His law-Word. Men whose covenant father is Satan are willing to lay aside their differences in order to oppose Jesus Christ and His gospel. As Pharisees joined with the Sadducees AND THEN THEY JOIN WITH PAGAN ROME AGAINST THE 'CAUSE OF GOD AND CHRIST'.


In considering this story, there are three facts that will help us put it in perspective. First, Herod Antipas is the son of another Herod; the man history calls “Herod the Great.” The name is a misnomer for he should have been called “Herod the Butcher.” He was a cruel, vindictive, bloodthirsty man who put a low value on human life. He is the Herod who ordered the slaughter of the baby boys of Jerusalem shortly after Jesus was born (Matthew 2:16). When he died, his kingdom was divided into four parts. His son Herod Antipas ruled over one of those four parts. Second, Herod Antipas is the man who ordered the beheading of John the Baptist. THIRD, HE IS THE ONLY MAN JESUS EVER REFUSED TO SPEAK TO. [note: not just merely because he was a 'sinner'....for we know the biblical acounts w/the tax-collector, prostitute, blind, etc...for Jesus came to save the 'sinner' and we have all sinned, so He died so that we may be saved from our 'sins' and the 'eternal punishment-eternal death'].

The story of Herod’s self-destruction begins not with Jesus but with John the Baptist. Here are two men who would seem to have nothing at all in common. Herod was a typical ruler—powerful, egocentric, and centered on his own personal pleasure and wealth. John the Baptist, 'the one to prepare the way for the 1st coming of the Lord-double fold- another in the spirit of Elijah to prepare the way for the 2nd coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ. John the Baptist had great crowds flocked from all over Israel to hear him preach. Somehow Herod and John the Baptist met and they seemed to have become friends. Mark 6:20  tell us that “Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.”

Herod liked John but he had an eye for his brother’s wife—a woman named Herodias. To make matters worse, she was also his niece. Disregarding all appearance of decency, Herod took Herodias as his wife, thus committing both adultery and incest. John confronted him to his face, telling him that what he had done was wrong. And he seems to have repeated the message over and over, which would have been a sure sentence of death for anyone else, but Herod listened and considered his words. He even had John put in prison to protect him from the schemes of Herodias.

Here is the very picture of a tortured, troubled, tormented soul. One part of him realizes that John speaks the truth. Unlike the sycophants who surrounded him, this man cared nothing for fame or money or power or any of the other perks that came with being a king. John cared only for righteousness. So Herod listened and listened again. The other part of him desired what God had said he could not have—a woman married to another man.

So Herod does what many men before and after him have done: He tried to have it both ways. He put John in prison so he could protect him and he took the woman as his wife to fulfill his fleshly desires. But no one can live in the middle forever. Sooner or later, you have to make a choice. Herod evidently knew the truth when he heard it. He made the mistake of trying to keep the truth in a little compartment where it wouldn’t bother him too much. But that never works. Truth demands a decision.

What will he do now?

When faced with a crisis, Herod would not and could not make a decision. He would not give up Herodias, but he would not put John to death. He is the proverbial “double-minded man,” unstable in all his ways. He knows the truth but will not obey it. He wants this woman but knows he should not have her. Thus torn by competing desires, he lives in a terrible no-man’s land. What will he do? The answer comes at a birthday party.

“Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, ‘Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.’ And he promised her with an oath, ‘Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.’ She went out and said to her mother, ‘What shall I ask for?’ ‘The head of John the Baptist,’ she answered. At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: ‘I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.’ The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother” (Mark 6:21-28).

When faced with a crisis, Herod would not and could not make a decision. He would not give up Herodias, but he would not put John to death. He is the proverbial “double-minded man,” unstable in all his ways. He knows the truth but will not obey it. He wants this woman but knows he should not have her. Thus torn by competing desires, he lives in a terrible no-man’s land. What will he do? The answer comes at a birthday party.

“Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, ‘Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.’ And he promised her with an oath, ‘Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.’ She went out and said to her mother, ‘What shall I ask for?’ ‘The head of John the Baptist,’ she answered. At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: ‘I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.’ The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother” (Mark 6:21-28).

First there is a birthday feast to which all his key men were invited. No doubt wine flowed freely. Eventually the daughter of Herodias (a young girl named Salome) comes in to dance before the king. The Greek indicates it was a sensual performance meant to incite and arouse his baser passions. It must have worked because this otherwise intelligent man made a remarkably stupid oath. When the girl asks for the head of John the Baptist, the king is shocked but cannot afford to lose face, so he agrees. Soon the severed head is presented to the girl who presents it to her mother, who no doubt smiled even as she looked away from the gory sight.

How could such a thing have happened? There is such a thing as a “seared” conscience, which is what you have when you hear the truth over and over and do nothing about it. It is extremely dangerous to be exposed to the teaching of God’s Word without offering a personal response. Sooner or later your heart becomes hardened, your conscience is seared, and your ears are stopped up so that the truth no longer touches you. It would have been better for Herod never to have met John the Baptist than to have heard his message without letting it change his life. The truth that would have set him free ended up condemning him.

The moral of this sad story comes not at the end but at the beginning. When word spreads of Jesus’ miracle-working power, some people thought that Elijah had come back from the dead. Others suggested it must have been one of the Old Testament prophets. But Herod came to his own strange conclusion: “But when Herod heard this, he said, ‘John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!’” (Mark 6:16). He was convinced that John was a holy man and he knew John spoke the truth. Looking back, he deeply regretted his foolish oath that led to the death of the man of God. Now the blood of a righteous man is on his hands. His true guilt had led to irrational fears—that the man he beheaded has come back to haunt him once more.

Let us learn from this a sad and solemn truth: Light received leads to more light. Light rejected leads only to the darkness!

As Jesus’ fame spreads, Herod wants to meet Him as he once met with John the Baptist. But Jesus is like a faint figure in the mist. He appears in the distance and then disappears into the countryside. At length Herod’s mood changes and he determines that Jesus is a dangerous nuisance who must be put to death. When the Pharisees warn Jesus to leave the region for His own safety, the Lord replies with the only words He will ever direct to Herod personally: “Go tell that fox, ‘I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!” (Luke 13:32-33). In Jewish thinking, to call someone a “fox” meant they were clever, crafty, sly, tricky, stealthy and deceitful. Jesus saw through Herod’s superficial interest and discerned the evil buried underneath. His message to “that fox” is simple: “You will never kill Me no matter how hard you try. I have come to do God’s will and no one will stop Me until My work is done.”

Why did Herod want to kill Jesus? The answer is not hard to find. What we cannot control, we fear. What we fear, we ultimately try to destroy. The stage is now set for one final showdown.

Jesus (Y'Shua) been taken from one hearing to another: Annas, Caiaphas, the Sanhedrin. They all had their shot at Him. Along the way, He has endured mocking jokes, insults, and false accusations. The Jews want Him dead but only the Romans have the POWER of capital punishment. Thus He ends up before Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea. Pilate is a Roman appointee who has little understanding of the Jews and their religion. His main task is collecting taxes and keeping the peace. 

When Jesus is brought before him, a cursory examination reveals nothing that would justify the death penalty. When he hears that Jesus is from Galilee, he spies a way out of the jam. Since Herod handled matters in Galilee, and since he happened to be in Jerusalem that week, he would send Jesus to Herod and let him handle this messy problem.

Now at last Herod meets Jesus. But it didn’t work out the way he had expected. “When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see Him. From what he had heard about Him, he hoped to see Him perform some miracle. He plied Him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer” (Luke 23:8-9). He is “greatly pleased” because he thinks Jesus is going to work a miracle (or two or three...) for him. [“Jesus, I heard you can turn water into wine. Here’s a basin of water. Show us your magic.” “They say you can walk on water. How about walking across the pool in my backyard?” ] On and on it went, Herod firing one question after another at Jesus. He is curious, yes, but he is not a seeker of truth. Herod is nothing but a thrill seeker. I am sure he was shocked and then chagrined when Jesus refused to speak to him. No one ever treated him like that. And the chagrin turned to embarrassment and eventually to anger.

There are times in life when silence speaks louder than words. This is one of those occasions. Jesus knew that Herod was trifling with Him and that his questions did not come from an honest heart. He saw no reason to answer, and so He “opened not His mouth.” Recalled the words of Proverbs 26:4, “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.” In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus warned against casting pearls before swine or giving what is holy to the dogs (Matthew 7:6). Herod belonged to that class of men who are so pigheaded in their spiritual blindness and so dogged in their resistance to the truth that nothing can be said and nothing should be said.

When Herod killed John, he murdered his own soul. He lost the ability to hear the voice of Jesus. There was nothing Jesus could say that would have made the slightest difference in that situation. By His silence Jesus is saying, “You didn’t want to hear the truth when John spoke. You said no. Now you will never hear the truth again. I accept your answer of no.”

“The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing Him. Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked Him” (Luke 23:10-11). When Jesus refuses to answer him, Herod’s frivolous curiosity quickly turns to open ridicule. He and his soldiers join with the Jews in mocking the Son of God who stands silent before them. Thus does Herod reveal his true character. Any genuine spiritual interest he may have had disappeared long ago. How quickly his mood changes when Jesus refuses to play his game.

One of the ironies of this story is that both Pilate and Herod knew Jesus was innocent. That fact is made clear by Pilate’s declaration when Jesus is brought back to him one final time. “Dressing Him in an elegant robe, they sent Him back to Pilate. That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies [AT ENMITY WITH EACH OTHER]. Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, ‘You brought me this Man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined Him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against Him. Neither has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death’” [And neither did Herod, because he sent Him back to us. Clearly, He has not done anything that merits the death penalty.](Luke 23:11-15). Herod mocks Jesus but he cannot find Him guilty of any crime. Pilate clearly is puzzled by this Man from Galilee and wants to find some way to release Him. Neither man would come to His aid. But Herod shares the greater guilt for he knew much more than Pilate. Through John the Baptist he had been exposed to the truth. To whom much is given, much is required. In the moment when he finally met Jesus, Herod failed completely.

There are biblical records of how eager Christ is to respond to anyone who calls out to Him. He welcomes the prostitutes, the drunkards, the hated tax collectors, and the despised Samaritans. He gladly meets with a Pharisee who comes to Him by night and He even answers the lawyers who try to trip Him up with clever questions. Whenever Christ finds a heart that is even slightly open, He responds with grace and truth. 

But Herod’s heart had been closed ever since the death of John the Baptist. He never called out to Christ and never came to Him with any thing resembling an open heart. And that is why Jesus had nothing to say to him.

He murdered John.

He became curious about Jesus.

He tried to kill Him.

He treated Him as a carnival sideshow.

In the end, his moral abilities were paralyzed. He did not respond because he could not respond. His eternal fate was sealed long before his earthly death. The silence of Jesus was His sentence of judgment on Herod.

Let me repeat once again a central truth for all of us to ponder. Light received leads to more light. Light rejected leads only to the darkness. 

God is not obligated to send the Spirit again and again and again to your heart. Do not say, “I’ll come to Christ later. I’ll live for Him after I graduate, after I go to college, after I have some fun, after I get married. I’ll be a Christian someday when I have finally settled down.” Do not say, “I know I need to get serious about the Lord but I just want to have fun first.” 

Now is the right time to come to Christ. Now is the best day you’ll ever have to give your heart to the Lord. Now is the perfect moment to get serious about following Jesus. Behold, now is the day of salvation!

I press the point home because no one knows what a day may bring forth. Serve the Lord today because today is all you have. Tomorrow may never come for you.

Herod heard the truth over and over again from John the Baptist. And the truth that could have saved him ended up condemning him.

It is not enough to hear the truth.

It is not enough to know the truth.

It is not enough to like the truth.

It is not enough to listen to the truth over and over again.

It is not enough to be deeply convicted about the truth.

Conviction of sin is dangerous if it does not lead you to repentance. It would be better to be a heathen in the jungle and never hear the gospel than to hear it again and again and do nothing about it. Conviction ignored leads to spiritual indifference and a seared conscience.

God sends the Holy Spirit to convict you of sin so that you will come to Christ in repentance and faith. If after conviction of sin, you do not come to Christ, you are in worse shape at the end than at the beginning.

 'It is dangerous to dabble in Jesus' [The Word of God].

It is dangerous to trifle with the Son of God.

 Jesus has no time for those who trifle with Him. And that is why He said nothing to Herod’s many questions. Isaiah prophesied of that moment 700 years earlier when he wrote: “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth (Isaiah 53:7).

How much Jesus suffered on His way to be murdered, executed.

How sad that Jesus [our Lord and Savior] was condemned to death [and murdered, executed] by men who knew He was innocent. [He did it for the sins of the world, for all hope was lost, all had sinned and needed to be redeemed back to the Holy One of Israel, the God of the Universe, Creator of ALL things].