Jesus Before Pilate
Devotions on John 19:1-16a
Monday–Jesus Before Pilate
“They kept coming to him saying “Hail, King of the Jews” (John 19:3)!
Cindy Dawson, was raised in a conservative Christian family. She took her faith seriously, at an early age. This meant that she didn’t drink or take drugs at any of the high school drinking parties, which she attended, and she was reserved in her sexual activity. Living out her faith also meant that she was kind to others and Cindy had a special knack for befriending classmates who were going through hard times or who were ostracized by the others. Cindy was loved by those she befriended, but several of her classmates mocked her—not because she had done anything to hurt them, but simply because of who she was.
As followers of Jesus, we do things that others sometimes do not understand. We get up early Sunday mornings, when we could have slept in, to worship. We give away our hard earned money and volunteer to spend time helping others. Sometimes we are mocked and put down for what appears to others to be foolish. This is part of what it means to be one of Jesus’ disciples. Jesus, too, was mocked. He was mocked, not because of the threat he posed, but because of the good that he had done.
Lord, grant us a boldness in living out our faith so that we do not shy away from ridicule and respond to it in love. Amen.
Tuesday–Jesus Before Pilate
“’Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him’” (John 19:4).
Things were getting out of control. Pilate was supposed to be in charge, but he was being played by the Jewish authorities. In John’s version of Jesus before Pilate, the Roman Prefect clearly did not want to execute Jesus. He could not control the crowd, however, and he could not direct the course of history. Though Pilate was not in control, we do not get the sense that events were going against God’s divine plan. Rather, the story is following an ancient script foreseen at the beginning of time.
We all know what Pilate felt like—pushed and shoved by people and events. We have made valiant attempts to regain control and impose our will, but we have been unable to do so. In the end, we have raised our hands up in despair, confessed our powerlessness and asked God to take over. Looking back, we realize that we didn’t need to struggle so hard. God was moving in a manner that we didn’t perceive or comprehend. The good news is that God was involved.
Teach us, Lord, when we need to stand firm, or push forward or simply rest in you. Amen.
Wednesday–Jesus Before Pilate
“Pilate said to them, ‘Here is the man’” (John 19:5)!
Behold the man:
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
7 but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
8 he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)
This man is our Lord and Savior. He is our God and King
Lord, Let the same mind be in us as was in you. Amen.
Thursday–Jesus Before Pilate
“We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die” (John 19:7).
Laws are good. They enable us to live together in community. There are times (unfortunately not infrequently) when laws are unjust, unequitable and wrong. Laws allowed slavery and persecution. Current laws, in some states allow people in the LGBTQ community to be discriminated against and persecuted. Enforcing laws concerning undocumented immigrants allow families to be torn apart. The effort by Jewish authorities, to enforce the law, caused an innocent man to be executed.
Jesus broke a lot of Jewish laws and went against a lot of social mores during his ministry. He healed on the Sabbath, reached out to women and the disenfranchised, and criticized the unjust temple laws. Jesus simplified the law. When giving his disciples final instructions before his execution and eventual departure, Jesus told them, “This is my commandment that you love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12). This law supersedes all other laws.
Lord, enable us to love others as you love us. Amen.
Friday–Jesus Before Pilate
“Where are you from” (John 19:9)?
Over ninety percent of the people living in Arizona are not native to the state. The question, “Where are you from?” is a frequent one. It seems that knowing where a person is from is an important part of knowing a person. It is a significant part of his or her story.
This is even truer when Pilate asks this pivotal question of Jesus, in the gospel of John. The gospel writer wants to emphasize that Jesus is not just someone who was born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth. Jesus is more than an itinerant preacher who roamed the Galilean countryside with a rag-tag band of disciples. Jesus is the God who took on human flesh and lived among us (John 1:14).
We killed.Jesus, who is God. He is also the God who was raised from the dead and he is the God whom we follow.
Holy Spirit, move within us and deepen our love for you, our commitment to you and our desire to live for you alone. Amen.
Saturday–Jesus Before Pilate
“Everyone who claims to be king sets himself against the emperor” (John 19:12).
The Jewish authorities may have falsely accused Jesus, and their case against Jesus may have been based on lies, but at times they spoke the truth. This was one of those times. Anyone who claimed to be king set himself against the emperor. Jesus is the king of a kingdom that is not of this world. That does not mean that the kingdom of God and the “kingdoms” of the world can live together in peaceful coexistence. God’s kingdom stands in opposition to the kingdoms of the world. Inhabitants of God’s kingdom are rebels and revolutionaries.
In a world of self-centered consumerism, we proclaim in words and actions that true life is lived in sacrificial service to others. The world’s kingdoms seek to separate and pit one group against another. While acknowledging our unique differences, we celebrate that we are all children of God. In a world that propagates hate and war, we are living examples of the power of love.
Jesus is king and we cannot serve two kings.
Lord, empower us so that we may live in the reality of your kingdom and live out the truth of your gospel. Amen.
Sunday–Jesus Before Pilate
“The chief priests answered, “We have no king but the emperor” (John 19:15).
Throughout their history, the people of Israel had worshiped other gods. They often sought other gods out of a confused quest for self-preservation. One god promised them good crops. Another god guaranteed children, while a third offered protection from foreign invasion. The priests and the prophets would call the people back to worship the one true God—often to no avail. In their interaction with Pilate, it is the priests—the religious leaders of the people—who turn from God and declare their allegiance to the emperor.
The many false gods around us promise (falsely) to give us things—success, happiness, wealth. It is only the Lord who promises us God’s steadfast love, overwhelming grace and unconditional forgiveness. The Lord is the one who does not promise to shield us from life, but rather to remain with us through all of life.
Several years later, the emperor turned against the chief priests and Jewish religious authorities. They lost their wealth, their positions and many of them lost their lives. Israel was destroyed. The emperor and other false gods proved to be just that—false. Only the Lord continued to offer the followers of Jesus the steadfast love, overwhelming grace and unconditional forgiveness that had been promised.
Jesus Before Pilate (2)
Lord, thank you for your unchanging love and grace. Amen.