David Bahn – Reflections

John 18:33-35

So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” ³⁴Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” ³⁵Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?”

Sometimes we get into deep water by carrying other peoples’ water. We take the anxiety of someone else and try to pursue their agenda rather than our own. Sometimes it is out of fear that we do this; we’re afraid that if we don’t do something we’ll get into trouble. Other times we don’t even realize that we have borrowed someone else’s troubles. Whatever the reason, that’s what Pilate is doing here.

Jesus sees right through it. He realizes that Pilate is working off the Pharisee’s and Jewish leaders’ talking points. He recognizes that Pilate doesn’t care about Jesus or the Jewish religious sensibilities – except to the extent that they cause him trouble or threaten his security as governor. Jesus calls him on it: “…did others say it to you about me?”

If we were to be more careful about dealing with life from our own sensibilities and values we would be less likely to find ourselves in a bind of another’s making. The question of Jesus’ authority, reign, and place in our life is vitally important. But it is not important because someone else wants it to be so, or because someone else is anxious about his impact on their world. It is important because he is the King of kings, and his impact on the world is eternally good.

Whether it is worrying about what someone else will say if we pray in Jesus’ name, or that we may get in trouble if we allow Jesus to shape our ethics or business decisions, if we are letting anyone but Jesus set our life’s agenda, the wrong person is in charge. He is King of the Jews, but he is so much more. He is King of kings and king of my life. How about yours?