Choosing Caesar

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

CHOOSING CAESAR

John 19:12-16

12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar." 13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). 14 It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour. "Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews. 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. 16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.

NIV

It is a terrible thing for the chief priests to deny their King of kings and declare their allegiance to Caesar, the one who represents all that is worldly, all that is the worst of humanity. Caesar was considered by many in the Roman Empire as a god, certainly this Caesar thought of himself as a god. So for the chief priests to make this statement they have  no king but Caesar, their proclamation was a denial of the God of Israel, the Almighty God, the creator of all things, including them. Pilate had no interest in crucifying Jesus, but he certainly had concern over keeping the peace in Israel. His political career depended on how he handled the conflicts within his sphere of control. Yet the life application here is the response of those chief priests. Why would they be so vehement about their wanting Jesus crucified? He only told them the truth about God, about himself and about their lives. That was the reason they wanted him gone, dead. They had no interest in the truth about God, about Jesus and especially about themselves. To tell Pilate they have no king but Caesar, meant they have no other god, but Caesar, which is nothing less than blasphemy, the claim they were making about Jesus. If we are so engrossed in the things of this world, are we claiming more allegiance to them, then to God? If we accumulate so much of this world, storing up treasures here, where can our hearts be? Sure we have many pleasures to enjoy from the hand of God, but we cannot form such an allegiance to them instead of to God who has provided us with them. If we are friends with this world, then we are not friends of God. We cannot make this world our king, our god. The Chief priests were more interested in their position in the world then in their position with God. They were more concerned with their own power and authority then the power and authority of God. Their concern and motives were self-centered rather than God centered. They had the opportunity to be a part, to have a leading role in the greatest movement of God, but they choose Caesar, they choose the world. What is our choice? True we are believers, we are saved, we are born again, and we are now part of the body of Christ, we have eternal life, but have we become distracted by Caesar?