A Show-Like Worship Service
in Which the Lord Remains Silent
“When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had wanted to see him for a long time, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign. He questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer. The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. That day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other—before this they had been enemies” (Luke 23:8–12).
(1) When I read today’s passage, Luke 23:8–12, in both the Korean Bible and the Greek Bible, the first thing that caught my attention was the statement, “Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus” [ὁ δὲ Ἡρῴδης ἰδὼν τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐχάρη λίαν (ho de Hērōdēs idōn ton Iēsoun echarē lian)] (Lk. 23:8). Luke, the author of the Gospel of Luke, explains the reason in two ways: (a) “for he had wanted to see him for a long time” [ἦν γὰρ θέλων ἐξ ἱκανοῦ ἰδεῖν αὐτόν, διὰ τὸ ἀκούειν πολλὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ (ēn gar thelōn ex hikanou idein auton, dia to akouein polla peri autou)] and (b) “because he was hoping to see him perform some sign” [ἤλπιζέν τι σημεῖον ἰδεῖν ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ γινόμενον (ēlpizen ti sēmeion idein hyp’ autou ginomenon)] (verse 8). I would like to consider these two reasons in some detail.
(a) Here, the expression that Herod Antipas “was very glad” to see Jesus was not simply spiritual joy or a sense of awe. Rather, it was a worldly kind of pleasure arising from political curiosity and the expectation of entertainment—a desire to see Jesus as a spectacle. If we analyze the two reasons Luke gives, they can be understood as follows (Internet):
1. Why he had wanted to see Jesus for a long time
Herod had been hearing rumors and reports about Jesus for a long time.
Political anxiety and curiosity: Herod was already the man who had beheaded John the Baptist (Lk. 9:7–9). After Jesus’ ministry began to expand, rumors circulated among the people that “John had risen from the dead” or that “Elijah had appeared.” Herod, both perplexed and curious, wanted to find out for himself who Jesus was.
The distortion of a long-standing desire: The Greek expression “had wanted to see him for a long time” [ἦν γὰρ θέλων ἐξ ἱκανοῦ ἰδεῖν αὐτόν (ēn gar thelōn ex hikanou idein auton)] shows not a longing for truth, but a voyeuristic curiosity that had accumulated over a long period toward a person who might threaten his power or who had become a sensational public figure.
2. Why he hoped to see Jesus perform a miracle
Herod treated Jesus not as the Messiah or a prophet, but rather as some kind of magician or eccentric wonder-worker.
Visual stimulation and amusement: The Greek word sēmeion (σημεῖον), meaning “sign” or “miracle,” refers to a sign. But for Herod, this sign was not evidence revealing the kingdom of God. It was nothing more than a supernatural show that could relieve the boredom of the palace.
The instrumentalization of religion: Herod had no desire whatsoever to receive spiritual instruction through Jesus’ power and miracles. He simply had the complacent and selfish expectation [ἤλπιζέν (ēlpizen), “was hoping”] of seeing something amazing unfold before his eyes.
In summary, Herod’s joy was not the joy of encountering the truth. Rather, it was the projection of a thoroughly worldly and selfish desire to finally meet in person a famous figure he had heard about only through rumors, satisfy his personal curiosity, and watch some amazing miracles (Internet).
(i) Here, I wonder whether even today there are church members who, like Herod, project a thoroughly worldly and selfish desire to satisfy their personal curiosity and watch amazing miracles.
· The image of Herod from 2,000 years ago is sometimes reflected among Christians today in the form of the following “modern-day desires of Herod.” When we break this down in detail, the message of the passage becomes even more powerful (Internet):
a. Influencer faith that follows only “rumors” and “reputation” (Herod’s first reason)
Modern-day reflection: Just as Herod became curious after hearing rumors about Jesus, many Christians today pursue “famous pastors,” “well-known megachurches,” and “trendy Christian culture” as consumers, rather than pursuing the Word of God itself.
The fundamental problem: This is closer to “spectator faith,” in which people enjoy Christianity as a religious brand, rather than a faith in which they personally encounter Jesus and have their lives transformed. They become the center, enjoying fame and popularity, while genuine devotion and obedience to the Lord are absent.
b. Entertainment-oriented faith that seeks only “miracles” and “experiences” (Herod’s second reason)
Modern-day reflection: Just as Herod expected Jesus to put on a “show” through a miracle, there are Christians today who continually demand visible blessings, immediate answers to prayer, and mystical spiritual experiences (spiritual gifts).
The fundamental problem: Instead of receiving God as the Lord of their lives, they treat Him as a “religious magician” who exists to solve their problems and relieve the boredom of their lives. They have no interest in the suffering of the cross or the narrow road. They desire only the visual and emotional stimulation (signs) that will make them feel good. This is a selfish desire.
c. The attitude toward Jesus when He remains silent (Connection with verse 9)
Then, in verse 9, when Herod questioned Jesus at length, it is recorded that Jesus “gave him no answer.”
The Lord remains completely silent toward those who approach Him with private curiosity and worldly desires. Likewise, when modern-day Herods do not receive the “miracles” and “joy” they want—when the Lord remains silent—they eventually, like Herod and his soldiers, despise and mock Jesus (v. 11), and they easily leave the church or abandon their faith (Internet).
- At this point, I am reminded of the book written by Pastor A. W. Tozer, “Worship or Entertainment!” (Tozer on Worship and Entertainment). What has happened to worship in the modern church today? Why have we come this far?
n A. W. Tozer’s sharp criticism is a prophetic warning that most accurately penetrates the corruption of worship in the modern church that we are witnessing today. Pastor Tozer lamented long ago that “the moment the church introduces entertainment in order to make itself attractive to the world, the church loses its spiritual power.” The worldly desire of Herod, who expected rumors and miracles (spectacles), is being reproduced in its entirety in the modern church as “show (Entertainment)” rather than “worship (Worship).” If we analyze the spiritual background and causes of how worship in the modern church has come to this point, we can identify the following (Internet):
1. How has worship in the modern church become corrupted? (Worship vs. Show)
The worship services of many churches today have lost the holy fear and reverence directed toward God and have degenerated into stages designed to satisfy human emotions.
The shift from God-centered to audience-centered worship: The only true object and audience of worship should be God. However, today the people who come to “watch the worship service” have become the audience, while pastors and worship teams have become “performers (showmen)” whose task is to satisfy that audience.
The pursuit of sensory stimulation rather than spiritual inspiration: Through dark lighting, elaborate sound systems, sophisticated video techniques, and other production methods reminiscent of a concert hall, churches provide people with an emotional catharsis. The congregation may mistake this for “grace,” but in reality, it may simply be a response to the visual and sensory amusement (the show) that Herod was hoping for.
“Cheap comfort” without repentance over sin: The weighty truths of the narrow road of the cross, holiness, and repentance are rejected. Instead, the pulpit is filled with pleasant messages of positivity, prosperity theology, and psychological comfort, much like the things that satisfied Herod’s curiosity.
2. Why have we come this far? (An Analysis of the Causes)
Because the standard of success has changed from “holiness” to “numbers.” Modern churches have begun to evaluate the growth and success of the church not by spiritual maturity, but by the number of attendees and the size of the church’s finances. As a result, worldly marketing techniques and consumer-oriented entertainment have been indiscriminately brought into the church in order to attract more people.
Because church members want only “cheap comfort and fun” without the cross. Just as Herod sought to satisfy his personal curiosity and desire for pleasure through Jesus, many Christians today also want to consume only the emotional stimulation and comfort that religion provides, without the death of self or the pain of repentance. Rather than proclaiming the truth, the church has assumed the role of a “supplier” that produces enjoyment according to the tastes of its members.
Because human planning is being used to replace the place where the power of the Holy Spirit has disappeared. When churches fail to experience the sovereign work and presence of the Holy Spirit in worship, they attempt to fill the spiritual void with sophisticated lighting, elaborate sound, and carefully orchestrated programs designed to stimulate human emotions. As human planning and production take the place of God, worship naturally becomes one enormous show.
Because “human beings,” rather than God, have become the audience of worship. The only audience and object of worship should be God alone. However, worship in the modern church has degenerated into a stage that must satisfy the “church members” sitting in the congregation, while pastors and worship teams have fallen from being leaders who worship God into “performers (showmen)” who seek to generate a response from the audience.
The End of Herod, Who “Was Very Glad to See Jesus”
Ultimately, in the passage, Herod does not get to see the show (the miracle) he wanted. When Jesus remains silent, Herod immediately turns into one who despises and mocks Jesus (Lk. 23:11).
If the church today maintains worship as a “show” that satisfies the curiosity and desire for entertainment of its members, those members will only grow into “modern-day Herods” who, the moment they no longer receive the stimulation and benefits they want, can turn around, mock the Lord, and leave. As Pastor Tozer warned, we must beware of the terrifying idolatry in which the object of worship has been changed from God to human beings (Internet).
(2) Second, I would like to receive the lesson given to us as I meditate on the words that Herod “questioned Him at length” [ἐπηρώτα δὲ αὐτὸν ἐν λόγοις ἱκανοῖς (eperōta de auton en logois hikanois)] and that Jesus “gave him no answer” [αὐτὸς δὲ οὐδὲν ἀπεκρίνατο αὐτῷ (autos de ouden apekrinato auto)] (Luke 23:9). Why did Jesus remain silent? Could it be that even today the Lord remains silent toward worship services that resemble a show?
(a) The image of Jesus remaining completely silent even in the face of Herod’s many questions is the most frightening judgment and warning directed toward the modern church, which has become trapped in outward splendor. The silence of Jesus is being reproduced even today in worship services that have been transformed into shows. Based on the meaning of the Greek text and the biblical background, artificial intelligence has summarized the reasons Jesus remained silent and the spiritual lessons this gives us today in three ways (Internet):
1. He does not speak to those who approach Him as a “means” rather than as the truth.
Context of the passage: Herod “questioned Jesus at length” [ἐπηρώτα δὲ αὐτὸν ἐν λόγοις ἱκανοῖς (eperōta de auton en logois hikanois)].
Here, logois hikanois (λόγοις ἱκανοῖς) means more than simply talking a lot. It indicates that Herod poured out elaborate and numerous questions in order to satisfy his intellectual curiosity and to test Jesus. However, Herod had absolutely no “heart of repentance” with which he desired to understand the truth and turn his life around. To him, Jesus was merely a tool for satisfying his curiosity.
Application today: Even if modern Christians come to church and pour out countless prayers, sing magnificent worship songs, and call upon the name of the Lord, if all of this is merely a “means” for achieving my success, my peace, and my religious satisfaction, then the Lord gives “no answer” to all those words (prayers). The Lord refuses to be reduced to a tool for satisfying selfish desires, and before such worshipers He remains completely silent.
2. Where the absence of the Holy Spirit is filled with human planning, the Lord’s presence is not there.
Context of the passage: Even though Herod had Jesus standing directly before him, he had no understanding whatsoever of who Jesus was. His spiritual eyes were blinded, and he was expecting only miracles (a show) with his physical eyes. Jesus refused to become a clown dancing upon the stage of entertainment that Herod had created, and He maintained His silence.
Application today: Many churches today fill the place where the anointing of the Holy Spirit has disappeared with elaborate lighting, sophisticated music, and carefully orchestrated emotional production, and then proudly call it a “grace-filled worship service.” But the Lord’s presence is not found in a show produced by human beings. While human beings are moved by themselves, shed tears among themselves, and celebrate among themselves, the Lord, who is the Master of worship, is actually standing behind that splendid stage, saying nothing and remaining silent. He does not participate in the human show.
3. It is the final judgment given to those who reject the “Word already given.”
Context of the passage: Herod was already a person who had heard the Word of God countless times through John the Baptist, the prophet in the wilderness (Mk. 6:20). However, rather than obeying the Word he had heard, he cut off John’s head because John pointed out his sin. To Herod, who had trampled upon the message of the prophet that had already been given, Jesus no longer wasted even a single word. The silence of Jesus was a spiritual judgment that Herod had brought upon himself.
Application today: Even amid the flood of sermons and biblical messages pouring out like a flood today, there are many believers who reject the Word that points out their own sins and instead go around looking only for messages that please their ears. Toward a generation that takes the Word of God lightly and consumes worship like a show, the Lord eventually brings the frightening judgment of “a famine of the Word” and “spiritual silence.” A state in which there is no spiritual inspiration even when one attends worship, and in which the voice of the Lord cannot be heard—that is precisely the declaration of the Lord who remains silent even today.
Conclusion of the Meditation: We Must Realize the Fearfulness of Silence
When Jesus remained silent, Herod immediately despised and mocked Him (v. 11). Likewise, believers who have become accustomed to show-like worship today cannot endure the Lord’s silence (when there is no immediate answer or when things are no longer entertaining) and eventually come to the point of abandoning the Lord or mocking Him.
Although the place of worship may be filled with passionate energy and elaborate programs, we must examine ourselves with fear to see whether we are actually remaining in a “state of silence” in which the Lord’s gentle voice and genuine presence have disappeared (Internet).
(i) Here I would like to think more deeply about the frightening judgment of “a famine of the Word” and “spiritual silence” that the Lord brings. In particular, when I meditate on the “famine of the Word,” Amos 8:11 immediately comes to mind: “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.” How, then, should we receive and understand the frightening judgment of spiritual silence in this famine of not being able to hear the Word of God?
· Amos 8:11 provides the perfect Old Testament background for connecting Jesus’ silence with show-like worship in the modern church. Although countless worship songs are sung under elaborate lighting and thousands of sermons are proclaimed every week, the very state of famine in which people cannot actually hear the true “Word” of the LORD is the most tragic spiritual judgment we face today. Artificial intelligence has summarized in three essential perspectives how we should receive and understand this frightening spiritual silence and famine of the Word (Internet):
a. Poverty in the midst of abundance: Religious activity does not guarantee the presence of God.
In the days of Amos, the Israelites observed their appointed feasts, gathered for solemn assemblies, and worshiped with splendid songs and the sound of harps (Amos 5:21–23). By today’s standards, they were offering a “worship service of the highest quality.”
The reality of judgment: Yet God said concerning that worship that He would “stop His ears,” and ultimately He sent “a famine of hearing the Word.”
The fact we must accept: The splendor of the church building and the flood of Christian content and sermons can never prove the presence of God. If religious language that pleases my ears is abundant, but the “voice of the living God” that pierces and transforms my soul has disappeared, then we are already under a frightening judgment.
b. The most frightening judgment is “abandonment.”
In Scripture, the most fearful expression of God’s wrath is not fire or the sword, but His allowing human beings to remain exactly as they are in their sin and false worship (Rom. 1:24, 26, 28).
The reality of judgment: When Herod questioned Jesus with all kinds of words, Jesus did not shout or rebuke him. He simply remained completely silent. This means that Jesus had completely given up on Herod and left him to himself.
The fact we must accept: Even when the church today brings the world’s marketing and entertainment into the church and puts on a show, the church may grow numerically without any intervention or immediate discipline. But this may not be God’s blessing. It may instead be the most frightening judgment of God, in which He remains silent, saying, “Do whatever you want among yourselves.” The collective spiritual insensitivity of a group that feels no spiritual crisis even though the true Word has disappeared is the ultimate expression of spiritual silence.
c. The famine of the Word begins with humanity’s own “refusal to listen” and is a self-inflicted judgment.
Before the prophet Amos prophesied the famine, the Israelites had forced the prophets who proclaimed God’s Word to “stop prophesying” (Amos 2:12). Herod likewise cut off the head of John the Baptist, who pointed out his sin, thereby shutting out God’s Word himself.
The reality of judgment: God did not simply close His mouth from the beginning. When human beings rejected the voice of the Lord because they did not want to hear it, God ultimately brought upon them the judgment of silence that they themselves desired.
The fact we must accept: The famine we see today is the result of believers rejecting the true Word that calls them to repentance, the cross, and a commitment to holy living, while going around seeking only “shows and entertainment” that please their ears. The silence of the Lord should not be understood as God being powerless, but as spiritual punishment brought about by human hardness of heart.
Application and Conclusion of the Meditation: The One Who Feels “Hunger and Thirst” Is the One Who Lives.
Amos 8:12 warns that those who encounter the famine of the Word will stagger from sea to sea and from north to east, seeking the Word of the Lord, but they will not find it.
The only proper response to this judgment is to acknowledge and repent that the splendid “show” flowing through our worship today has actually been a human struggle to conceal spiritual drought. When we stop the false sounds that have been pleasing our ears and honestly confront our spiritual hunger, saying, “Lord, there is splendid worship, but Your voice cannot be heard,” then and only then will the Lord’s mercy, which breaks the silence, begin again (Internet).
(3) Third, when I meditate on the passage, “The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing Him” [εἱστήκεισαν δὲ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς εὐτόνως κατηγοροῦντες αὐτοῦ (heistēkeisan de hoi archiereis kai hoi grammateis eutonōs katēgorountes autou)] (Lk. 23:10), I am reminded of the passage I previously meditated on: “The whole assembly of them arose and brought Him before Pilate and began to accuse Him” (vv. 1–2). What does the fact that those who had “accused” Him (v. 2) now “vehemently accused” Him [εὐτόνως κατηγοροῦντες (eutonōs katēgorountes)] (v. 10) teach us?
(a) Luke’s record that the chief priests and scribes persistently followed Jesus from Pilate’s courtroom all the way to Herod’s palace and “vehemently accused Him” vividly shows how far the relentless zeal of human beings toward evil and religious hypocrisy can go. The fact that those who had already accused Jesus before Pilate now accused Him “even more vehemently” before Herod teaches us the following frightening spiritual realities today (Internet):
1. Eutonōs (εὐτόνως): The fierce and desperate passion of evil
The Greek adverb “eutonōs” (εὐτόνως) means “vehemently,” “desperately,” or “with all one’s strength.” It portrays the image of someone concentrating all his nerves and energy, like a bowstring pulled taut.
Lesson: The chief priests and scribes were religious leaders appointed to serve God. Yet they were mobilizing all their intellect, passion, and energy toward killing the Son of God. This warns us that when holy zeal disappears, it can be replaced by a relentless zeal for evil.
2. The anger and anxiety of the religious establishment intensified by the Lord’s “silence”
Before Pilate and before Herod, Jesus did not answer but remained silent (v. 9). This holy silence of Jesus drove His accusers even more into a frenzy.
Lesson: They probably hoped that Jesus would make desperate excuses or perform a miracle before Herod and thereby make some mistake that they could use against Him. But when Jesus completely nullified their authority and questions through His absolute silence, they instead felt profound anxiety and humiliation. This is why, the deeper Jesus’ silence became, the louder their accusations became, like a “violent scream” (eutonōs).
3. The relentless “spirit of condemnation” that knows no place or target
In Luke 23:1–2, they accused Jesus before Pilate, the Gentile Roman governor. Then, in verse 10, they once again accused Jesus before Herod Antipas, the Jewish tetrarch.
Lesson: As long as they could have Jesus killed, they were prepared to bow their heads before anyone—whether Pilate (Roman authority) or Herod (the Jewish tetrarch)—and form political alliances. In order to protect their privileges and religious reputation, they displayed the height of persistent religious hypocrisy, pursuing condemnation to the very end regardless of the person or place.
Modern Application of the Meditation: “What are we doing with eutonōs—with all our strength?”
This same “zeal of the chief priests and scribes” can also be found in the church today.
Zeal to maintain worship that resembles a show: Even though God has become silent and a famine of the Word has come, the blind zeal of the modern church pours all its strength and energy (eutonōs) into planning and maintaining elaborate stages and programs.
Zeal to condemn and judge brothers and sisters: While being lazy about obeying the Lord’s gentle voice, people become fiercely zealous (eutonōs) about criticizing, condemning, and accusing those who do not conform to their standards. This represents a state of religious addiction.
Ultimately, this passage asks us a frightening question: “Could the zeal into which you are pouring all your strength right now actually be a religious scream that you are uttering because you are confused and disturbed by the Lord’s silence?” (Internet)
(i) When I meditate here on “the zeal to maintain worship that resembles a show” and “the zeal to condemn and judge brothers and sisters,” I am reminded of Romans 10:2: “For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to correct knowledge.”
· The Apostle Paul’s observation that they “have a zeal for God, but did not follow correct knowledge” clearly explains why the behavior of the accusers in this passage and our own attempts to maintain worship that resembles a show today can be so destructive. The following are profound spiritual lessons that can be gained by connecting these two passages (Internet):
a. Zeal without correct knowledge (epignōsis) becomes “idolatry.”
The “correct knowledge” [ἐπίγνωσις (epignōsis)] of which Paul speaks is not merely knowledge in one’s head, but true knowledge of God’s heart and will on a deep and personal level.
The chief priests accused Jesus with zeal for God, while the modern church plans elaborate shows with zeal to worship God. However, zeal without the “correct knowledge” of God’s will ultimately degenerates into sophisticated idolatry that worships not God, but “self-satisfaction” and “self-righteousness.”
b. We attempt to cover the Lord’s silence (judgment) with “human zeal.”
The greatest characteristic of zeal without correct knowledge is that when the Lord’s presence and Word disappear from worship (silence and famine), people do not try to resolve the situation through repentance. Instead, they cover it with increasingly intense religious activity [eutonōs (“vehemently,” “with all their strength”)].
For example, they prepare increasingly elaborate videos because they are afraid the sermon might be boring, or they create increasingly emotional music because they are afraid there will be no inspiration from the Holy Spirit. This is a “dangerous zeal” that makes it possible for worship to continue smoothly even without God’s presence, ultimately resulting in the concealment of the terrifying judgment of God’s silence.
c. It becomes a zeal to condemn “others” in order to establish “my righteousness.”
Romans 10:3 continues: “For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to the righteousness of God.”
Religious zeal that does not follow correct knowledge (the gospel) inevitably produces “self-righteousness,” and that self-righteousness necessarily manifests itself as “zeal to condemn and judge brothers and sisters.” Just as the chief priests in this passage vehemently accused Jesus in order to prove their own religious legitimacy, so today believers who are full of zeal but lack correct knowledge pour all their energy into political and religious conflicts of criticizing and condemning others rather than restoring the true nature of the church.
Conclusion of the Meditation: We Must Stop the Bowstring and Listen to the Lord’s Voice
The chief priests’ “eutonōs” — their zeal like a bowstring pulled taut — ultimately produced the tragedy of crucifying the Son of God. Likewise, the “blind zeal that does not follow correct knowledge” within us today can become a weapon that kills worship and kills our brothers and sisters.
What we need to do is not increase the speed of our zeal, but stop that blind zeal, fall down before the cross, and honestly ask, “Lord, am I acting according to the correct knowledge of Your will?” (Internet)
(4) Fourth, I would like to meditate on the passage, “Herod, together with his soldiers, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, and after dressing Him in a splendid robe, sent Him back to Pilate” [ἐξουθενήσας δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ Ἡρῴδης σὺν τοῖς στρατεύμασιν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐμπαίξας, περιβαλὼν ἐσθῆτα λαμπρὰν ἀνέπεμψεν αὐτὸν τῷ Πιλάτῳ (exouthenēsas de auton ho Hērōdēs syn tois strateumasin autou kai empaixas, peribalōn esthēta lampran anepempsen auton tō Pilatō)] (Lk. 23:11). How did Herod, who had been “very glad” to see Jesus (v. 8), suddenly come to “treat Jesus with contempt and mock Him,” dress Him in a splendid robe, and send Him back to Pilate?
(a) The background to Herod’s transformation from being “very glad” (v. 8) to becoming someone who “treated Jesus with contempt and mocked Him” (v. 11) reveals the extreme anger and contempt of secular humanity toward Jesus, who refused to perform the “show (miracle)” Herod wanted and instead remained completely “silent.” When we examine the deeper meanings and flow of the Greek words, a frightening spiritual reality that can also exist within us today becomes evident (Internet):
1. Exouthenēsas (ἐξουθενήσας) (“treated Him with contempt”): Treating Him as “worthless”
Meaning in the passage: The Greek word “exouthenēsas” (ἐξουθενήσας), translated “treated with contempt,” means “to reduce to zero” or “to regard as nothing.” When Herod saw that the great Jesus he had heard about through rumors neither performed a miracle to satisfy his curiosity nor even gave a single answer to his questions, he immediately degraded Him into someone of “no value whatsoever.”
Modern projection: What happens when Christians today do not receive the emotional stimulation, immediate blessings, or miracle of problem-solving that they want through worship that resembles a show? They instantly reduce the Lord’s value to “zero,” saying, “There is no use in believing in Jesus,” and abandon their faith while treating the Lord with contempt.
2. Empaixas (ἐμπαίξας) (“mocked Him”): Playing with and ridiculing Him like a child’s toy
Meaning in the passage: The Greek word “empaixas” (ἐμπαίξας), translated “mocked,” has the etymological sense of “treating someone like a child” or “playing with someone like a toy.” It means that, together with the soldiers, Herod personally insulted Jesus, treated Him like a toy, and amused himself at His expense. Having been denied the entertainment (miracle) he expected, he instead turned Jesus into an object of “wicked entertainment (mockery).” This reveals the heartless hardness of human beings.
Modern projection: Those who live their faith without acknowledging God’s sovereignty and only for their own benefit may, when the Lord does not act according to their wishes, stop praying and come to treat the Lord as nothing more than a “toy” or “ornament” in their lives, taking their place among those who mock Him.
3. Esthēta lampran (ἐσθῆτα λαμπρὰν) (“splendid robe”): Covering the truth with false glory
Meaning in the passage: The “splendid robe” (ἐσθῆτα λαμπρὰν) was a dazzling, magnificent garment worn by kings or nobles. Herod put this splendid robe on Jesus in order to ridicule Him as the self-proclaimed “King of the Jews,” making Him look like a clown. He covered Jesus, who is the Truth, with the glittering outer shell of the world in order to mock His humiliation and suffering.
Modern projection: This is precisely the essence of the “worship that has become a show” warned about by Pastor Tozer. While concealing the essence of Jesus—His suffering on the cross, His humiliation, and His holiness—people forcibly dress Jesus in the “splendid robe” of dazzling lights, sophisticated programs, and prosperity theology that mesmerize human eyes, and then hypocritically enjoy themselves among themselves.
Conclusion of the Meditation: The Warning Contained in “Sent Him Back to Pilate”
In the end, Herod regarded Jesus as a troublesome and worthless person and “sent Him back to Pilate.” He permanently kicked away the decisive “opportunity of grace” through which he could have personally encountered the Lord and had his life transformed.
Those who come to Jesus in order to satisfy their selfish desires and private curiosity will, whenever the Lord becomes silent, treat Him with contempt (exouthenēsas), mock Him as though He were a toy (empaixas), cover the truth with the world’s glittering outer shell (esthēta lampran), and ultimately drive the Lord back out of their lives.
Are we now receiving Jesus as the true King of our lives, or are we treating Him as a “clown” whom we can despise and send away whenever He does not give us the joy we want? (Internet)
(1) Fifth and last, I would like to meditate on the words, “Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been enemies” [ἐγένοντο δὲ φίλοι ὅ τε Ἡρῴδης καὶ ὁ Πιλάτος ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ μετ’ ἀλλήλων· προϋπῆρχον γὰρ ἐν ἔχθρᾳ ὄντες πρὸς ἑαυτούς (Egenonto de philoi ho te Herodes kai ho Pilatos en aute te hemera met' allelon; prouperkhon gar en ekhtra ontes pros heautous)] (Lk. 23:12). When I meditate on this passage, I think of Psalm 2:1–2: “Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers conspire together against the LORD and against his Anointed One.” I would also like to meditate in connection with Acts 4:25–27, where the apostles quoted this passage from the Psalms: “You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers come together against the Lord and against his Christ.’ Indeed, Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel to oppose Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed.” Why did the author Luke quote Psalm 2:1–2 in Acts 4:25–27? Why did Luke repeatedly record Herod and Pilate, not only in today’s passage in Luke 23:12, but also in Acts 4:27?
(a) The reason Luke repeatedly recorded this fact in both Luke and Acts and quoted the Psalm was to demonstrate that the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Christ were not an accidental political tragedy, but a great redemptive-historical event in which the prophecies of the Old Testament were precisely fulfilled. The spiritual message Luke intended to convey, summarized through three specific reasons, is as follows (Internet):
1. Proof of the literal and historical fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy of Psalm 2
Psalm 2 is a representative Messianic psalm that prophesies that the rulers of the world would unite against “the LORD’s Anointed One (the Messiah).”
Fulfillment of the prophecy: The “kings of the earth” prophesied in the Psalm correspond exactly in history to “King Herod,” while the “rulers” correspond to “Governor Pontius Pilate.”
Luke’s intention: By quoting this Psalm through the prayer of the early Jerusalem church in Acts 4, Luke firmly proclaims that this bizarre alliance between Herod, the king of the Jews (representing the people of Israel), and Pilate, the Gentile governor (representing the nations), was the historical event in which the prophecy of Psalm 2 was literally fulfilled.
2. Theological unity running throughout Luke and Acts (the Luke–Acts structure)
Luke and Acts were originally structured as the first and second volumes sent by one author, Luke, to Theophilus.
The seed in the Gospel: In Luke 23:12, Luke first presents the fact that the two rulers became friends as a straightforward historical fact.
The fruit in Acts: Later, in Acts 4, the early church, having received the Holy Spirit, gains spiritual insight and reinterprets this event. It comes to understand, “Ah! The fact that Herod and Pilate joined forces at that time was precisely the fulfillment of Psalm 2!” Luke’s intention is therefore to explain clearly in Acts the spiritual meaning of the event that took place in Luke, thereby completing the theological unity of the two books.
3. A proclamation of God’s sovereignty and providence that transcends the alliance of evil
Herod and Pilate, two political rivals who had normally been enemies because of territorial and jurisdictional disputes, immediately became friends “that very day” when it came to condemning and rejecting Jesus. Human evil becomes most perfectly united when it opposes the truth.
Nevertheless: Acts 4:28 declares immediately after this quotation: “They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.”
The decisive teaching: No matter how much the rulers of this world unite their power to oppose, despise, and mock Jesus, even their evil alliance ultimately remains under God’s plan of salvation and His sovereign providence. The wicked sent Jesus “back” to Pilate for their own political interests (Lk. 23:11), but in reality, God’s hand was moving one step further toward the salvation of humanity.
Modern application: The compromise with the world hidden behind “worship that resembles a show”
This meditation is also sharply connected with the previously discussed “blind zeal to maintain worship like a show” (Rom. 10:2).
What is the tragedy that occurs when the church today loses the correct knowledge of God and turns worship into a “show”? It is precisely this: the church becomes friends with the world (Herod and Pilate). Religion that has lost its essence forms astonishing alliances with the values of the world, the marketing strategies of the world, and the power of the world. Luke solemnly warns that a modern-day alliance of Herod and Pilate can also arise within the church when it joins itself to the world in order to push Jesus, who is the Truth, out of the place of our daily lives (Internet).