John 19:7-11
7 The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.”
8 When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever. 9 He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked him, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. 10 “Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?”
11 Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”
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Jesus claimed to be the son of God! That's what made the Jewish leaders so mad that they wanted to kill him. Lots of people today want to make out that Jesus is just a good guy with good teaching. They just want a 'nice' Jesus. These people miss the real Jesus. They miss the point. Jesus made a big deal about his identity. Jesus raised the issue often. He took opinion polls and survived his constituents. Jesus wanted to make sure that the message was delivered by the right people. (I'm quite tempted to 'proof text all these statements but will leave it to you to read the Bible for yourself!) Some people he hushed up and others he sent out with a message. But by the time to we get to Jesus death he was very open about who he was. And it was the reality of his claim that scared the Pharisees into wanting him dead and Pilate into taking a step back and considering what he was about to do. Claims to be some kind of king or leader were as rife as ever in Jesus and Pilate's day. So it was not the claim alone that stirred so much consternation. Surely, Pilate as shaken by the claim. Pilate as not a Jew. He didn't have a Jewish religious perspective. He did understand the implications of usurping Caesar. But as he said, Jesus was the king of the Jews and the Jews wanted their king dead. Many in ancient Palestine would have wanted Pilate and Caesar and most of the other leaders dead (things have not changed much in that area), but Pilate understood power, both authority (as in his own) and power en-massing (as in the crowds during a holiday). I think that day Pilate learned to respect a much greater power. The power that gave legitimacy to both the people and the rulers. The power of God (and God's Son). Jesus establishes the 'divine right' of rulers as emanating from God. And yet the whole situation and even Jesus' complacence with the situation was a respect of the power of his Father's plan and authority. Nothing that was happening that day was out of hand. Nothing was random coincidence. Nothing happens unless God allows it.
Do you see the power of God at work? Do you realize that you have no rights or authority that do not flow from God? Do you threaten God with your unwillingness? Do you bargain as if you have something of value? Do you act as if you are in control of this world, your workplace, your family, your partner, your children, or even yourself?
Really? Do you have any thing that isn't given to you or allowed you by God?
But with power comes responsibility. This you have! You do have ownership of your own choices and the outcomes of those choices. You may crucify/deny/ignore/mock the Son of God but you still will have to answer to him. Are you ready? Who really has the power of life and death? The Son of God does.
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