John 19:1-7

1-3 So Pilate took Jesus and had him whipped. The soldiers, having braided a crown from thorns, set it on his head, threw a purple robe over him, and approached him with, "Hail, King of the Jews!" Then they greeted him with slaps in the face.

4-5Pilate went back out again and said to them, "I present him to you, but I want you to know that I do not find him guilty of any crime." Just then Jesus came out wearing the thorn crown and purple robe.

Pilate announced, "Here he is: the Man."

6When the high priests and police saw him, they shouted in a frenzy, "Crucify! Crucify!"

Pilate told them, "You take him. You crucify him. I find nothing wrong with him."

7The Jews answered, "We have a law, and by that law he must die because he claimed to be the Son of God."

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To think they only properly identified Jesus as a King in mockery! He deserved a crown, but not one we could make with our hands. He was more kingly than we could have imagined, while Pilate and other leaders showed an inability to take a stand. Pilate passed off responsibility for the life of Jesus, while the Jews did not want to punish him by their own laws. They wanted him dead, and the Romans needed to do that. The followers of Jesus could do nothing but weep. It often feels like we are in similar positions, watching as those in power make decisions that affect us all, that change our lives, and we can do nothing but wait. As we wait, as our lives change, let us remember our King, our Lord of Lords, the one who holds true power in his hand. As we wait, let us pray, and serve one another in humility and faithfulness.

Blessings