Luke 23:1-7

Then the whole body of them got up and brought Him before Pilate. And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.” So Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And He answered him and said, “It is as you say.” Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” But they kept on insisting, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching all over Judea, starting from Galilee even as far as this place.” When Pilate heard it, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself also was in Jerusalem at that time. Now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some sign performed by Him. And he questioned Him at some length; but He answered him nothing. And the chief priests and the scribes were standing there, accusing Him vehemently. And Herod with his soldiers, after treating Him with contempt and mocking Him, dressed Him in a gorgeous robe and sent Him back to Pilate. Now Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for before they had been enemies with each other.^[1]

When the enemy decides to come against the people of God he will come with everything he has in his arsenal. Such was the case with Jesus. Though His passion, resurrection, and ascension was the fulfillment of prophecy, the intensity of the attack, the persistence of his enemies to take him down, and the willingness those enemies to use anything or anyone to do it demonstrates how the devil will come after us as well. Pilate and Herod examined Jesus and found nothing in Him that would warrant the most heinous punishment meted out for the worst of criminals. Yet His accusers were focused and determined to complete their mission and fulfill their agenda.

In case you have missed it, the experience of our elder brother Jesus is not unique. There are forces that desire to bring accusation against us just as they brought them against Jesus. They are so focused and determined that little will assuage their hatred. It is no accident that the enemy makes false accusations against us. It is no coincidence that we always seem to be in the position of having to defend ourselves. It is all part of the enemy’s strategy he employs to accomplish his ends. What are his ends? Remember, he comes to ‘steal, kill, and destroy.’ While he will certainly win some battles, the good news is that he will not win the war. There was a Good Friday, but there was also an Easter Sunday. Gratefully God has the final word.

Dear Lord and King, you reign forever and are most worthy of all our praise. We marvel at how You are able to turn around any situation, especially those that look impossible to us. The enemy of our souls has successfully distracted us from our ministry and mission. We desire to be out in front of very issue we face but instead react to every occurrence in our lives. Help us regain our focus so that we might return to the front lines of this war against the prince of this world. Empower us with Your Spirit so that we will not wilt under the relentless attacks of the enemy of our souls; and then, in Your mercy, bring us out victoriously so that we might add our witness to those who overcame and serve as models of faith to those who believe. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

^[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Lk 23:1–12.