Chapter 21—Before Herod
Herod had never met Jesus, but he had long desired to see Him, and
to witness His marvelous power. As the Saviour was brought before
him, the rabble surged and pressed about, some crying one thing, and
some another. Herod commanded silence, for he wished to question
the prisoner.
He looked with curiosity and pity upon the pale face of Christ. He
saw there the marks of deep wisdom and purity. He was satisfied, as
Pilate had been, that malice and envy alone had caused the Jews to
accuse the Saviour.
Herod urged Christ to perform one of His wonderful miracles
before him. He promised to release Him if He would do so. By his
direction, crippled and deformed persons were brought in, and he
commanded Jesus to heal them. But the Saviour stood before Herod
as one who neither saw nor heard.
The Son of God had taken upon Himself man’s nature. He must
do as man must do in similar circumstances. Therefore He would
not work a miracle to gratify curiosity, or to save Himself from the
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pain and humiliation that man must endure when placed in a similar
position.
His accusers were terrified when Herod demanded of Christ a
miracle. Of all things they dreaded most an exhibition of His divine
power. Such a manifestation would be a death blow to their plans,
and would perhaps cost them their lives. So they set up the cry that
Jesus worked miracles through the power given Him by Beelzebub,
the prince of the devils.
Several years before this, Herod had listened to the teaching of John
the Baptist. He had been deeply impressed, but he had not forsaken his
life of intemperance and sin. So his heart grew harder, and at last in a
drunken revel he had commanded that John should be slain to please
the wicked Herodias.
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