Today’s readings: Luke 23-24, Acts 1, Psalm 120
Luke 23:6-12
When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. 9 So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11 And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. 12 And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.
As I read the last chapters of Luke’s Gospel, I was struck by how Jesus was treated in Luke 23—and how he treated others in chapter 24.
Jesus was treated…
- like a pawn by Pilate and Herod—something to be sent back and forth as they decided what to do with him
- with contempt by the Jewish leaders and Roman soldiers as he was accused, dismissed, mocked, and abused
- as entertainment by Herod, who had long wanted to see Jesus, apparently not to learn from him, but hoping to see him perform some sign
- like a criminal by Pilate, the soldiers, and one of the two criminals beside him on the cross
- like a fraud by the rulers, soldiers, and criminal who mocked him and challenged him to save himself
- for burial by Joseph, while the women watched and later prepared spices and ointments
- with faith by one of the criminals, and with recognition by the centurion, who praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent.”
Sadly, some of these ways of treating Jesus continue today among those who mock him by name—or, in the case of some, even while claiming to call him Lord.
But after his resurrection, Jesus treats his disciples with kindness, grace, and mercy. This is remarkable. After being treated so shamefully, you might imagine a mere mortal returning with every imaginable version of “I told you so!” or “I’m back!”
But consider how Jesus treated them:
- to an empty tomb: He is risen!
- to a fuller explanation of the Old Testament for the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and then an explanation to the gathered disciples of how the Scriptures pointed to him
- to a greeting of peace
- to visible proof of his bodily resurrection as he showed them his hands and feet and ate fish in front of them
- to the promise of the Holy Spirit—“power from on high”—and a calling to be his witnesses
- to a fellowship of the redeemed as we begin to see unfold in the opening chapter of Acts
He was treated so shamefully because he bore our sins and died for our iniquities. All of them. He treated his disciples with kindness, grace, and mercy because that is his very nature as the Son of God. And he treats us with those same gifts because he is our Savior and Lord.
We confess that Jesus did all this “for us men and for our salvation”—being born of a virgin, suffering, dying, and rising again. And he will come again, as the angels remind the disciples in Acts 1:11.
These chapters deserve a month of blog posts, and perhaps that month will come sometime next year. But it is enough today to rejoice that Jesus was willing to be ill-treated so that he could treat us to the gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation.
Thanks be to God!
P.S. I won’t develop this here, but today I came again to my favorite question in the whole Bible. As the apostles stare up into the sky while Jesus ascends into heaven, the angels ask, “Why do you stand looking into heaven?”
They go on to explain why the disciples need not remain transfixed by the sight. That’s for another blog post.
But I can answer their question easily. That’s why this is my favorite question:
“Because we’ve never seen anything like this before in our lives!”
There is a lot more here, but I have to chuckle whenever I read it. I think I might have said something like that if I had been there!
Follow the Word is a daily Bible reading and devotional ministry of St. John Lutheran Church, Cypress, Texas.
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