John the apostle wrote how, “Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, and said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands. Pilate therefore went forth again, and said unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that you may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate said unto them, Behold the man! When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate said unto them, Take you him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid. And went again into the judgment hall, and said unto Jesus, Who are you? But Jesus gave him no answer”, and in chapter nineteen and verse ten of his book John shared how Pilate asked Jesus, “speak you not unto me?” where we read:
Then said Pilate unto him, Speak you not unto me?
Know you not that I have power to crucify you, and have power to release you?
The verse reads, “Then said Pilate unto him, Speak you not unto me?” John began with the words, “Then said Pilate unto him” which means “at that time uttered, declared, proclaimed and asked Pilate whose name means armed with a spear and was the sixth Roman procurator of Judah and Samaria who ordered Christ to be crucified”, “Speak you not unto me” or “do you, Jesus, not respond or reply, to me, Pilate”? John shared how “Pilate” asked “Jesus” whether He was going to “respond” to his question.
The verse continues, “Know you not that I have power to crucify you, and have power to release you?” John added the words, “know you not” or “do you, Jesus, not understand, perceive and discern” “that I have power” which means “that I, Pilate, own, possess and hold the physical and mental ability and strength” “to crucify you” or “to palisade, drive down with stakes, and impale you, Jesus, on a cross”, “and have power” which means “and own, possess and hold the physical and mental ability and strength” “to release you” or “to dismiss, set free and bid you to depart, Jesus”? John shared how “Pilate” asked “Jesus” whether He understood that he possessed the “ability” to “crucify” Him or “set Him free”.
When we meditate upon John's words in this verse, we learn how “Pilate” did not understand why Jesus did not respond to his question because he possessed the “ability” to have Jesus “crucified” or “released”. God sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of mankind, and even though “Pilate” believed himself to have the ability to “crucify” Him or “release” Him, God was the only One who made that decision. The “salvation” of mankind was in the balance, and when Jesus died on the cross, every person who surrenders their life to Him will be forgiven of their sins and inherit everlasting life with God. Those who are wise will understand where the real “power” lies and yield themselves to Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord”.
Next time John shares how Jesus told Pilate, “you could have not power at all against me, except it were given you from above”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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