powers and authorities


A Pilgrimage to the Cross

Walking through Lent with Jesus

Wednesday 20th April

Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.
  Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.”
 But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!”  (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)
 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

Here are men of the world- Pilate, Herod, chief priests, rulers….. They are the ones who are used to having authority, to making decisions, to deciding right from wrong. Normally, when any of them step onto the stage, we can expect decisive action. But not today. Today, they are confronted by a reality greater than themselves. By someone who doesn’t fit into their worldview. Someone who exposes them for who they really are- each with an empire to protect, a position of power to defend, a need to continually pull rank. This is history being written, and it is written not by those who considered themselves winners, but by the losers.

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

                                    Colossians 2: 15

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