1st April 2022

No king but Caesar

But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.
John 19:15 (NIV)

The phrase, ‘We have no king but Caesar’, appears in only one of the gospels – John’s. Ian Galloway, in his book Called to be friends, describes it as, ‘the saddest, most shocking reply in the Bible.’ It is difficult to disagree with that statement.

The chief priests, the highest-ranking officers of the Temple under the high priest, had earlier paid Judas thirty pieces of silver to betray Jesus (Matthew 26:14-16). Having arrested him in the Garden of Gethsemane, they brought him first before Annas and Caiaphas, then took him to the palace of Pontius Pilate (John 18:24, 28). They did this because, as religious leaders in a country occupied by the most powerful empire in the world, they had no right of execution (v. 31). Whereas Pilate, as Roman governor, had the power of life and death over all prisoners. 

Even though Pilate believed Jesus to be innocent, the Jewish leaders pressed him to crucify their Messiah (John 19:6). The crowd heaped further pressure on Pilate, and in one final attempt to save Jesus, he asked, “Shall I crucify your king?” Prompting that shameful reply from the chief priests, “We have no king but Caesar,” (v.15).

According to Bruce McNab Roman emperors, at that time, were thought to be divine, so what the chief priests were saying here was ‘tantamount to admitting they also have no other God but Caesar’¹ – an absolute denial of their faith, a breaking of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9), the first and greatest commandment, a complete abandonment of everything they believe in.

From our modern vantage point, it is very easy for us to point a judgemental finger at those Jewish religious authorities who clearly should have known better. But can we honestly say we have never done the same thing ourselves? At times, when fears overwhelm us, emotions overpower us, relationships consume us, or temptations overcome us, do we reject Christ’s supreme rule over our lives and take matters into our own hands?

When our faith in the Lordship of Jesus wavers, we would do well to remember these wise words from the famous sermon by black American pastor Dr S M Lockridge entitled That’s My King: ‘My King is a King of knowledge. He’s the wellspring of wisdom. He’s the doorway of deliverance. He’s the pathway of peace. He’s the roadway of righteousness. He’s the highway of holiness. He’s the gateway of glory. He’s the Master of the mighty. He’s the Captain of the conquerors. He’s the Head of the heroes. He’s the Leader of the legislators. He’s the Overseer of the overcomers. He’s the Governor of governors. He’s the Prince of princes. He’s the King of kings and He’s the Lord of lords.’ 

In other words, we have no king but Jesus.

Prayer
Almighty Father, you have given all authority in heaven and on earth to your one, and only Son, the King of your kingdom. Help us to remember that we have no king but Him, in the name of our Majesty, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Study by Peter Mill

¹ McNab, Bruce. Believing is Seeing: A Guide for Responding to John’s Gospel, ch. 19. Resource Publications, an Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers.

 

About the writer:
Peter Mill is a Minister in Grace Communion International and Regional Pastor for Scotland, Ireland and Northern England

 

Local congregation:
GCI, Edinburgh
Gilmerton New Church
Ravenscroft Street
Edinburgh
EH17 8QJ

Meeting time:
Saturday 11:00 am

Local congregational contact:
Peter Mill
Email: edinburgh@gracecom.church 

Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church