Here are different groups of people having wrong ideas about Jesus. You may be surprised if you discover your view is the same as some of these people!
The governor appointed by Rome did not agree with the claims of Jesus who had been arrested and brought to him. Jesus told the governor that He had been born to be a King! “Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me”, Jesus said. (verse 37.) The proud Roman governor was not impressed. He didn’t mind calling Him the “King of the Jews,” but he certainly was not going to accept Him as the KING to rule over his life!
What about YOU? Will you accept these claims made by the Lord Jesus Christ? Maybe, like Pilate, you think of Jesus as having the right to rule over others, but you don’t want Him to be in control of YOUR life. If you don’t want to obey Jesus as KING in your life then you don’t want the LORD Jesus Christ!
The rejected King Jesus, “Carrying His own cross, went out to The Place of the Skull. Here they crucified Him, and with Him two others.” (verses 17-18.)
I hope you are not like Pilate! But maybe you are like the very religious people who were there. To them the words and actions of their own priests were all that mattered. Jesus’ claim to be THE TRUTH about God made them very angry.
“The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate about the notice he wrote for Jesus’ cross. ‘Do not write The King of the Jews’ but that this Man claimed to be king of the Jews.’
Pilate answered, ‘What I have written, I have written.’” (verses 21-22.)
Don’t you be like these religious people who rejected Jesus’ words and authority. How very strange that they could so easily accept the authority of priests instead, even though some were seen to be wicked and evil leaders! It is most important for you that you should check up on the very words of Jesus Christ for yourself as they are found in the Holy Bible.
But some people today are more like the soldiers in this story. They were eager to have some souvenir to remind them of Jesus. “They took His clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them.” (verses 23-24)
Many people today like to have some “thing” that reminds them of Jesus. Perhaps it is their sacraments, or their so called ‘holy pictures’, or relics. Yet, like those soldiers, they will continue to live their lives in rebellion against the great King of Truth! Their lives still have vulgar language, bad behaviour and sinful habits. You see, souvenirs and “things” are powerless and useless to make you live for and like Jesus!
Have you responded to Jesus like any of these people? It is God who will have the last word! So let’s hear God's verdict: “Whoever does not believe in the name of God’s one and only Son stands condemned already.” (John 3:16-19.) Don’t you go along with the people’s verdict. Trust Jesus as THE TRUTH and as your SAVIOUR and KING right now!
Read these different opinions in John’s Gospel chapter 19, verse 16-24.
John Nixon, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
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