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April 13 -- John 18:28-40

“Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.’ ‘What is truth?’ retorted Pilate.” –John 18:37-38 (NIV)

John does not tell us what went on between Jesus and Caiaphas, but after the interview with Caiaphas, Jesus was brought before Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. The Jewish officials could not enter the governor’s palace because to enter a Gentile’s home would make them ceremonially unclean and unable to eat the Passover, so Pilate came out to them and asked about the charges against Jesus, who hadn’t done anything in violation of Roman law.

The officials insisted Jesus was a criminal, but Pilate believed Jesus could only have done something to violate Jewish religious law, so he told the officials to judge Jesus themselves. The officials didn’t just want to punish Jesus, however; they wanted Him to be executed, and they had no authority to do this. The leaders wanted Jesus executed was to prove to the populace that He was not the Messiah because it was common knowledge that anyone hung on a tree was under God’s curse (see Deuteronomy 21:22-23). Thus, the leaders’ rejection of Jesus would be vindicated. How little they understood of the Messianic prophecies and God’s plan!

Their request put Pilate in a tricky situation. He had to maintain order in this area of the Roman Empire, and he had no desire to get in the middle of a local religious squabble. At the same time, he wanted to keep the Jewish leaders happy so that they wouldn’t stir up any insurrections, which were always possible due to the zealots’ hatred of Rome. In addition, it was a precarious time for Pilate politically. He was a protégé of Sejanus, a Roman consul and personal friend of Caesar who suddenly lost favor and was executed two years earlier. So, Pilate couldn’t afford even the slightest perception of disloyalty to Caesar. With these things in mind, Pilate took Jesus into the palace to question Him. After all, if Jesus was a dangerous zealot, He would have to be executed.

So, Pilate asked Jesus if He was the king of the Jews. Jesus responded, “Is that your own idea, or did others talk to you about Me?” (v. 34). Pilate responded that he wasn’t a Jew—he had no interest in this fight; he was just trying to figure out why the Jewish leaders wanted Jesus killed.

Jesus answered that His kingdom is not of this world; He had no land or troops here. Pilate latched onto this statement, trying to get Jesus to admit His kingship, but Jesus simply said He came to this world to “testify to the truth” (v. 37). Jesus’ words show that He was open to sharing this truth with everyone—even a Roman governor like Pilate, but Pilate’s response showed that he doubted the existence of absolute truth (v. 38).

At this point in the conversation, it appears that Pilate decided Jesus was just a harmless religious fanatic, so he went out to tell the Jewish leaders that he found no reason to execute Jesus. Thinking he had found a “loophole” to this escalating situation, Pilate reminded the crowd that he would always release one prisoner every year at Passover as a gesture of goodwill. Pilate suggested that Jesus should be that prisoner, but the crowd shouted for Barabbas, a man who had participated in an actual uprising against Rome.

Neither Pilate nor the Jewish leaders really knew what was happening. Neither understood the truth and, therefore, never listened to or believed in Jesus. Each was trying to control the situation to maintain their authority and power, and both thought they had power over Jesus. In actuality, neither had any power that had not been given to them. From all outward appearances, Jesus was being used as a pawn, but in actuality, He was (and is) the King of Kings! We humans sometimes get so involved in trying to maintain control that we fail to see the larger picture—the work God is doing right under our noses. We forget that He is in control and that whatever we have has been given by Him.

Spend some time in surrender today. Surrender your circumstances and your need for control over to God. Trust the truth that Jesus is Lord of your life and Savior of your soul. Ask Him to lift you up and give you a glimpse of His “10,000-foot view” of your life, saving you from your own nearsightedness. Then, thank Him for never leaving you in control—as much as you think you want that sometimes!

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My name is Melissa Anderson. I'm a spiritual director and ordained pastor who loves God, people, and words. You can read more about me by clicking the button below.

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