The Bible Provocateur
The Bible Provocateur
LIVE DISCUSSION: The Passion of Christ (Part 2 of 3)
Power can know the truth and still pass the buck. We follow the path from Pilate’s political sidestep to Herod’s hunger for spectacle and watch how Jesus meets curiosity and malice with a charged, unsettling silence. Along the way, religious leaders amplify accusations, a crowd gathers momentum, and two rivals become friends over a shared mockery of the innocent.
We dig into why Herod wanted a sign and why so many of us still chase wonders as if the gospel needed fireworks to be trusted. Drawing on the New Testament’s witness, we unpack how signs validated messengers but were never meant to replace repentance or produce faith on demand. The resurrection already stands as the defining sign; making miracles the main event only hollows our devotion and turns Christ into an entertainer. That contrast comes into full view when the crowd chooses Barabbas—an insurrectionist and murderer—over the one both Pilate and Herod declare faultless.
From there, we bring it home. What does it mean to stop seeking signs and become one? We talk about the ordinary miracles of transformed character, quiet obedience, and disciplined love: serving the poor, visiting the sick and imprisoned, sharing the gospel with clarity, honoring gathered worship. In a culture that may harden toward Scripture and label biblical conviction as hate, embodied holiness becomes a living testimony no algorithm can suppress. If you’ve ever felt tugged toward spiritual spectacle, this conversation invites you back to the steady fire of faithfulness—less sizzle, more weight.
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BE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!
Pilate was like, oh, he's he's causing a problem in Galilee, huh? Is that where it all started? Well, I think he's innocent, but since you mentioned Galilee, that's another jurisdiction, the one that Herod controls. So I'm gonna send him over to Herod and let Herod deal with this. So Pilate was being a politician, the way politicians are. They know what's right and wrong, but they don't want to deal with it and make decisions. They're cowards. Pilate was a coward. So he sent Jesus to go to Herod because Pilate didn't want to deal with it. He wanted to wash his hands of it. So off to Herod, Jesus went. And by the way, Pilate and Herod hated each other. Hated each. Probably because they wanted to have political influence and they wanted to be, you know, in higher roles or positions. Who knows? But they hated each other. So Pilate played the game and whisked Jesus off to Herod. And off to Herod, Jesus went. The Jews were smart. They didn't give up. The Jews were smart. They were like, the first thing didn't work. So now we're gonna we're gonna mention Galilee because it was no mistake that they just said Galilee, that Jesus was stirring things up in Galilee. They were like, it didn't work with Pilate, so let's say something that will make Pilate send Jesus to Herod, and maybe we'll get our way with Herod. So here's what happens. As soon as Pilate knew that Jesus belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. So Pilate wasn't too far away. He was locally, and this was a festival time. This was the Passover time. So when Herod saw Jesus, Herod saw Jesus, and it says he was exceedingly glad. He was happy. Herod saw Jesus, and it says he was exceedingly glad. And it says that Pilate was desirous to see Jesus for a long season, for a long time, basically. He was waiting for a long time to see Jesus. Pilate wanted to see Jesus. Yep, Jason, you're listening. And he wanted to see Jesus because he had heard many things of him, and he had hoped to see some sign done by him or some miracle. He didn't care about salvation. He didn't care about who the who Jesus was. He just wanted to see some of the magic tricks. He wanted to see the monkey dance. This is what this is what Pilate or Herod, I keep saying Pilate, this is what Herod wanted. And you know what? And I did a post about this earlier today. Herod wanted to see signs and miracles. Christians, so many of you want the same thing. And my question to you is, why? Why? Was not the resurrection of our Savior enough that you still need to see miracles and signs and wonders to believe? So we're told by Paul. We're told by Paul that signs are for unbelievers. Signs and miracles and wonders, they were intended for unbelievers, not believers. And they were not performed in order to convert. Contrary to what most people think. Signs and wonders were not designed or given or administered to convert sinners. That is not what they were for. That's what the gospel is for. That's what Jesus is for. The signs and wonders were not tools for conversion. They were intended to do two things: to give credibility to the one performing the miracle or the sign, and to validate that that person who is performing it is the one you need to listen to. That is why the miracles and signs were done. For a Christian to be seeking signs and wonders is to be begging your mother for a pacifier. That's what that is. Signs and wonders were for unbelievers. Herod was a wicked, vile man, and he desired to see Jesus. And now here Jesus is in front of him, but all he wants is a sign. He doesn't want the Lord himself, he wants the sign. So, Christians, I want to say something to you about this because I need to make these things practical as I can, and you can glean as much out of these things as I can. And feel free to share what you get out of this. We need to stop seeking signs and wonders. And we need to start becoming the signs and the wonders. Stop seeking a miracle and become the miracle. Because if you have truly been transformed by Christ, there is no greater miracle other than the resurrection of Christ Himself that you will ever see. Getting Christ, seeking Christ to subdue your wicked wills and to overthrow your sinful nature so that the righteousness of God can live within you. That is the miracle. Stop seeking miracles and become the miracle. Stop seeking signs and become the sign. Stop seeking wonders, become a wonder. How? How do you do that? Put your faith and trust in Christ and obey him. Submit to him. Relinquish your sin and fall down in obeisance to him. And do the work of a minister. And I don't mean preaching in a pulpit or even doing what I'm doing now. To help the needy, to share the gospel with somebody who's having problems, to invite somebody to church, to go visit somebody who's in prison, to visit the sick, to buy a pair of clothes for a needy kid. To turn off that stupid TV and those games on Sunday, and take your rear ends to church and glorify God and take communion and do all the things that God has given us as the means of grace to show forth his death until he comes. I'm just saying. So we see here, Herod hoped to see a miracle done by Christ. Then he questioned Jesus with many words, and Jesus didn't say a word. He didn't answer. He didn't answer. And the chief priests and the scribes stood by and vehemently accused Jesus. In other words, Herod is drilling Jesus, and Jesus is there silent, mute, saying nothing. Because if he lied, which he couldn't do, they would have condemned him. And if he told the truth, well, we know what happened. They condemned him. So he stayed silent. Because no matter what he said, he was going to be condemned. He was going to be condemned. And yes, I did say take communion, and I don't mean in the Catholic way. So the Jews are standing by why Christ is being silent, and they're taking it upon themselves to fill in the quietness with their accusations to Herod. And then Herod, with his men of war, they mocked Christ, and they put on a gorgeous purple robe on him. And you know what he did? They mocked Christ, they put a robe on him, and then Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate. Sent him back to Pilate. And then it says, now here's something interesting. In that same day, that same day, Pilate and Herod became friends together. Before they were at enmity with one another, and over their shared mutual bent on mocking Christ, at the behest of the Jews, they became friends. How do you like that? They became friends. Enemies became friends. Now think about can you imagine what it would take? Christians. Yes, they became allies. And they did become allies. Can you imagine in America today all gridlock between Republicans and Democrats? And I'm not making this a political issue for America because I don't want to incite people on politics. But you all know what I mean, because there is so much discord between Republicans and Democrats in American politics, they agree on nothing. But I can tell you this much. And if everything that I'm telling you so far sounds stupid, you don't believe it, think it's ridiculous, think it's crazy, mark my words. I don't know what God is gonna do, and I don't know when He's gonna do it. But one thing that we all know is that this world is coming to a close as we know it. That could be another week, it could be another millennia, but it's gonna happen. And before it happens, rest assured that those people in our government right now, and in every government in the world, when it comes to what God is going to do through his people, all these people who hated each other, they are going to love each other. They will unify themselves against everything that is sacred and holy. They are going to reject Christ collectively. And that means they're going to reject you. And I don't think that we're long away from them sort of making the mandate that any talk about that comes from the Bible is hate speech. It's coming. Christ taught it, Paul taught it, Peter taught it. It is coming. John taught it. All Christianity, they are coming for Christianity. And Republicans and Democrats will agree on this. They will agree on this. And what they will say is what people in the Bible said, what the Jews said, we will not have this man reign over us. Talking about Jesus. We will not have this man reign over us. And here's the sad part. But here's the thing. We have Christians today saying that Jesus is not reigning over them now, but he will later on in the future. If you have Christians saying today that Jesus is not ruling and reigning now, then you will side with those who, when the intensity increases, you will side with those who say, we will not have this man reign over us. And if you're not a student of the word of God, you need to become one right away. Like today. And I mean literally today. Then, going on, after Pilate and Herod became buddies, chums, Pilate called together the chief priests and the rulers of the people. And he said to them, he said to them, You have brought this man to me. Now keep in mind, Pilate is talking to the Jews, the chief priests and the rulers and the people. And he says, Look, you guys brought this man to me as one that perverts the people. You told me that he's perverting the people. And behold, I have examined him in front of you. I examined him in front of you. And I have found no fault in this man, touching those things whereof you accuse him. Look, Pilate said he finds no fault. He sends him to Herod. Herod finds no fault. Herod sends him back to Pilate, and Pilate tells him, I find no fault. These two wicked carnal men, ungodly men, no religion with them whatsoever, no faith whatsoever in anything. They themselves cleared Christ. They pronounced him innocent, not guilty, not at fault. Watch what happens next. He says, Not only did I not find any fault, but then he goes on and says, Neither did Herod. Neither did Herod. Pilate didn't find fault, Herod didn't find fault. They wanted to let him go. So then Pilate says, For I sent you to him, to Herod, that is, and lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. In other words, Pilate says, I sent him to Herod. Herod didn't put him to death. He sent him back to me. So why are we here? The Jews were not giving up yet. The Jews weren't giving up yet. So Pilate says, even though Jesus was was innocent, but he wanted to appease the Jews, so he says, Look, here's what I'll do. I'll beat him for you. I'll punish him. I'll chastise him and I'll just let him go. Let me just put the whips on him. Tenderize him. And then let him go. And then he had a reason for believing he could let them go. He says, For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast. So the Jews had a Passover law that the Romans allowed. So if the Romans ever imprisoned, if they whenever they imprisoned a Jew, then at the Passover, then the Romans would agree to free whichever one of the Jews who were imprisoned that the Jews wanted to have freed. This was their sort of agreement. So Pilate thought, well, you know, since we've agreed that we will allow one of the incarcerated persons to go free, then we'll just let Jesus go free. They surely they won't they won't be mad at that. So we'll just chastise him, put the whips to him, and then we'll just let him go. And then that'll be the guy that we let go for Israel. And then the chief priests and the scribes and the elders, they said, it says they cried out all at once, all at once, saying, Away with this man, give us Barabbas. Away with this man and give us Barabbas. The Jews were allowed to free one criminal during the Passover. The Romans agreed to let one of their incarcerated citizens from among the Jews to go free during Passover. Pilate thought this was a slam dunk. Surely they'll let, surely they'll let Jesus go. We believe he's innocent, and there's nothing that we can see he did wrong, so surely they will let him go. They said, no, no. Give us Barabbas. Now, Barabbas was incarcerated for sedition and for murder. Barabbas was imprisoned for sedition and murder. This is the guy who was actually perverting the nation. The Jews accused Jesus of perverting the nation. But Barabbas actually perverted the nation with his murder and sedition. Now, what is sedition? Sedition is insurrection. It is going, it is rebelling against the government. Insurrection, sedition is to rebel against the government. The Jews tried to get Jesus crucified for sedition. And here they are asking for Jesus Christ to be crucified and asking for sedition, which he didn't do. And they want Pilate to release Barabbas, who was actually guilty of sedition and murder. And he went to them again saying, Come on, let me let Jesus go. And at this point, they said, Away with him, crucify him, crucify him, crucify him, give us Barabbas. Now, here's the thing. For those of you who are like really nerdy when it comes to the word of God, I'm one of those people. And I wish we all were nerdy when it comes to the word of God. So here's the thing. Jesus Christ is the son of his father. He's the son of the father, the true son of God, the son of the father. Barabbas, his name means son of the father. Jesus is the real, true son of the father, and Barabbas' name means son of the father. Bar Abba, son of Father.