He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place. When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learnt that he was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him off to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus he was very glad for he had been wanting to see Jesus for a long time, because he had heard about Him and was hoping to see Him perform some sign. He questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer. The chief priest and the scribes stood by vehemently accusing Him. Even Herod with his soldiers treated Him with contempt and mocked Him.
Luke 23: 5 - 11
Jesus was going about all of Jerusalem healing the sick. The blind were receiving their sight, the lame were walking, the leapers were cleansed, the deaf began to hear, the dead were raised to life, the poor were listening to the good news of the Kingdom of God. Thus large crowds were following Jesus and they wanted to take him by force and make him King. News about his deeds and his teachings were spreading all around Jerusalem. It had also reached the ears of the chief priests, the scribes and the pharisees who were beginning to get more and more envious of the growing popularity of the so called Messiah.
The chief priests began to discuss among themselves how the accused by claiming to be King was challenging the Emperor's authority. Letting him off would be detrimental to the Emperor and to their authority as priests and authorities of the temple. He was drawing the people to Himself by his teaching, healing and the miracles he was performing. Soon there would be an uprising and a revolt against the authorities, the people would start complaining about the heavy burdens being put on their backs by the lawyers, scribes and pharisees, the unjust system of taxes and many other evils happening in the society in the name of the law. The people would stop going to the synagogues and the temples. The temple tax and donations to the temple and synagogues would dry up. They would be in a state of anarchy and lawlessness. Eventually the Romans would come and destroy both their nation and their Holy places. So Caiaphas who was high priest that year stated that it was better to have one man die than to have the whole nation destroyed. So from that day they planned to put Jesus to death.
After trying several times to trap Jesus and arrest Him, they finally found an opportunity when Judas offered to betray Jesus for the price of thirty pieces of silver. In the garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus was praying with his disciples Judas arrived with the police of the authorities, and a crowd of scribes, chief priests and elders carrying swords and clubs. On seeing Jesus in the garden, Judas went over to Him and kissed Him. Ceasing the opportunity, the soldiers caught hold of Jesus and arrested Him.
They brought Jesus before Caiaphas the High priest. The scribes and the elders were also gathered there. Among them there were many false witnesses who came forward to give false testimony against Jesus. Then Caiaphas asked Jesus about the accusations being brought against Him and about the work he was doing. But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest asked Him again, "I put you under oath before the living God, tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.' Jesus said to Him,
I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews comes together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me. Ask those who have heard what I said to them; they would know what I said"
Then the high priest, who was waiting for this opportunity, tore his clothes in a grave display of piousness, and said, "He has blasphemed! Why do we need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?" They answered, "He deserves death". Then they spat on His face and slapped Him saying, "Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who is it that struck you?" One of the police who had arrested Jesus, and who was standing nearby, struck Jesus on the face saying, "Is this how you answer the high priest?"
Jesus answered, "If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong. But if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?"
Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate's headquarters. It was early in the morning.
While Pilate was seated on the judgement seat the chief priests and the scribes brought chief priests brought Jesus before him. They began to accuse Jesus before Pilate saying that he claimed to be the Messiah and many other false accusations. Pilate listened to all these accusations and then asked Jesus, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Do you ask this of your won accord, or did others tell you about me?" To this Pilate replied, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is my kingdom is not from here." Pilate said to him, "So you are a King?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a King. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice". Pilate asked Him "What is the truth?" Jesus remained silent. Pilate still found no basis against the man that deserved the death sentence. Earlier his wife had sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about Him." He realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests and scribes were accusing Him and was wary of passing judgement on Him. Now since Jesus was a Galilean and he came under the jurisdiction of Herod, he sent him to Herod to be judged.
Jesus was now before Herod the tetrarch, The Governor of Galilee. The chief priests and scribes had accompanied Him to Herod's palace with a band of soldiers. Herod was waiting since a long time for this day when he would see the self proclaimed God man who was doing many miracles and healing people, raising the dead to life and gathering a large following of people by his teachings and his healings. The chief priests placed their accusations before Herod and were vehemently condemning Jesus before him. But Jesus remained silent through all these accusations without saying a word in his defense. Herod then asked Jesus, that if he were the Messiah, the Son of God, that he perform a miracle, to show some sign to prove his divinity. But Jesus again remained silent. Herod was perplexed and annoyed. Here he was brought before him with a charge of blasphemy, and the accused was doing nothing to defend Himself. On the contrary, his silence was like a resigned acceptance of the penalty that faced such a claim. The chief priest and elders were waiting expectantly for Herod to pass the death sentence on the accused. But Herod suddenly burst out into a loud laughter. This puzzled the chief priests. It was a loud boisterous laugh which was soon picked up by his people the soldiers present in the room. They began to mock Jesus. He had claimed to be the Messiah, but here he was standing silent and resigned in the face of death. Surely Herod was not going to waste his time or his judgement on this meek silent man standing in front of him. He didn't feel any threat to his kingship by this man. If the accused was not going to perform any sign to prove his divinity, if he was not going to defend himself against the accusations being brought against Him by his own people, neither was Herod going to pass any judgement on Him. He simply dismissed the accused. If He was truly the Son of God, he would have to save Himself by His own divine powers.
The chief priests and the scribes now realized that they were cornered. They were trapped at their own game. They made laws which put heavy burdens on the backs of people, but they themselves would not lift a finger to move these burdens or help the people. They would accuse people of crimes deserving the death penalty, but they themselves would not pass the death penalty. They didn't realize that in Herod they were dealing with the Master of the Game. The fox was more crafty than they had imagined. They now had to figure out a way to crucify the condemned man without breaking their own laws.
The Game of Kings was now in its last stages. The rooks, the knights and the vazirs, the defenders of the kingdom, were all killed over the centuries. The pawns were decimated in their infancy. The last knight standing was beheaded by none other than Herod himself.
