Day 23 :: Who is in Charge?
So Pilate said to him, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” “You would have no authority over me at all,” Jesus answered him, “if it hadn’t been given you from above. This is why the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”
John 19:10-11(6-18)
Pilate had thought it was a good idea. He had wanted to honour Caesar, and most likely hoped that Caesar would honour him in return. But it had backfired. He had brought golden shields, and later banners, into Jerusalem, bearing the image of Caesar. This violated Jewish law, and on both occasions, they had been raging. The huge stir these offenses created had reached the ears of Caesar, who angrily told Pilate off. “Do not irritate these people,” Pilate was told, “Do not stir them up into a riot. Keep the peace.” Pilate had been foolish, he had made enemies, and was now walking on eggshells, trying to restore calm and favour. He couldn’t afford another slip-up.
So, when the Jews brought Jesus before Pilate to be judged and Pilate had found no guilt in him, it created a sticky situation. Pilate was governor. It was up to him to make the call to punish Jesus or to set him free, but when it came right down to it, his hands were tied. Yes, he’d been put in a position of authority, but even Pilate knew deep down that on that day, his authority was actually an illusion. And Jesus called his bluff. Jesus told Pilate that the authority he was trying to claim was only his by the sovereign power of God. The one claiming authority actually had none. The one standing before Pilate, appearing to be under his authority, actually held the power.
Every single thing in the sequence of events surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus; all the injustices, and even the fact that Pilate was powerless that day and had no choice but to give in to the people’s demands to crucify Jesus, was orchestrated by the all-powerful God, and was His sovereign plan all along.
We speak of the sovereignty of God in our lives, of his supreme power and authority. But even though we believe in God’s sovereignty, sometimes we still walk through life as if the power or authority is ours. We get anxious, thinking our lives are all up to us, as if we can create a certain outcome. Or we live in fear, as if we have to figure things out for ourselves, and one wrong move will cause everything to implode on us.
We think we have some authority, but that is only an illusion. And that’s good news. If my life’s outcomes were left up to me, I would definitely blow it and create one train wreck after another. If my salvation were left up to me, I would never choose or keep hold of Christ on my own. And if Jesus’ crucifixion had not been absolutely fixed in the plan of God, if anything had been able to derail it, Satan would have won, and we would all be doomed to eternity separated from God’s presence in Hell.
Is there a painful situation in your life today that you would love to escape from or change, but by the loving sovereignty of God it has been allowed to remain? Remember that God orchestrated the torture and death of his own Son to ransom your soul. If he can do that, he can and he WILL use the situation in your life for your good and for his glory. Praise God today that we can trust his sovereign authority.
Passages to read: John 19:6-18
A thought to remember: We can trust God’s sovereignty to work out our painful situation for good
A question to ask: Do I really trust God for what he is doing in my life?
A song to sing: Be Still, My Soul (In You I Rest) by Kari Jobe