Father, as I come before You, I do so humbly. I deserve none of the grace extended and lavished up me, but You continue to do so. You are truly an awesome and mighty God. All praise to You!
John 19:4-16 (<<click here to read the passage)
I cannot think of particulars, but I know in my time at Kohl’s there were times when a customer would blow up about something they thought they were entitled to – ranting and raving the entire time! After they had exhausted every avenue of argument most times, they would demand to see a manager – the top dog would certainly cave to their demands!
If you happened to be in proximity, it was always quite humorous (at least from a store associate’s perspective) when the person that had been chewing up and spitting out was the manager on duty!
Of course, there were always threats of calling our corporate headquarters and whatnot but rarely was that ever the case.
In this passage there is certainly a lot of ranting and raving, yelling and screaming, combined with a lot of threats, as well. But as we read through these verses, it is very obvious Who was in charge…and it was neither the Jewish leadership nor Pilate.
Pilate wanted to wash his hands of the whole thing (literally!), but the Jewish leaders wouldn’t have it and shot back with every counterattack that came to mind. Not surprisingly, they were the ones ranting the loudest, but they also had absolutely zero power when it came to calling for the death of their opposition, which is where Pilate fits it to it all.
In the end, Pilate caved when the Jewish leaders threatened to call “corporate headquarters” – Rome. And ultimately, they got what they had been clamoring for – Jesus’ death.
Through it all…Jesus remained composed. He knew the truth, he knew God’s plan, and he knew the reason for his trial. Despite the pressure and persecution, Jesus remained unmoved. It was really Pilate and the religious leaders who were on trial, not Jesus.*
The world around us may all be in a tither but as followers of Christ, we know with Whom we stand. And regardless of who thinks they hold the power; God alone is Sovereign. Throughout the ages, believers have stood firm in their faith. In the past and even today, many have yielded their very lives, and yes that is tragic, but ultimately, they were the victors. For as the Apostle Paul stated,
For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. Philippians 1:21 NLT
Lord Jesus, may we abide in You regardless of the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Help us to attain that end for only then will we be victorious!
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
Nov 2nd, 2021, Tues, 5:14 pm
