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, 11
Jesus was on trial for His life. The conventions of Roman justice demanded that an accused man hear the charges against him and be given opportunity to rebut them. Pilate desperately wanted to release Jesus and thereby to uphold Roman cultural conventions and make a just determination; and, since Jesus’ accusers had only accusations, and no evidence, with which to condemn Him, Pilate sought to get Jesus to defend Himself.
Justice could be served and the whole matter put to rest if only the accused would speak, if only He would answer Pilate’s questions and, you know, help him a little bit.
But the just outcome Jesus was seeking in silence before Pilate was of a much higher order, and He knew that, for divine justice to be served in His situation, all human injustice must have its way.
Having already declared to Pilate that His Kingdom was not of this world, Jesus now pointed to that Kingdom, and His absolute confidence in its Ruler, by refusing to abide by the fallen conventions of men. The concept of justice, understood from the perspective of the Kingdom of God, was much larger, and much more consequential than what Pilate could understand.
No comments:
Post a Comment