We're All Just Actors in God's Blockbuster

"So Pilate said to Him, 'You're not talking to me? Don't You know that I have the authority to release You and the authority to crucify You?'

'You would have no authority over Me at all,' Jesus answered him, 'if it hadn't been given you from above.'" -John 19:10-11, HCSB

Allow me to set the scene: Jesus is standing before Pontius Pilate, the ruling Roman governor over the area. The Jews, out of their hate for Him, have brought Him to Pilate for execution. They have appealed to the governor, implying that Jesus' death would halt a revolution in the land. Pilate, of course, wanted to avoid such a revolution, but had trouble finding fault in Jesus. Besides going against the teaching of the Jews and causing trouble for them, Pilate saw nothing He had done wrong. And yet, as Pilate asks Jesus to defend Himself, Jesus stands silent. Pilate asks Jesus if He is from God, and Jesus stands silent. Pilate asks Jesus if He is the King of the Jews, and Jesus stands silent.

For those that know me well, you know I'm a pretty big Tom Cruise fan, and at this moment, I picture Pilate as somewhat like Jerry McGuire. I can almost hear Pilate yelling, "Jesus, HELP ME HELP YOU!"

And finally, Jesus speaks.

Jesus proceeds to inform Pilate that without God's giving Pilate his governmental seat, Pontius would have zero authority over Him. In all honesty, Jesus is still implying that Pilate lacks authority over Him in the grand scope of things, but in this moment, in Jesus' manhood, in Jesus' hour, the time had come.

It all had to happen. God had predetermined the time, place, and yes, even the people that would lead to Jesus' death (Acts 4:27-28). Pilate's authority over Jesus in this moment was merely the orchestration of God's grand plan to bring redemption to mankind. The death of Christ, with its purpose of providing freedom from sin for man, was planned from the beginning. Our salvation in Christ wasn't a coincidence or a fall-back; it was plan A and worked to a T.

Pilate would, in fact, help Jesus in the exact opposite way that he thought he could. By allowing the death of Christ, he was the man who ultimately made the crucifixion possible. Yet, without God's work, Pilate is nothing in this story. Without God's doing, Pilate may have never even been governor, much less the one with the decision to either kill or save Jesus.

All authority in earth comes from God. Let us not be blind to this like Pilate, assuming that our authority is self-made. God is the director of this show; we are merely actors playing our parts.