Immerse: Messiah - Flipbook - Page 67
22:63–23:17
Luke–ACTS
55
The guards in charge of Jesus began mocking and beating him. They blindfolded him and said, “Prophesy to us! Who hit you that time?” And they
hurled all sorts of terrible insults at him.
At daybreak all the elders of the people assembled, including the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. Jesus was led before this high
council, and they said, “Tell us, are you the Messiah?”
But he replied, “If I tell you, you won’t believe me. And if I ask you
a question, you won’t answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be
seated in the place of power at God’s right hand.”
They all shouted, “So, are you claiming to be the Son of God?”
And he replied, “You say that I am.”
“Why do we need other witnesses?” they said. “We ourselves heard him
say it.”
Then the entire council took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor. 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.”
So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus replied, “You have said it.”
Pilate turned to the leading priests and to the crowd and said, “I find
nothing wrong with this man!”
Then they became insistent. “But he is causing riots by his teaching
wherever he goes—all over Judea, from Galilee to Jerusalem!”
“Oh, is he a Galilean?” Pilate asked. 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.
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. He asked Jesus question after question, but Jesus refused
to answer. Meanwhile, the leading priests and the teachers of religious law
stood there shouting their accusations. Then Herod and his soldiers began
mocking and ridiculing Jesus. Finally, they put a royal robe on him and
sent him back to Pilate. (Herod and Pilate, who had been enemies before,
became friends that day.)
Then Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders,
along with the people, and he announced his verdict. “You brought this man
to me, accusing him of leading a revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on
this point in your presence and find him innocent. Herod came to the same
conclusion and sent him back to us. Nothing this man has done calls for the
death penalty. So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”
