“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.’ So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat …. Now it was the Day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, ‘Behold your King!’ 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.’ So he delivered Him over to them to be crucified.”
(John 19:12-13a, 14-16 ESV)
Who is your king—the person to whom you give your ultimate loyalty? How far will you go to serve that person? Pilate had to choose between treating Jesus justly and keeping in Caesar’s good books. If Caesar heard bad things about him, he could order Pilate’s death. So when the crunch came, Pilate folded.
What about Jesus’ enemies? For years they had resisted calling Caesar their king. For example, they refused to display his emblems in the temple on grounds that this would be an offense to God. But when they saw the chance to get what they wanted—the death of Jesus—they also folded.
It’s fair to say that your king is whatever rules your life, whatever your heart prizes most of all. God calls us to trust in Jesus as our King—our crucified and risen Savior, the One who gave Himself for us out of sheer love and mercy.
We Pray: Lord, let Your Holy Spirit give me faith and love to serve You always as my true King. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* After Jesus, what is most important to you?
* Have you ever had to choose between two important people or things?
* How did you choose?
Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on March 25, 2024
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights