Broken Signposts: How Christianity Makes Sense of the WorldSample

Broken Signposts: Power

Over a century ago, Lord Acton wrote, ‘Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely’. Indeed, as we witness the suffering and injustices in our world because of the abuses of power, we may be rightfully suspicious of those who hold positions of power and authority. Yet, the divine intention was that human creatures would use their power to steward creation wisely—bringing order to the world—rather than dominating or diminishing others for self-gain. 

The Creator God designed his world to be governed through the agency of his human creatures. One of the reasons ‘power’ has become such a broken and battered signpost throughout the ages is because those in charge have insisted that power must be attained and maintained by the threat or use of violence. However, Jesus revealed a different sort of power—one that does not come from the world but has come for the world (John 18:36). 

Through a position of apparent weakness and a posture of obedient humility, Jesus stood before Pilate—a different kind of king, from a different kind of kingdom. In John’s Gospel, we see that Jesus redefines power through his example of self-giving love.

Power according to Jesus is not one that sweeps away the enemies of God’s people by displays of brute force. Rather, as Israel’s Messiah, Jesus is the Lamb of God (John 1:29), who rescues his people by means of a very different and strange kind of power—as one that is led like a sheep to the slaughter. John illustrates that even though Jesus’ closest friends and followers had heard about the powerful love of God, they still did not grasp the type of love that consisted of laying down one’s life for his friends (John 15:13) for the sake of the world. 

In the garden of Gethsemane, a faction of Pharisees, chief priests, and soldiers, led by Judas, had come for Jesus with the full force of the empire emblazoning their torches and weapons. Peter stepped forward, perhaps thinking he would beat them to the first punch, and drew his sword slicing off the ear of the high priest’s servant, Malchus (John 18:10). Yet, Jesus insisted that the transfer of power would not be accomplished by these ‘normal’ means to victory. Instead, he healed Malchus and commanded Peter to sheath his sword (v. 11). Ordinary power and ordinary kingdoms of the world have death as their most powerful weapon. Here we see a profound reversal of everything we thought we knew about power—one that goes to the cross and has the power to overcome death.

As the story of Jesus comes to a close in John, we discover that Jesus’ power is be transferred to his followers and exercised by them as they go out into the world. Yet, the Gospel message insists that this power must be accomplished ‘the other way’—as a grain of wheat falling into the earth and dying (John 12:24). We see this at work as Peter is restored and recommissioned, having realized his initial ‘power’ failure in the garden. Power is not achieved by the sword as one ‘in charge’ wielding human violence. Rather, the power and authority Peter possesses is likened to a shepherd tending to his sheep. True power signposts generous care—living, giving, and serving for the sake of the flock. 

Questions to consider: 

How does Jesus the King reveal something quite different about power from various leaders or governments in our world today? How does the story of Jesus in John’s Gospel suggest a reversal of all that we might have thought we knew about power?

Living it out: 

Prayerfully consider how you might exercise power through self-giving love today. Identify opportunities to practically live out ‘power done the other way’.