The whole crowd of them got up and took Jesus to Pilate.
They began to accuse him. 'We found this fellow,' they said, 'deceiving our nation!
He was forbidding people to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he is the Messiah - a king!'
So Pilate asked Jesus, 'You are the king of the Jews?'
'You said it,' replied Jesus.
'I find no fault in this man,' said Pilate to the chief priests and the crowds. But they became insistent.
'He's stirring up people,' they said, 'teaching them throughout the whole of Judea. He began in Galilee, and now he's coming here.'
When Pilate heard that, he asked if the man was indeed a Galilean. When he learned that he was from Herod's jurisdiction he sent him to Herod, who happened also to be in Jerusalem at that time.
When Herod saw Jesus he was delighted. He had been wanting to see him for quite some time now, since he'd heard about him, and hoped to see him perform some sign or other.
He questioned him this way and that but Jesus gave no answer at all. The chief priests and the scribes stood by accusing him vehemently. Herod and his soldiers treated us with contempt; they ridiculed him by dressing him up in a splendid robe, and sent him back to Pilate. And so it happened, that very day, that Herod and Pilate became friends with each other. Up until then, they had been enemies.
We have all seen the reconciliation that can happen when Jesus enters into the lives of believers. Here though we see Jesus, God's Messiah, and Pilate (the representative of Rome and Caesar). Also the climax of a long story that has been under the surface the whole time. The conflict between Jesus and Herod. The rightful King and pseudo-king of the Jews.
Jesus was not what Herod had expected though, he would not put on a show or perform a miracle. He did not call in a legion of angels. He gave no answer at all while he was mistreated. So failing to meet the expectations of Herod, he was sent again to Pilate. So it was that day that Herod and Caesar were united.
Everywhere Jesus goes people seem to become reconciled. Some for good, some for evil. But we know that once Jesus is received, we come to see that on the other side of His death it is all for life in the Resurrection. He works all things together, He is faithful. When Jesus take upon himself the sin of the world, he takes it all upon himself and carries it to the cross where it is nailed so that whosoever believes upon the name of Jesus shall be saved and they shall have eternal life. You see, it is the will of God that none should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
As for me, I have experienced discipline in Christ because I'm a sinner who is loved by God, and beyond that as Christian I count it a privilege to suffer that others might find reconciliation. Wish I could say that my motives were always pure, but they're not. The idea is to seek holiness and thereby be prepared to experience the cross. Wish I had done a better job of that. The place of death for the sake of new life. Of course the enemy will bring your fears back on you, of course long forgiven sins will be poured out on you...this is a spiritual battle for God's glory though. As I've experienced it some has been for my conviction, some for the up building of others. To look at the broad scope of things you see all the different pieces a parts coming together. Even if it means becoming the one everyone hates...it's worth it. As it's written, we are like lambs to the slaughter, all day long we are killed...why? Love. how? To experience Christ's suffering and the Power of the Resurrection. The know God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent, this is eternal life.
I'm thankful to God for the people, who have shown this to me. They are Christ-like. Pray God, may I become a better Christian husband, dad, son, brother, minister and friend through it.
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