September 23 devotion - We Have No King

John 19:15 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. (NIV)

            It was the ultimate act of betrayal. The chief priests in Jerusalem were the highest officers and leaders in the Jewish community. They represented centuries of their faith and all of the people. They were meant to be living examples of how to serve God and follow Him faithfully. They were supposed to be the upholders of the Law of Moses and all of their religious traditions. But in one hate-filled answer, they betrayed all that was dear to them and denied God’s authority over them.

            What was this act of betrayal? The answer that they gave to Pilate: “We have no king but Caesar.” God was their King and He was their Sovereign. The whole of Jewish history was built upon having no other god or ruler before God. Sure, there had been kings in the past who tried to rule the people as God’s chosen servants, but there was always a struggle between being ruled by God and governed by local kings. In the Book of Judges, the great warrior Gideon refused to be made king with these words: ‘I will not rule over you…the LORD rules over you.’ (Judges 8:22-23).

            When the chief priests said to Pilate that only Caesar was their king, they were betraying all of their beliefs in God and trading them in for a foreign despot to rule over them. Their hatred for Jesus was so intense that they were willing to displace God with a Roman Emperor. It was a scandalous act of betrayal and one which doomed Jerusalem. Forty years after this event, the Roman Emperor crushed the priests in Jerusalem and destroyed most of the great city. Allying their faith with a tyrant brought this upon themselves; putting their faith in a political figurehead created a situation where eventually their religion and nation lost God’s protection and wrought calamity on themselves.

            As Christians, we are supposed to remind ourselves each day that Jesus is our Savior, Lord, and King. Our allegiance belongs to Him and we are meant to serve His ways by applying His teaching in our daily lives. His words and ways are specifically meant to overrule any notions or ideas that go against God’s Will. Christ is our only King on Earth and in Heaven. If we displace Him with any other being, then just as the chief priests sadly did long ago, we betray Him.

Point to ponder

How often do I let Jesus shape my ideas, opinions, and choices? Am I guilty of rejecting Him in order to follow other people and other ways?

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You are our King and there is no other power or person who can take Your place. We call ourselves Christians, but we can only prove this to be true by how we embrace and apply Your words. Keep us from displacing Your authority and help us to truly serve You. In Your Holy Name, we earnestly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can read the church website at www.erinpresbyterian.org. Come and join us for worship on Sundays at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome :)

Today’s image is one of John’s church banner designs called ‘Christ is King.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: King.

A Real Refuge - Isaiah 32:2

Isaiah 32:2 Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm,
like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land. (NIV)

In Isaiah’s lifetime, life was very precarious because the people were subject to capricious kings and unjust sovereigns. God’s authority appeared to be usurped and the rulers of the day idolized themselves to such a degree that they led God’s people astray. The role of prophets like Isaiah was to interpret the times and let the people know that God was still in control. Despite the moral and religious failings of their kings, God’s presence was available to the nation and there would come a time when righteous rulers would shelter their subjects from injustice and release them from the emotional turmoil and spiritual wilderness that bad rulers and uncaring kings had caused.

God’s people were thirsty for justice and suffered under the harshness of their kings. They were meant to be a cherished religious nation where everyone served God and one another lovingly, fairly, and equally. Some of their kings understood that their role was to be an example of faithfulness to the people and that through their wise and benign rule, the people would prosper and the nation would be blessed. Other rulers though, treated their sovereignty as being sacrosanct, so they could not be held accountable nor confronted about their unjust ways. In such a climate, the people began to perish inwardly and lost their connection to God. Despair and desperation set in; truth was falsified and power was glorified. It was a morass of immorality which required God to send His prophets to speak out.

When Isaiah spoke about the coming of rulers of righteousness, he was letting his people know that God had not abandoned them and that those who spread malice, division, and discontent would pass away forever. In their place, would come kings of righteousness whose rule would restore the hope, strength, and confidence to God’s people. And ultimately, the last of those kings would be Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who would finally bring God’s justice to the oppressed, the powerless, and the meager in order to show and prove that love conquers everything and everyone.

Point to ponder

Where is Christ’s Spirit working for justice in our world today? How are we supporting and serving Him in that mission?

Prayer: Lord God, long ago You sent Your prophets to deal with unjust rulers and self-centered kings. You gave a word of hope to Your people that righteousness and truth would prevail, allowing them to remain confident in Your sovereignty over the whole Earth. Remind us of these blessings today. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome. 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s Psalm drawings based on a verse from Psalm 106. If you would like to view a larger version, click this link: Psalm 106.