Today’s Reading: John 19:1-11
Hearing God’s Voice for Today:
“So Pilate said to him, ‘You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?’ Jesus answered him, ‘You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore, he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.’”
* * * * *
Pilate was caught in a vise. The Jewish leaders wanted Jesus dead. But Pilate found no guilt in him. And his wife had an intuition in a dream that led her to warn him not to have anything to do with Jesus.14
The Roman soldiers shoved a crown of thorns on Jesus’ forehead, causing a swollen, bloodied brow. They hung a purple robe on his shoulders to mock his claim to be a king.
But the crowd’s blind rage still demanded his death.
Pilate asked Jesus where he came from. The Lord didn’t answer. Pilate became increasingly irritated and asked Jesus if he fully understood that he had all authority to set him free or kill him.
Jesus responded. He knew that there is a time to be silent and there is a time to speak. Now was a time to speak in his defense—to address Pilate’s misstatement.
Jesus told Pilate that he had no authority unless it had been given to him from above, from the heavenly Father. He rules over all earthly authorities, whether they realize it or not. He alone exalts and lowers people. No human has power unless the Father gives it to him.
Every earthly leader will one day face the heavenly Father. They will be held responsible for how they’ve treated his children. Jesus also reminded Pilate that Caiaphas, the one who had handed him over, had committed the greater sin. He was the master overseer guiding this scenario from behind the scenes. Pilate was a mere puppet. Caiaphas would be held to a stricter wrath from the Father because he clearly knew what he was doing.
All sin is wrong before the Father. But there are greater and lesser sins in the Father’s moral law.15 Some sins inflict greater pain on people than other sins. The greater the sin, the greater the judgment will be from the heavenly Father. That was true for Caiaphas. It is true for all people in authority.
If you oversee others, you need to recognize this truth: If you have any authority on earth and are influencing others, either in your job, or at home with kids, or in an organization, realize that all authority has been given to you from above. Therefore, use your authority wisely. Use it to influence people toward Jesus. Use it to care for others, not gain personal benefits. Use it to help people, not hurt them.
The best leaders serve people for those people’s glory. They don’t use people for their own glory. They are true servant leaders. They are not proud or arrogant. They operate in humility and grace. They see the oversight of others as a gift from God. They realize that one day they will be accountable to God for how they’ve treated those under their authority. They take this leadership responsibility very seriously.
After all, Jesus said that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him.16 Human ability to oversee others is a gift from him.
All earthly leaders need to be reminded they are under Jesus’ leadership.
Human leadership needs to reflect his servant leadership.
[from “Hearing the Voice of God” by Pastor David Chadwick, Moments of Hope Church, Charlotte, NC]