Twelve times in John’s account of the Roman trial of Jesus he refers to “king” or “kingdom”:
- “Are you the King of the Jews?” (18:33)
- “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world…But my kingdom is not from the world.” (36)
- “So you are a king?” (37)
- “You say that I am a king” (37)
- “So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” (39)
- “Hail; King of the Jews!” (19:3)
- “Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” (12)
- “Behold your King!” (14)
- “Shall I crucify your King?” (15)
- “We have no king but Caesar.” (15)
John’s account is a study in what it means to be king. It’s a contrast in the different uses of power and position. There’s Jesus. Then there’re Pilate, the Jewish leaders, and Caesar. Jesus uses position and power for loving God and loving others. The rest use position and power for loving self.
To enter into the suffering of Jesus means to practice a kingship similar to his. It calls me to use position and power for loving God and others rather than for loving self.
What “powers” do I possess that could be leveraged in such a way? Here are some of my personal powers which come to mind:
- The power over my schedule and use of time.
- My education and training in Scripture and preaching.
- Formal and informal training in spiritual formation.
- My writing abilities.
- My ability to organize and strategize.
What about you? What “powers” do you possess by virtue of your training, experience, abilities, etc.?
Now, here’s the challenge-In what ways do you use those powers to serve yourself? In what ways could you better use them to serve God and others?
As I prayed over my list, “schedule” drew my attention. I spent some time imagining how I might rearrange my schedule to allow more time for loving God and loving others.
But beyond these powers, all of us hold certain positions. Here are some of the positions I hold:
- Husband
- Father
- Family member (e.g., Uncle, brother, son, etc.)
- Neighbor/ member of my community
- Preacher
- Leader
- Author
- Teacher
What about you? What positions do you hold when it comes to family, community, vocation, etc?
Now, here’s the challenge-In what ways do you use those positions to serve yourself? In what ways could you better use them to serve God and others?
As I prayed over my list, my eyes and thoughts lingered in my position as a preacher. I spent some time imagining how I might better use that position for the glory of God and of others.
Take time today to go through this exercise for yourself. Hold this image of Jesus in your mind-the King who uses power and position for God and others-and ask Jesus to reveal to you how you might follow in his steps.
