I rarely do this but I was moved in my spirit by this writing so I wanted to re-post it here. I'm not sure who wrote this as there are several people to whom this is attributed. Clearly the dramatic parts are the author's own ideas but the Biblical references are sound.
If you think the Jews or Rome "truly" crucified Jesus, you misunderstood what Jesus told Pilate.
On the surface, it looks like a standard execution trial. The atmosphere is tense and the mood is very heavy. It appears the system is winning.
We usually picture this as Jesus caught in a vice between Roman power and Jewish religious anger. It looks like Pilate has the authority, the leaders have the leverage, and Jesus is just the victim caught in the middle.
You have religious leaders standing outside to stay "clean" while ironically lobbying for a murder. Then you have Pilate, annoyed and twitchy, trying to figure out this prisoner using political science. They treat Jesus like a criminal before they’ve even found a crime.
Jesus doesn’t answer like a rebel or a victim. He talks about a kingdom that doesn't use the kind of violence Pilate understands. This confuses Pilate. And because he can’t categorize Jesus or use Him for leverage, he decides Jesus is irrelevant.
We’ve all been in situations where it feels like someone else holds all the cards; your boss, a judge, or just a person with more leverage than you. You feel small because they have the "authority."
Pilate knows Jesus is innocent, but he tries to negotiate his way out of a hard decision. He offers a choice between Jesus and Barabbas. The crowd chooses the violent man over the man of truth. In that moment, it became obvious that this wasn't about justice; but about people protecting their own interests at any cost.
Pilate eventually loses his temper and asks, “Do you not know that I have authority to release You and authority to crucify You?”
But look at how Jesus responds. He doesn't panic or argue. He just says, “You would have no authority over Me at all unless it had been given you from above.”
In one sentence, Jesus resets the entire scene. He isn't denying Pilate's power, but He’s telling Pilate that he's just a middleman. Pilate didn’t earn that power, and he doesn’t own it. He’s just holding it for a moment as part of the process.
Earlier in John’s Gospel, Jesus said, “No one takes My life from Me, but I lay it down of Myself”. Later, He reminds His followers that He could have called twelve legions of angels to stop the whole thing.
The cross wasn't a lack of power. It was Jesus’ refusal to use power for Himself.
Think about the difference there. Pilate is desperate to keep his job and his status, so he uses his borrowed power to protect himself. Jesus has ultimate power, yet He uses it to give Himself away for us. One man is terrified of losing control; the other is so secure in God that He doesn't need to control the outcome.
We often think "authority" means the ability to force people to do what we want. But Jesus shows us that real authority is the strength to stay on the path God set, even when you have the power to walk away. It wasn't the nails that held Jesus to that cross, it was His own will.
When it appears as if Jesus is silent in your life, do you look at Him like Pilate did, or are you able to recognize His authority even when it looks like He’s losing?
Because on that day, the only person in the room who was truly free was the one in chains.
Ref: John 18:28–40, John 19:10–11, John 10:18, Matthew 26:53
If you think the Jews or Rome "truly" crucified Jesus, you misunderstood what Jesus told Pilate.
On the surface, it looks like a standard execution trial. The atmosphere is tense and the mood is very heavy. It appears the system is winning.
We usually picture this as Jesus caught in a vice between Roman power and Jewish religious anger. It looks like Pilate has the authority, the leaders have the leverage, and Jesus is just the victim caught in the middle.
You have religious leaders standing outside to stay "clean" while ironically lobbying for a murder. Then you have Pilate, annoyed and twitchy, trying to figure out this prisoner using political science. They treat Jesus like a criminal before they’ve even found a crime.
Jesus doesn’t answer like a rebel or a victim. He talks about a kingdom that doesn't use the kind of violence Pilate understands. This confuses Pilate. And because he can’t categorize Jesus or use Him for leverage, he decides Jesus is irrelevant.
We’ve all been in situations where it feels like someone else holds all the cards; your boss, a judge, or just a person with more leverage than you. You feel small because they have the "authority."
Pilate knows Jesus is innocent, but he tries to negotiate his way out of a hard decision. He offers a choice between Jesus and Barabbas. The crowd chooses the violent man over the man of truth. In that moment, it became obvious that this wasn't about justice; but about people protecting their own interests at any cost.
Pilate eventually loses his temper and asks, “Do you not know that I have authority to release You and authority to crucify You?”
But look at how Jesus responds. He doesn't panic or argue. He just says, “You would have no authority over Me at all unless it had been given you from above.”
In one sentence, Jesus resets the entire scene. He isn't denying Pilate's power, but He’s telling Pilate that he's just a middleman. Pilate didn’t earn that power, and he doesn’t own it. He’s just holding it for a moment as part of the process.
Earlier in John’s Gospel, Jesus said, “No one takes My life from Me, but I lay it down of Myself”. Later, He reminds His followers that He could have called twelve legions of angels to stop the whole thing.
The cross wasn't a lack of power. It was Jesus’ refusal to use power for Himself.
Think about the difference there. Pilate is desperate to keep his job and his status, so he uses his borrowed power to protect himself. Jesus has ultimate power, yet He uses it to give Himself away for us. One man is terrified of losing control; the other is so secure in God that He doesn't need to control the outcome.
We often think "authority" means the ability to force people to do what we want. But Jesus shows us that real authority is the strength to stay on the path God set, even when you have the power to walk away. It wasn't the nails that held Jesus to that cross, it was His own will.
When it appears as if Jesus is silent in your life, do you look at Him like Pilate did, or are you able to recognize His authority even when it looks like He’s losing?
Because on that day, the only person in the room who was truly free was the one in chains.
Ref: John 18:28–40, John 19:10–11, John 10:18, Matthew 26:53
