Easter Friday Message: The Crucified King

Easter Friday Message: The Crucified King
John 19:14-22

 Scripture (NIV)

¹⁴ It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon. “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. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.
¹⁷ Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).
¹⁸ There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.
¹⁹ Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews.
²⁰ Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek.
²¹ The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”
²² Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

 Reflection

Carrying the Cross (19:14–18)
Everything about the way Jesus is crucified is humiliating, from the sham trial to making Him carry His own cross when He is already weak and exhausted from the flogging. And when He is finally crucified, He is stripped down and put between two notorious criminals. During His earthly ministry, Jesus exhorted those who would come after Him to carry their cross and follow Him. Christian discipleship is a call to die to our sinful desires and commit to following Jesus wholeheartedly. By choosing to follow Christ, we are saying that we are devoted to Him regardless of how the world treats us. Sometimes following Jesus comes at a great cost, but it is worth it.

How do you understand Jesus’ command to carry your own cross? What price are you prepared to pay for His sake?

The King and the Cross (19:19–22)
According to Pilate, Jesus’ crime is that of being the king of the Jews, which is stated on the notice he has fastened on the cross. Although the Jewish leaders protest the way Pilate has phrased it, he refuses to change the sign—thereby publicly and prophetically, though unintentionally, declaring Jesus’ true identity as Israel’s Messiah. The world may deny and reject Jesus’ power and authority for now, but in the end, every knee in heaven and on earth will bend before Him. We who trust Him as Savior will bow with glad and willing hearts while those who are perishing will be forced to face the reality of His supreme reign. May we live every day before Him in humble submission.

In what ways is Jesus’ authority a comfort or a concern for people today? How do you acknowledge His rule over your life?

 Prayer

Jesus, You are my King and indeed the King of kings! Help me live in a way that plainly testifies to Your kingship, that those around me may come to know Your saving grace. In Your name, amen.

READ: Morning Devotion and Quite Time | Rejected Cornerstone

 

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