Luke 23:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate.

NIV: Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate.

NASB: And Herod, together with his soldiers, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, dressing Him in a brightly shining robe, and sent Him back to Pilate.

CSB: Then Herod, with his soldiers, treated him with contempt, mocked him, dressed him in bright clothing, and sent him back to Pilate.

NLT: Then Herod and his soldiers began mocking and ridiculing Jesus. Finally, they put a royal robe on him and sent him back to Pilate.

KJV: And 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.

NKJV: Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate.

Pilate knows the charges against Jesus are false (Matthew 27:18). Yet he can't dismiss the case without damaging his good relationship with the high priest. However, he may be able to shift the responsibility to someone else: someone with whom he is not on good terms (Luke 23:1–6, 12).

Pilate discovers that Jesus is from Galilee, the territory ruled by Herod Antipas. He knows Antipas is in Jerusalem. So, he sends Jesus to Antipas. The religious leaders who are charging Jesus follow. Antipas welcomes the intrusion (Luke 23:7–10). He has wanted to speak with Jesus—and maybe witness Jesus' supernatural power—ever since Jesus' ministry became popular (Luke 9:7–9). Antipas even thought Jesus might be John the Baptist brought back to life, which would be startling since Antipas had beheaded John (Mark 6:14–29).

But Jesus refuses to speak. The chief priests and scribes are there, loudly declaring Jesus' guilt. They don't seem to notice that throughout the many trials before the crucifixion, Jesus never defends Himself against their charges (Mark 14:60–61; Mark 15:3–5). In addition, Antipas is irrelevant to Jesus. Antipas's authority comes from Rome, but he has no authority over Jerusalem, and it is in Jerusalem that Jesus must die (Luke 13:33).

The Jewish religious leaders have condemned Jesus. Pilate, not Antipas, is the representative of Rome who will sentence Him to crucifixion. That doesn't mean Antipas is harmless. Before he sends Jesus back to Pilate, Antipas does his best to humiliate Jesus. The King James Version says Antipas "set him at nought" or acts as if Jesus is nothing. The royal robes are a mockery Jesus will carry until His march to the cross. But the entire experience has an unexpected result: Pilate and Antipas, who until this point had been enemies, find themselves on better terms (Luke 23:12).

In Luke 23:6–12, Pilate discovers Jesus is from Galilee. So, he sends Him to Herod Antipas who is also in Jerusalem. The Sanhedrin charged Jesus with crimes which Pilate thinks are meaningless. Pilate hopes Antipas can uncover the truth (Luke 23:1–5). Antipas is delighted to have a chance to speak with Jesus. But he becomes disappointed when Jesus refuses to speak—even as council members shout their accusations. Antipas returns Jesus to Pilate, and the two become fast friends, although Pilate still has the Sanhedrin to deal with. Luke is the only gospel writer to include Jesus' trial before Antipas.

Luke 23 records the remaining trials, death, and burial of Jesus Christ. He is examined by the Roman governor and the local appointed King, neither of whom are interested in passing a death sentence. Local religious leaders incite the crowd, pressuring the governor, Pilate, to authorize crucifixion. Jesus accepts the faith of another condemned man and dies. Joseph of Arimathea asks for Jesus body and buries it in a tomb cut from rock.

Luke 23 records Jesus' civil trials, crucifixion, and burial. The members of the Sanhedrin have put Jesus through three trials in their attempt to convince Pilate He's a threat (Luke 22:47–71). Their case is weak, but their political influence is powerful enough to force Pilate's hand. Jesus is executed. Three days after Joseph of Arimathea buries Jesus, Jesus reappears on the road to Emmaus where He explains Messianic prophecies in Jewish Scriptures. After spending time with His followers, Jesus ascends into heaven (Luke 24) and the disciples build the church (Acts).

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.