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JESUS AS GUEST OF KING HEROD
A PASSION SERMON ON LUKE 23:8-11
By Rev.H.A.Bergsma
Scripture reading: Luke 23:1-12
Scripture text: Luke 23:8-11
Psalters:
223
394
4
162
308
315
Congregation of the Lord,
Our text-passage takes us into the palace of King Herod, at Jerusalem.
There, we are about to observe how Jesus is being entertained as Guest of King Herod.
I must fore-warn you however, it is not a pleasant sight that we will see, but rather a sight that will show us something of the suffering Saviour.
JESUS AS GUEST OF KING HEROD
1. A desired Guest.
2. A silent Guest.
3. A mistreated Guest.
Congregation, it is somewhat surprising to read that Jesus was a desired of King Herod.
We read that when King Herod saw Jesus, “He was exceeding glad, for he was desirous to see him for a long season, because he had heard many things of Jesus.”
Now, that's not altogether bad is it?
Of how many of us could it be said that we have desired for a long time already to see Jesus because we have heard many things of Jesus?
But now King Herod.
It is surprising that this could be said of King Herod.
More so, when we realize who this King Herod was.
The name of this man does not give a favorable impression. It hints at cruelty and murder.
It reminds us immediately of that Herod who once ordered the murder of all those infants in Bethlehem some 30 years back.
That Herod is known in history as Herod the Great.
In our text-passage however, we are dealing with another Herod, namely, the son of Herod the Great, who is known as Herod Antipas.
This Herod reigned from the year 4 to the year 39 after Christ.
But he was a chip off the old block, so to speak. Much like his cruel old father. Only a bit worse.
Jesus once labeled this Herod of our text “A fox”!
This Herod of our text had sickening habits. He had a perverted mind.
He was a lover of pleasure, a lover of entertainment, a lover of himself, and depraved to the core.
This Herod of our text is rather well-known for allowing the beheading of John the Baptist for the price of a dancing girl.
Now, at one time certain religious influences must have made some impressions on this Herod.
While John the Baptist was still alive, it was reported that Herod “feared John, knowing that he was a just man and holy, ... and heard him gladly.”
But those impressions did not last with Herod. And after he had John beheaded, he was haunted by nightmares in which he saw John preaching to him from the dead.
And then, when Jesus began to make His rounds in the land of Israel, Herod was gripped with another fear.
He thought “This is John the Baptist whom I have beheaded. He is risen from the dead!”
So you see, the conscience of Herod wasn't completely silent yet.
While at first it could still receive favorable impressions, he stifled those favorable impressions by beheading John the Baptist.
Then the conscience of Herod received only haunting impressions.
And finally the conscience of Herod did fall silent.
It is therefore surprising to hear from our text that when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad. Apparently Herod has been wanting for a long time already to see Jesus.
How so? Has Herod begun to see the light? Has Herod begun to see the evils of his way?
Does he want to speak about them with Jesus perhaps?
Does he want to confess them perhaps, and begin a new life?
Well, it might appear that way at first reading.
But congregation, don’t be misled by this apparently favorable behavior of Herod.
Indeed, Herod considered Jesus a desired Guest.
But, for what reasons? Why was Herod so taken in with Jesus? Why was he so glad to see Him?
Our text tells us …
Because Herod had heard many things of Jesus, and had hoped to see some miracles done by Jesus.
That's why Herod considered Jesus such a desired Guest.
Jesus must pose as entertainer for a while and be palace-magician for Herod.
He had heard so much about Jesus, and perhaps Jesus could do a miracle or two in his private audience.
Herod indeed, was very glad, but it was a frivolous gladness, a light-hearted and empty-headed gladness.
Herod was hoping to get his curiosity and his thrill-seeking satisfied.
He was hoping to see Jesus provide him with some good entertainment for a while.
This is why Herod was glad to see Jesus, and why Jesus was Herod’s desired Guest.
But congregation, you can well imagine what sort of humiliation that was for Jesus, and what sort of suffering that brought on Jesus.
To be welcomed and desired as a Guest for nothing but wrong reasons.
To be entertainer to a frivolous, empty-headed, debauched man like Herod.
To play the palace-magician to a man who has run out of ideas for new thrills.
Imagine, what a blow that must have been for the Saviour, who at that moment was beginning to feel the burden of sin-bearing weigh down upon Him.
The Saviour, who just the evening before yet had crawled as a worm in the dust of Gethsemane’s garden, agonizing with sweat and blood in prayer to His Father.
This Saviour is in our text desired by Herod to play the entertainer with some spells of a miracle.
No doubt congregation, the devil must have had a hand in bringing this sort of humiliation to Jesus, even while Jesus was considered a desired Guest of Herod.
No doubt, the devil wanted to make mockery of Jesus’ solemn hours, and right when things were becoming tense for Jesus, the devil flashed an evil grin at Jesus.
Indeed, we can conclude that it was devilish gladness that stirred Herod when he saw Jesus.
It was nothing but devilish mockery with Herod, as if to say “Come now Jesus, entertain us for a bit!”.
Dear people, Jesus bore also this sort of humility and shame to be Saviour.
Jesus was willing to be cruelly welcomed as a desired Guest at the palace of Herod.
Jesus was willing to face the devilish grin that broke through the gladness of Herod.
He allowed all this to happen so that you and I could be saved from the devil’s grip.
This hour the suffering Saviour is declared to you again, even as He was once a desired Guest in the palace of King Herod.
But now, let’s consider in the second place, how Jesus was not only a desired Guest, but also a silent Guest of King Herod.
We read in our text that Herod questioned Jesus in many words ... “But He answered him nothing!”
Congregation, do you know what this means?
Take-in this scene for a moment.
Think of the opportunity that Jesus had here to turn things to His personal advantage!
After all, Herod was glad to see Him, wasn’t he?
Perhaps Herod stood there before Jesus with a smile on his face, and with a hand reaching out to give Him a hearty, jovial welcome into his palatial home.
What a temptation for Jesus to win Herod on His side!
What an opportunity for Jesus to free Himself of captivity!
Earlier that morning, Pontius Pilate had sent Jesus to Herod because Pilate could not decide if this Jesus should be set free or be put to death.
And so, Pilate had thought ...
“Let Herod decide; after all, Herod ruled over Galilee, and this Jesus is reputed to be a Galilean; let Herod decide what to do with this Jesus!”
Jesus had therefore a wonderful opportunity at this point, to get Herod on His side ... the temptation was there for Him.
All Jesus needed to do was say a few right words to Herod; do a few miracles for Herod’s pleasure, and Herod would be won-over!
Herod could surely set Jesus free and deliver Him out of the hands of the Jewish mob.
Herod was powerful enough to do this.
A few tactful words by Jesus; a little bit of diplomacy, and Herod could do some amazing things yet for Jesus!
I think we people would not have let such an opportunity slip by, would we?
But congregation, Jesus saw what was at hand! He saw that it was a devilish temptation.
And Jesus would not fall for such a temptation.
Therefore, Jesus spoke no tactful word.
Therefore Jesus showed no diplomatic maneuverings to get on the good side of Herod.
Infact, just the opposite! …Total silence!
We read that Herod questioned Jesus with many words, but Jesus remained silent; “He answered him nothing.”
What does this tell us congregation?
It tells us that Jesus was not to be tempted away from the suffering, from the cross, and from ultimate death.
The devil, through a smiling Herod offered the possibility of an escape from the cross.
But Jesus did not fall for that temptation.
This tells us again that Jesus stedfastly and voluntarily continued on the way to the cross.
Why was that?
Well, later on, Jesus would explain this to His disciples ...
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things?
Jesus had to go that way of suffering. It was a divine must.
In eternity the Son had already made this choice with His Father and with His Holy Spirit.
Then already, was the choice made that He, Jesus, would suffer and eventually die the death of the cross.
It was His Fathers will, and it was Jesus’ desire to do His Father’s will, to continue, and complete that mission on earth - that rescue mission - that mission of rescuing and saving sinners through His own suffering and eventual death.
Do you see congregation, that Jesus could not, and would not, seek an easy escape?
In those few words of our text ... “But He answered him nothing”, we read something of the stedfastness of the Saviour’s will and way.
“He answered him nothing.”
Here was Jesus, a silent Guest in the palace of Herod. Here is Jesus pictured for us, willing to suffer, and even when an escape-way was offered to Him, He did not take it.
That's how much Jesus wants to save you and me from our sins, congregation!
Here was a silent Jesus, who with a few words could have set Himself free.
But He chose not to do so.
He chose to remain silent and go on and continue upon His way of suffering.
The choice of silence would lead Jesus to the cross.
No doubt this is what Isaiah must have seen in prophetic vision …
He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.
With many words Herod questioned Jesus. But he could not get Jesus to answer to any of them.
“But He answered him nothing.”
You can be sure congregation, that the questions which Herod asked were as light and frivolous as the man which asked them.
You can be sure that they were not questions which had anything to do with sin or sorrow for sin, or repentance, or about a way of getting forgiveness.
If Herod had wanted to come to faith, Jesus would have been ready enough to instruct him.
If Herod was troubled with a broken heart, Jesus would have hastened with tender words to bind it up.
If Herod had wanted to know how to be born-again, I'm sure the Saviour would have been delighted to speak with him. But such were not the questions which Herod asked.
They were so frivolous and nonsensical, that the Word of God does not even bother to record them for us.
No, Jesus never refuses to answer questions of a beggar.
But Jesus would not gratify the curiosity of this particular king.
“He answered him nothing.”
That's a warning for any of us, who like Herod, have begun to harden our heart, and silence our conscience against the many words which have come to us.
There will come a time when you might be happy to hear something of Jesus, but He might then no longer answer you.
What a dreadful message I have to declare to you then.
Some day, Jesus could have nothing to say to you any more, because you have, too long, rejected His words and His overtures of grace and love and mercy.
You have, too long, put your conscience to deadly silence with loose living.
Once more, you are yet urged to turn to Jesus with sorrow for sin and repentance.
Do it before it is too late, when you will no longer hear any words from Him anymore.
It was a silent Jesus who stood before Herod.
But it is a speaking Jesus, my friend, who is addressing you by the Gospel Word, even now.
A speaking Jesus, who is telling you at this very hour about His voluntary suffering, when He resisted all temptations to escape, and steadfastly aimed for the cross of death, to die the death in your place.
Should we not look at this silent Jesus, dear people, as He stands there before Herod?
He was silent then, so that He can speak the word of life to us now.
Can you say it already by faith and looking to Him ... “He was silent there for me?”
But you can imagine what kind of reaction this silence of Jesus had upon Herod.
After all, he had greatly desired to have Jesus as Guest.
But all his questions met with total silence from Jesus.
Therefore from that point on, Jesus became a mistreated Guest.
As we must consider that in the third place.
We read in our text, verse 11, that “Herod with his men of war set Him at nought, and mocked Him, and arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him again to Pilate.”
The desired Guest, who opted to remain a silent Guest, has ended up being a mistreated Guest.
Herod had no use for Jesus anymore.
Jesus was not willing to satisfy his thirst for thrills; Jesus was not willing to entertain him.
Nor was Jesus willing to answer any of his nonsense questions.