Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly 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. Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing (Luke 23:8–9, NKJV)

On Friday morning,“the multitude” took Jesus to Pilate. In Jewish tradition, the 24-hour day begins at sundown and continues through the night into the morning, ending at twilight the following day. So, by Jewish reckoning, this was not a new “day,” but the morning of the 15th of Nisan and a continuation of the Passover day.¹

In total, Jesus endured six trials. First, during the night, the multitude brought Jesus before Annas, father-in-law to the high priest, where Jesus was mocked and beaten (John 18:12–14; Mark 14:65). Second, they brought Him before Caiaphas, the high priest, where two false witnesses testified against Him (Matt 26:57–68). Third, at first light, the official council of Jewish elders, the Sanhedrin, convened and sentenced Jesus to death (Luke 22:61–71).

Fourth, the multitude took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor over Judea (Luke 23:1–7). Pilate interrogated Jesus, found no fault in Him, but learned he was from Galilee and sent Him to King Herod. Fifth, Herod interrogated and mistreated Jesus, then sent Him back to Pilate (vv. 8–12). Sixth, Pilate made his public ruling before the people. He intended to release Jesus, but the multitude was unyielding in their demand to crucify Him (Luke 23:13–25).

With the official ruling of the Roman governor and the support and his soldiers, the Jewish leaders “prevailed” (v. 23). In an ironic twist of events, it was not Jesus, but the Jewish leaders, who had perverted the nation and stirred up the people (c.f., vv. 2, 5).² The multitude sided with the Sanhedrin. And Pilate condemned Jesus to a criminal’s death on the cross.

In Luke’s gospel, we see several prophetic details of Isaiah 53 fulfilled. The first half of Luke 23 brings out at least three details. One detail is Jesus’ rejection by the people. Isaiah 53:3 says,

He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Jesus was rejected not only by the religious leaders, but also by a large and representative crowd of the people. Instead of honoring and flocking to Him as they had during His earthly ministry, the people now cursed Him, mocked Him, and called for His crucifixion (Luke 23:18; c.f., Matt 16:14).

A second prophetic is Jesus’ punishment for our sins. Isaiah 53:5 says,

But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

The events culminating in His crucifixion included beating, mocking, and flogging. Twice Pilate offered to “chastise” Jesus before releasing Him (Luke 23:16, 22), “a euphemism for whipping,”³ speaking to the “stripes” Isaiah’s Servant was promised to endure.

A third prophetic detail is Jesus’ overall silence before the Sanhedrin, Pilate, and Herod. Isaiah 53:7 says,

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.

Luke 23:9 underscores this point. Jesus, in response to Herod’s interrogation, “answered him nothing.” The Son of God, possessing all authority to free Himself at any moment (Matt 26:53), chose the path of a humble Servant (Phil 2:8). He offered His own life as the once-for-all sacrifice to atone for the sins of the world (Heb 10:8–10). Thus, John the Baptist’s words ring true: “‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29).

Reader, are your sins covered by the blood of the Lamb? Have you trusted in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord? If you have not, I encourage you to think long and deeply about these things. Believe in Jesus today and receive the promise of eternal life. Your eternal destiny is at stake!

Christian, remember that, having trusted in Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, your sins are already covered by the blood that Jesus shed at Calvary! May we keep drawing near to our loving Father in heaven, resting in the promise that He has already forgiven us, accepted us, and made us co-heirs of eternal life because we belong to the fold of His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Notes

1. James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Luke, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2015), 657. Logos Bible Software.
2. John Nolland, Luke 18:35–24:53, Word Biblical Commentary 35C (Dallas: Word, 1993), 1128. Logos Bible Software.
3. Edwards, Luke, 676.