This morning I am reflecting on some verses from John 19 which we might overlook at times, for they are captured in the greater context of Jesus' passion and death. However, as I read this chapter this morning, these verses really stood out - John 19:13-15 NIV:
[13] When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). [14] It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon. “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.
[15] But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”
“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.
“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered."
The last statement, made by the chief priests, just grabbed my attention this morning and I want to spend some time looking at this radical statement, and their motivation.
On the surface, we could think that they are just saying the expected answer, which was required under Roman law, but I think there is much more to their claiming no other king but Caesar. We could say that they are using this approach so that they can have Jesus put to death, as they didn't have the right to do that under Roman law, and yet, I think that is missing some of the real reason.
The question in my mind this morning, is why did they want to kill Jesus so bad that they would openly embrace the Roman law and their oppressor? I believe it has to do with the politics of power! They had some level of power and authority, and they saw that the people were starting to look to Jesus as having a far superior authority and power. He had raised Lazarus from the dead! He had taught with authority and demonstrated that authority and power multiple times. He did all things well, and repeatedly proved Himself superior to them.
I believe that much of their fear was a fear of losing their positions of power, of influence, and political impact. They were the ones in power, the ones that mattered, the ones the people had looked to previously, and suddenly the people were favoring Jesus over them.
As I was reading this and reflecting on this, it made me realize the depth of depravity people will go to in order to maintain their seat at the table, if you will. They were willing to fully embrace the very ones they had been resisting in order to maintain what little power they had! They were rejecting their true Messiah, in order to stay under the thumb of Roman oppression, just so they could go on living their lives of self importance. Their were rejecting God's promised savior in favor of earthly power. They were rejecting the first and second commandments so they could enjoy their positions.
I am reminded of the Jews original rejection of God, found in 1 Samuel 8:6-8 NIV:
[6] But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. [7] And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. [8] As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you."
My question this morning is are we doing this same thing today? Are we putting a political ideology before God, because we want to keep our way of life, or position of power, or whatever? Does fully embracing the things of God challenge us to lay down things we don't want to lay down? Are we embracing our oppressor, rather than our savior? Are we willing to embrace the world rather than follow God's plan and purpose for us, because we like what the World offers?
I think that none of us would willingly shout "Crucify Him!", yet possibly our actual actions might be saying the same thing as the chief priests! We don't want God to disturb our lives, to interrupt the good thing we have going, and given a choice, which we have daily, we would choose wrongly.
Lord, help us, help me! Help me to recognize anything that is siding with the oppressor or the world rather than You!
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