Luke Part 3 Week 24

Day 1 

RECEIVE 

Luke 23:1-2 

¹ Then the entire council took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor. ² They began to state their case: “This man has been leading our people astray by telling them not to pay their taxes to the Roman government and by claiming he is the Messiah, a king.” 

Those in the Jewish Supreme Court (the Sanhedrin) took Jesus to Pilate. They made false charges because Jesus never told the Jewish people not to pay their taxes to the Roman government. Their most serious complaint, however, was accurate: Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, a king. This was the same message that the wise men brought to Herod the Great who slaughtered all boy babies two years of age and under to get rid of any rival king.  

REFLECT 

Think how jealousy affected the people and royalty in those days. Many are like that today. 

RESPOND  

With a friend remind yourselves of what Matthew 2:16-18 says about what Herod the Great did with the baby boys. See Jeremiah 31:15 for how this New Testament passage referred to an Old Testament one.  

Day 2 

RECEIVE 

Luke 23:3-4 

³ So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “You have said it.” ⁴Pilate turned to the leading priests and to the crowd and said, “I find nothing wrong with this man!” 

When Pilate asked Jesus if He was the king of the Jews, Jesus did not deny it. Finally Pilate, after more questions referred to in the gospel of John 18:33-38, said he could find nothing wrong with Jesus. Pilate could not find any fault in the sinless Savior. This, of course, would infuriate the crowd who wanted Jesus condemned. 

REFLECT 

Have you known of crowds whose minds were made up and they would not listen to reason? 

RESPOND 

Join with a friend in reading John 18:33-38 to see more interaction between Pilate and Jesus. Pilate was sure Jesus was not guilty of any crime, but this would not satisfy the angry crowd. 

Day 3 

RECEIVE 

Luke 23:5 

⁵ Then they became insistent. “But he is causing riots by his teaching wherever he goes—all over Judea, from Galilee to Jerusalem!” 

The crowd insisted that Jesus had been causing riots by His teaching. They referred to the areas He had been covering with His teaching. When they mentioned Galilee this gave Pilate an idea. Galilee was not under Pilate’s control so the following verses reveal what he decided to do. 

REFLECT 

Does it surprise you that politicians in Jesus’ day on earth were manipulative in their decision making as some seem to be today? 

RESPOND 

Some thought what Jesus was teaching was causing riots. This was only because unbelievers did not want to hear what He had to say. He came as the Messiah of Israel to be King of the Jews. But that was not a message many wanted to hear. 

Day 4 

RECEIVE 

Luke 23:6-7 

⁶ “Oh, is he a Galilean?” Pilate asked. ⁷ When they said that he was, Pilate sent him to Herod Antipas, because Galilee was under Herod’s jurisdiction, and Herod happened to be in Jerusalem at the time. 

When he heard the reference to Galilee, Pilate thought of a way he could pass on his responsibility. Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, was the one in control of Galilee. Pilate was pleased Herod Antipas was in Jerusalem at the time so he sent Jesus to him. One wonders if Pilate thought he was now cleared of any responsibility.  

REFLECT 

Only Luke recorded in his gospel about Jesus being before Herod Antipas. 

RESPOND 

Talk with a friend about what Jesus must have thought when He would be questioned by the son of Herod the Great. The Herod family was enemies of the gospel and Jesus who came in fulfillment of the Old Testament promises.  

Day 5 

RECEIVE 

Luke 23:8-10 

⁸ Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been hoping for a long time to see him perform a miracle. ⁹ He asked Jesus question after question, but Jesus refused to answer. ¹⁰ Meanwhile, the leading priests and the teachers of religious law stood there shouting their accusations.  

Notice the curiosity that surrounded Jesus. Herod Antipas wanted to see Him perform a miracle. Herod may have also been hoping for a bribe. Jesus refused to answer the questions Herod Antipas was asking. During this interrogation of Jesus the unbelieving religious leaders kept shouting accusations about Jesus.  

REFLECT 

Imagine the turmoil going on around Jesus as Herod Antipas was asking Him questions while others were shouting accusations against Him as the Messiah.  

RESPOND 

Consider all that Jesus was unnecessarily putting up with because He wanted to carry out the heavenly Father’s will. With a friend read Romans 3:21-26 to see God’s plan of providing redemption for lost mankind.