Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “if you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar” […] But they cried out, “away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!” (John 19:10-12,15).
Pilate’s attitude is a clear picture of present worldly leaders. They think they have power they do not actually possess. Pilate says to Jesus, “Do you not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” Jesus’ reply is so to the point! He says to Pilate, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above (Heaven)” (John 19:11). Daniel, in chapter four verse seventeen says, “This decision is […] by the word of the holy ones, in order that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men.” How great and awesome it would be for us if Christian leaders knew and practiced this truth! There is no doubt that many have been co-opted by the world system! This is unquestionably true! ‘The spirit of the age’ has but one agenda, “Get rid of Jesus!”
As believers in Christ, we should be fully aware of ‘the spirit of the age!’ That spirit is Christless, Godless, and humanistic! It is not our friend! Our responsibility before God in this present world is to keep everything Christ-centered, which must inform everything we do. We should never differentiate between our spiritual walk, devotion to Christ, going to the grocery store, sending our children to school, and our politics! Without doubt or debate, Christ should permeate every sector of our lives! With great intentionality and spiritual discernment we must guard against actions and attitudes that say, “We have no king but Caesar!”
To be continued …
Pastor Don