John 19:7-12
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 saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.

Previously Pilate had asked, “What is truth?” after his interaction with Jesus. And now he might well say, “What is power? Who has power? Who was really in control here?” There was Pilate with all of his political and personal ambitions, with his struggles and challenges being a leader. He had his own motivations and beliefs. He answered to Rome. He felt the pressure of the Jewish leaders and what their response would be. He stood as the authority here, making these kinds of life-and-death decisions as a ruler in Jerusalem.

And now here is Jesus telling him he has no power, that a power greater than him was making this decision and he could not really fight against it. Pilate is a tool, a pawn in the plan of salvation unfolding in this particular generation. God would use him because he was there in that position of power. His mind and his heart may have been to release Jesus. He may have seen through the Pharisees’ accusations. He may have been afraid that something he couldn’t quite grasp was at work here. He had many things to consider, different people to answer to for his decisions, but he could not derail what God set in motion. So there he is, maybe with everything in him resisting it, consenting to the crucifixion, sending Jesus to His death, enabling the sacrifice to be slain for the sins of the world.

What is power? And who has power in your life? Whether you choose to acknowledge Him or not, God is in control. God has purposes and plans that He works out, oftentimes despite us and what we would choose in those situations. He is the ultimate authority of this world and of our lives. And so are we willing to acknowledge that, to surrender to Him, to allow Him to do as He sees fit in whatever the situation may be? Will we let His voice speak louder than our own thoughts and ideas and the cries of those around us so that His will can be accomplished through us?