“And Herod with his men of war set him at naught and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.” (Luke 23:11).
To better understand everything that happened between the time of Christ’s arrest in the Garden and his sentence of death pronounced by Pilate in the palace, it is important to keep in mind the sequence of events that occurred. At the time of his arrest, Jesus was brought first to Annas, the high priest (John 18:13). He was then taken to the Sanhedrin (the ancient Jewish court) later that evening where he was questioned by Caiaphas, the high priest who presided over the Sanhedrin. There he was beaten, blindfolded and struck on the face (Matt. 26:57–68).
At dawn, the council of chief priests and elders made the decision to put him to death (Matt. 27:1), so they bound Jesus and led him away to Pilate because they were not allowed by Jewish law to sentence someone to death. Once Pilate questioned him and discovered that he was from Galilee, he ordered that Jesus be taken to Herod, the king over Judea at the time (Luke 23:7).
Herod’s abuse of Christ is not much different from Pilate’s, though initially Herod was hoping Jesus would perform some miracles in his presence. However, his expectation of seeing wonders from him was frustrated by Christ’s strange and sullen silence (Luke 23:8). Enraged and furious at his unfulfilled request, he made sure Christ suffered the full extent of shame that a king could inflict. Mocking his innocence, Herod had his soldiers put a gorgeous white robe on Jesus, and then proceeded to further taunt, ridicule, and beat him.
The white robe Herod used is an emblem of his spotless innocence, and the scarlet robe Pilate’s soldiers covered him with represented his passion. The first depicted his life, the second his death. In Isaiah’s prophecy of this event, the question is asked how his garment became so red. And the answer comes back, “I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me; their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment,” (Isa. 63:2-3).
This prophetic passage speaks of the winepress of his Father’s wrath and his enemy’s malice, and so it is no wonder that Christ’s robe was soaked red with his own blood flowing from the winepress of God’s wrath for sin (Rev. 14:20). And yet, as Paul so well stated in Romans 8:37, we know triumph over sin and death as “conquerors” because of this gorgeous robe, though stained with blood, beautified by the work of the Messiah on behalf of sinners.
Contemplations:
- Lord, my life here on earth is a warfare and with every battle my garments become more blood-stained. But let me not forget that you have a beautiful white robe waiting for me when you call me home to heaven (Rev. 6:11, 7:9, 13). This robe of your righteousness that I will wear then signifies the life of everlasting peace and glory I am blessed to share with you throughout eternity.
- Lord, strip me of my own handmade covering of fig leaves, that apparel of pride, that soft raiment of luxury, that garment of halting indifference, that cloak of hypocrisy studded with my own merits. Rather clothe me with the Sun of your righteousness (Mal. 4:2). This is the only garment that matters, the only one that will never fade.
Further References for Luke 23:11:
Matthew 27:28; Mark 15:17; Luke 13:31; Psalm 22:6.
