December 12, 2016

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON! GOD'S GOT THIS.

John 19:1–27

Andrew Mainord
Monday's Devo

December 12, 2016

Monday's Devo

December 12, 2016

Central Truth

God is the ultimate authority over all—for our good and His glory. 

Key Verse | John 19:10–11

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." (John 19:10-11a)

John 19:1–27

Jesus Delivered to Be Crucified

Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” The Jews 1 19:7 Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time; also verses 12, 14, 31, 38 answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 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?” 11 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.”

12 From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” 13 So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic 2 19:13 Or Hebrew; also verses 17, 20 Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. 3 19:14 That is, about noon He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” 15 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.” 16 So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

So they took Jesus, 17 and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”

23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. 4 19:23 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24 so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,

“They divided my garments among them,
    and for my clothing they cast lots.”

So the soldiers did these things, 25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

Footnotes

[1] 19:7 Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time; also verses 12, 14, 31, 38
[2] 19:13 Or Hebrew; also verses 17, 20
[3] 19:14 That is, about noon
[4] 19:23 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin

Dive Deeper | John 19:1–27

As I read through this passage, I noticed a couple of things right away: (1) Jesus’ response in the middle of great suffering, and (2) Pilate’s attitude in the middle of great pressure. How did Jesus do it? What caused Pilate to miss it? How can I be more like Jesus in difficult times?

First, Jesus was beaten and mocked beyond what I can imagine. Yet, He remained calm. He didn’t become defensive or angry, like I might easily do in the face of injustice. Even with Pilate, Jesus' only response was full of grace. He could have stopped it all from happening at any time, but He didn’t. He willingly endured. Jesus explains the source of His peace and patient endurance in verses 10 and 11. No authority had been given to Pilate that God did not allow. Jesus completely trusted God and His authority and sovereignty over all.

Pilate, on the other hand, gave in to the pressure of the crowd, despite his own doubts. He cared more about his job than he did about Jesus. Pilate was not convinced Jesus needed to die and found no guilt in Him (verse 6). He was even afraid and sought to release Him (verse 12). In the end, though, Pilate turned Jesus over to the crowd after the crowd cried out that Pilate was no friend of Caesar's if Pilate released Jesus (verse 12). Pilate was not able to endure the pressure because he did not trust the God who is the ultimate authority over us all. Rather, Pilate thought he was in control instead.

As I reflect on authorities in my life, like my parents, teachers, and coaches, do I respond to them in a way that honors God because I know He has placed them in my life for a purpose? I also think about difficult circumstances and times of injustice in my life. Do I respond as one who knows that God is in control and the ultimate Sovereign over all? Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds me that I can: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Discussion Questions

1. Who are the authorities in your life whom God has placed there for a purpose?

2. When have you suffered greatly, and what was your response?

3. When have you acted more like Pilate and given in to pressure?

4. What does it look like for you to recognize God as the ultimate authority in your life?