Jewels From Johnনমুনা

All Authority Comes From Above 

“Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you? Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.” John 19: 10-11 (NIV)

(Read John 18: 28-40 and John 19: 1-16 for the detailed account).

He could have asked the Father to send legions of angels to fight on His behalf, but He chose to submit to human authority, only to fulfill the Father’s will for His life. 

Pilate was in a major dilemma when the Jewish leaders, who, not wanting blood on their hands, passed the buck on to Pilate to sentence Jesus to death. When Pilate asked Jesus if He was ‘the King of the Jews?’ Jesus stunned him by replying, that His Kingdom was not of this world, and hence there were no earthly followers to fight on His behalf. When the Jews told Pilate that Jesus also claimed to be the ‘Son of God’, it terrified Pilate even more.

Pilate knew, deep down, that Jesus was not guilty, and as he continued to question Him, Jesus was not willing to answer him anymore. In desperation to get Jesus off his hands, he asked Him "Don’t you realize I have power to free you or crucify you?" to which Jesus gave this astounding reply. "You have no power over me if it were not given to you from above". John 19: 10-12.

It is imperative for us to understand that all authority on earth comes from God alone.  Romans 13:1 clearly spells this message out to us, “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.” (NLT) This, in a way, takes away any undue fear or restlessness from our hearts as we realize that the Lord is in control over every authority that is established over us.

The other important lesson for us to learn from Jesus is that we need to submit to the authority that God places over us. If Jesus wanted to, as He mentioned in Matthew 26:53, he could have asked the Father to send legions of angels to fight on His behalf, but He chose to submit to human authority only to fulfil the Father’s will for His life. 

In Titus 3:1, we read, “Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good.” (NLT)

So what is it that we are required to do for our leaders and those in authority? In 1 Timothy 2:1-2 we read, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” (NKJV)