Passage Read: John 19-20
Meditation Verse: 19:15
Thought
What a sad but true confession of the chief priests. They should have claimed God as their king, but many among the chief priests were Sadducees, and the Sadducees had turned their back on much of the Scriptures and so on God Himself. What mattered most to them was their position and they found protection and power coming from the Romans, so their confession was very true. They rejected Jesus, which further confirmed their loyalty to Caesar rather than God, and affirmed they belonged to the world rather than God. They are the epitome of false believes. They serve in the Lord's temple, doing all the rites and ceremonies, but they care nothing about God's Word unless it serves their purposes. They are fully given over to the world and its devices. To them, God is not God, but a tool to use to control the masses.
Application
Jesus said before that those who belong to God accept Jesus as Lord. He is not their only king, but He is their highest. He commands submission and respect towards leaders and elders, and so I must respect and honor all in positions of authority over me--out of obedience to Him. There are kings, there are governors, there are presidents and police, there are bosses and instructors and pastors and elders. There are all kinds of authorities over me and I must acknowledge and honor them all in their proper jurisdiction. But Jesus is my highest king and His jurisdiction covers everything and supercedes all other authorities. He is my only true King, and He remains forever. The rest come and go. I need to recognize that my best hope and protection and reward and my own authority come from Him alone, so it is Him alone that I must please and honor. I have no real king but Jesus, and recognizing that ensures I'll give every lesser authority the respect and honor Jesus requires of me.