Who Rules Your Life?
When Pilate brought the Lord Jesus before the raucous crowd he said, “Behold your King!” The response of the people was, “We have no king but Caesar” (Jn. 19:14-15). That startling statement needs due consideration. It is true that there was no king on the throne of Israel at the time (cf. Hos. 3:4), and that the Jews were ruled by the Roman Caesar (however reluctantly!). But they did have other masters that controlled their lives. We may, as well! How many of the following hidden rulers dominate our own?
The evidence shows they–especially the Jewish leaders–were ruled:
- By Satan, as a part of his kingdom of darkness (Jn. 8:44; Acts 26:17-18; cf. Col. 1:12-14)
- By self-centred pride (Lk. 18:11-12; cf. Paul, Phil. 3:4-6)
- By tradition and empty ritual, claiming thereby to be righteous (Matt. 23:3; Mk. 7:6)
- By expediency, because they saw an opportunity to be rid of Christ, freeing Barabbas instead (Jn. 18:39-40). So much for their loyalty to Caesar; Barabbas was an insurrectionist (Mk. 15:7)!
- By materialism, as they refused to believe the spiritual and eternal message of Christ (Matt. 23:14; Mk. 7:11-12)
- By a lust for power and position, as they saw their control of the people threatened (Matt. 23:5-7; Jn. 9:33-34; 11:9-11)
- By sinful rebellion, because they rejected God’s Anointed (Jn. 1:11; 19:15)