Luke 23:7, commentary and pictures

Pilate learned that Jesus as a Galilean belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, and that Herod himself was at Jerusalem at that time, so he sent Him to Herod. Already certain that Jesus was innocent, having found no fault in Him and perceiving that the priests and rulers had delivered Him from envy, Pilate seized the chance to rid himself of the matter and shift responsibility for the trial and condemnation to Herod rather than decide justly himself for dread of the people's ill will. He also used the transfer to heal his old quarrel with Herod as an acknowledgment of his authority, and in this he succeeded, for the two rulers became friends over the trial of Jesus. Before Herod the crowd pressed around accusing Jesus of different crimes while Herod looked on Him with curiosity and pity, saw wisdom, purity and unparalleled serenity in His suffering face, and knew as Pilate did that malice and envy had condemned an innocent man. Convicted by Jesus' silence and fearing He might be more than a common man, Herod dared not ratify the condemnation but found nothing worthy of death and sent Him back to Pilate, even as Jesus was dragged faint and weary through hooting and insult and bore Himself with dignity, speaking no word except what tended to glorify God.

Pilate Sends Jesus Away

Luke 23:7 turns on the fact that Jesus as a Galilean belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, and that Herod himself was at Jerusalem at that time. Learning that Jesus came from Galilee under Herod's rule, Pilate sent Him with His accusers to Herod in Jerusalem.

On learning this Pilate seized the opportunity to rid himself of the whole matter, glad for a way to escape judging Jesus. He refused to decide the case in order to spare himself further difficulty. His hope was to free himself from responsibility for the trial and condemnation by shifting it to Herod.

He did this although he had already examined Jesus and found no fault in Him, being certain He was innocent. He perceived clearly that the priests and rulers had delivered Him up from envy, that He was the victim of envious and designing priests, and he had no thought of condemning Him. Though he had power to condemn or to release Him, he dreaded the ill will of the people and would not act from justice.

Pilate also used the transfer to heal his old quarrel with Herod, expecting it to be taken as acknowledgment of Herod's authority and even superior authority to judge. In this he succeeded, for Herod treated the referral as recognition of his authority. The two rulers, previously enemies, became friends over the trial of Jesus.

Jesus Before Herod

The sending to Herod made his judgment hall one more stage in a night of being dragged from tribunal to tribunal, from Annas to Caiaphas to Pilate and then to Herod, moving from insult to renewed insult and from mockery to mockery before being mocked, scourged, and condemned. Jesus was faint and weary from loss of sleep and food and from cruel ill-treatment as He was dragged away to Herod amid the hooting and insults of the merciless mob, and that suffering condition awakened no pity in His persecutors. Faint from hunger, weary from lack of sleep, and suffering from cruel treatment at the hands of the soldiers, He was hurried to another earthly tribunal.

Before Herod the crowd pressed around accusing Jesus of different crimes, while Herod ordered silence, had Him unbound, and questioned Him. He had Him unbound in order to interrogate Him while the accusations continued around Him. Herod looked on Him with curiosity and pity, seeing wisdom, purity, and unparalleled serenity in His pale, suffering face. Even in weariness and suffering His face showed wisdom and purity, and He submitted passively with unparalleled serenity.

Herod knew, as Pilate did, that malice and envy had led the Jewish leaders to condemn an innocent man. The silence of Jesus convicted his heart, and seeing that serenity he feared He might not be a common man but a god come down to earth. Hardened yet ill at ease, Herod dared not ratify the condemnation of the Jews. He found nothing worthy of death and nothing in Him to condemn, and would not pronounce sentence against Him, but sent Him back to Pilate. That finding Pilate later recalled as evidence that the charges had not been proved.

Wider Lessons Remembered

The sending to Herod exposes how the priests and rulers, acting from envy that Pilate himself perceived, pressed their charges more fiercely under Satan's inspiration, like Cain and other murderers determined to destroy life rather than save it. Having already found no fault in Christ, Pilate seized on hearing that Jesus was a Galilean as a chance to rid himself of the whole matter of the trial by sending Him to Herod, who was also at Jerusalem at that time. In that trial the Jewish priests and rulers used their influence to make the Roman governor serve their will, even as Jesus remained faithful under unjust human power.

The transfer belongs to the account of Jesus' coming betrayal and condemnation, an ordeal for which He prepared His disciples beforehand. His humiliation and the crowd's rejection of Him were not to take them by surprise or shake their faith. The appearance before Herod stands among the final scenes of His trial and suffering that are vividly recalled at the judgment. There cowardly and cruel Herod must face his guilt for his part, he who is also remembered for killing Bethlehem's children in an attempt to destroy the King of Israel.

Jesus, who stood before both Pilate and Herod, is now in the heavenly courts interceding for the people who refused Him. He had already been taken to Annas, then to Caiaphas, then to Pilate, where Pilate examined Him and pronounced Him without fault before sending Him to Herod. Herod also found nothing in Him to condemn and would not pronounce sentence against Him, yet Jesus was mocked there and every insult was heaped upon Him before Herod sent Him back to Pilate. That transfer made the appearance one stage in a night of moving from insult to renewed insult and from mockery to mockery, including being twice tortured by the scourge. Through it all Jesus bore Himself with dignity and spoke no word except what tended to glorify God.