Luke 23:1-25

“We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar … (v2).  Being misunderstood is frustrating.  Being unjustly accused and actually punished, while being innocent, is a terrible tragedy.  Jesus experienced this and, when questioned by Herod, “answered him nothing” (v9).  He knew Herod was not trying to discover truth, and therefore a “debate” was meaningless.  Jesus accepted the terrible death sentence quietly, knowing that God’s loving purposes were in it.

We want to be admired and affirmed by others.  Jesus bore rejection and lies for our sakes, so that we can innocent before the Father.