Luke 23:1-4

¹ Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate.² And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.”³ So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied.⁴ Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”

“Are you the king …?”

Have you ever been falsely accused of something or accused someone without considering the real facts? BBC reported some years ago that: “A man was falsely convicted of a triple murder in 1978, incarcerated for more than 42 years and eventually acquitted of all charges and released.”

In today’s verses, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law accused Jesus of several crimes and brought him before Pontius Pilate for a trial. The Pharisees and teachers of the Law led Jesus to Pilate, knowing the type of ruler he was, they hoped to have him executed.

Three accusations were brought against Jesus:

• Misleading the people by spreading false teaching and not adhering to their principles. (In Matthew 5:17, Jesus explained that he has come to fulfil the Law and not abolish it.)
• Opposed to tax payment. (In Mark 12:17, Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”)
• Blasphemy for claiming to be the Messiah. (See Matthew 16:13-16)

Pilate asked Jesus a simple question, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus responded by endorsing what was asked of him “You have said so.” Pilate was not convinced of the crowd’s accusation and did not find any basis for charges against Jesus. Jesus’ response demonstrated his divine wisdom and sovereignty. He knew his accuser’s thoughts and exposed their motives to trap him. 

Do you know who Jesus is? Have you had any encounters with him?

He is God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and he’s longing to meet you. His love, peace, forgiveness of our sins, and grace are sufficient for us.

With Christ in us, we have compassion, the ability to love one another and to refrain from accusing or judging others.

Prayer
Dear Lord, today we lift our hearts to you. Transform us, open our minds and spirits to be receptive and obedient to your Word in order to fulfil the purpose of your creation. We pray for your will to be done in our lives. Amen.