Text:
Luke 23:1-12:
1 And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate.
2 And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.
3 And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it.
4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.
5 And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.
6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean.
7 And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.
8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.
9 Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.
10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.
11 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.
12 And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.
Theme:
Jesus And Relationships
Introduction:
- The Gospel According to Saint Luke is the third of the four synoptic Gospels.
- Written by Luke the physician who also wrote the Acts of the Apostles
- Luke wrote of accounts that he had gathered in his research concerning the life and times of the Master.
- Luke wrote in a specificity and forthrightness that was typical of his Greek background and education while, at the same time, focusing on more the peculiararities of the Jesus’ life, character, and actions.
- Our text is found in the portion of Luke’s account where Jesus has been betrayed by Judas and is being passed back and forth between Herod and Pontius Pilate.
- Jesus, first brought before Pontius Pilate and accused of being a political traitor.
- “And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.”
- Pilate had to say, “I find no fault in this man”
- Jesus was then sent to Herod who wanted to see a show of miracles and wondrous words.
- When Jesus said and did nothing, Herod “mocked Him” and sent Jesus back to Pilate.
- At this point an interesting thing happened to the relationship between Pilate and Herod.
- Verse 12 says, “And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.”
- Herod and Pilate’s REJECTION OF JESUS changed their relationship from one of enmity to one of friendship.
- What is it with JESUS AND RELATIONSHIPS???
- Verse 12 says, “And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.”
- Jesus, first brought before Pontius Pilate and accused of being a political traitor.
Body:
- What is ENMITY?
- The relationship of between Herod and Pilate prior to this encounter with Jesus was one of ENMITY
- ENMITY is a deep seeded hatred that is harbored in the heart of the individual
- ENMITY is a manifestation of SIN.
- Romans 8:7, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”
- ENMITY is of the world
- James 4:4, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
- ENMITY is to be despised by the believer.
- 1 John 2:15-16, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
- Ergo, ENMITY resides in and originates from the heart
- Luke 6:45, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”
- ENMITY defiles the man and subsequently determines the character
- Proverbs 23:7, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.”
- ENMITY is a manifestation of SIN.
- Pilate and Herod “were at enmity between themselves” –
- WHY? — The Bible does not say, but it might have been because…
- One had wronged the other previously
- One was envious of the other
- One was threatened by the other
- One just did not like the other
- è ALL reflect ENMITY in the heart of the man or woman!
- WHY? — The Bible does not say, but it might have been because…
- What is a “FRIEND”?
- Webster defines a friend as “a favored companion”
- After “messing with Jesus”, Herod and Pilate slipped up and became friends after all of the years of hatred between them.
“And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together”
- This 12th verse provides the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy:
- Psalms 2:1-2, “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed,”
- Luke in the Acts of the Apostles documents the fulfillment of this prophecy in our text.
- Acts 4:27, “For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,”
- Just like Herod and Pilate, people of the world conspire, unite, or bond on a basic premise – REJECTION OF JESUS
- Psalms 83:5-7, “For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:”
- When in the world, you will gather friends of the world.
- However, when in Jesus, these friends disappear.
- Here is the result of JESUS AND the worldly RELATIONSHIP!
Conclusion:
- However, Jesus creates GODLY RELATIONSHIPS!
- The ACCEPTANCE (LOVE) OF JESUS is the bond that makes Godly Relationships
- It’s all about LOVE
- John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
- God is LOVE
- 1 John 4:16, “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”
- The commandments become clear
- Luke 10:27, “And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”
- JESUS is who makes the GODLY RELATIONSHIPS possible!!
- God said in Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
- 1John 3:14, “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren….”
- If you are saved, you can love God
- If you are saved, you can love your husband
- If you are saved, you can love your wife
- If you are saved, you can love your child
- If you are saved, you can love your parents
- If you are saved, you can love your brother or sister
- If you are saved, you can even love your enemy!!
- JESUS AND RELATIONSHIPS!!
- It’s all about LOVE
- The ACCEPTANCE (LOVE) OF JESUS is the bond that makes Godly Relationships
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