HEROD, to whom Jesus had been sent by Pilate, was the ruler of Galilee,
the northern part of the land, and of Perea, on the east of the river
Jordan. Jesus had lived in Galilee nearly all his life; and lately had
been through Perea, preaching, so that Herod had been the ruler over
Jesus for years. Herod was not really a king. His title was "Tetrarch,"
which means, "the ruler of a fourth part of a kingdom"; and he was so
called because when his father, Herod the Great, died, he received as
his share one-fourth of his father's kingdom. But he was generally
called "King Herod," because the people knew that it pleased him to be
looked upon as a king, rather than "the quarter of a king." This was the
Herod who had caused John the Baptist to be killed, on account of his
promise to the young girl who danced at his feast. That shows what sort
of a man Herod was--weak of will, fond of pleasure, and caring very
little whether his acts were right or wrong.
Like thousands of other people, high and low, King Herod had come to
Jerusalem to take part in the Feast of the Passover; for Herod was a
Jew, and kept the Jewish feasts; while Pontius Pilate, the governor of
Judea, was a Roman, and worshipped the idols of Rome. Herod was highly
pleased to have Jesus sent to him for trial, partly because Pilate and
Herod, rulers of lands next to each other, had not been friendly, and
this act, the sending of Jesus for trial, showed that Pilate wished to
have Herod as his friend. Also, while Jesus was living in Capernaum and
teaching all through Galilee, Herod had heard much about him. You
remember that some time before this, when they told King Herod of the
many wonderful works of Jesus, how he made the sick well, gave sight to
the blind, and even raised the dead, Herod said, "This must be John the
Baptist whom I killed, come to life again."
Although Herod did not live in Jerusalem, but in Galilee, he owned a
fine house in that city, called a palace; and in this palace he stayed
while in Jerusalem. Into the great hall of this palace Jesus was brought
by the soldiers of Pilate; and the high priest Caiaphas came with them,
also many of the Jewish priests and rulers, to speak against Jesus.
Herod was very glad to see Jesus, the prophet and wonder-worker of whom
he had heard so much. He wished to see Jesus work a miracle, and
commanded him to do it, for he supposed that Jesus, being in his power,
for life or death, would be very desirous of pleasing him.
But as you know, Jesus never worked his miracles merely for people to
look at them. He would make the sick people well or give hearing to the
deaf, because he pitied them in their trouble; but when Herod spoke to
him, calling upon him to do some wonderful work, Jesus stood still, and
would do nothing. Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus would not
answer them, and remained silent. The king did not know what to do with
such a prisoner, who would not speak a word, even to save his life.
All this time, while Jesus was silent, the priests and the rulers stood
around him, charging Jesus with wickedness of all sorts, disobedience to
the laws of the land, and trying to make himself a king in Herod's own
country. But Jesus answered nothing to all their charges against him.
Herod thought to make sport of Jesus. As they said falsely that Jesus
claimed to be "King of the Jews," Herod sent for a splendid mantle, such
as kings wore, and had it placed on Jesus. Then they bowed low before
him, and called him "king," mocking him as one who pretended to royal
power. But in the midst of the crowd of mockers stood Jesus, calm and
still, paying no attention and looking as though his thoughts were
elsewhere.
Herod knew very well that Jesus had done nothing worthy of death; that
he was a good man, and harmless. He would not do what the priests and
rulers urged him, over and over again, to do, to command that Jesus
should be put to death. So, after holding Jesus up to contempt for some
time, he sent him back to Pilate, all dressed as Jesus was in the royal
robe.
[Illustration]
Jesus Sentenced to Death