Where Power Lies
A perspective-rich view on the actors during the time of the crucifixion of Christ. A deep dive of sorts that could revive our perspective so that we could look at the bigger picture of where we are in terms of scripture, society, and where God is leading us to be.
Upon reading John 19, a certain concept popped into my mind about how power dynamics work in this world. I have thought to myself that because of power, leaders get stuck in a certain stance of “having their way or the highway”. Often times, in order to get our way, we create divisions, a separation of sorts, which we retain our identity while still being “okay” in the overall perspective.
Now shifting back to John 19, when we put the spotlight on Pilate, he was trying to be a just governor since whatever judgement that he does would reflect back to his identity. A power struggle wherein he was trying to consider the laws of his constituents while maintaining his posture as the authority and a just judge. Being a just judge, he tries to plead with Jesus to defend himself, upon which when Jesus revealed himself based on what was written on the scriptures and his knowledge.
Then we pan the camera to the Pharisees; they have influence over the people since they are seen as knowledgeable when it comes to scriptures and their laws. During this time, they were leading the charge on what should “happen” to Jesus. Yet, when Pilate asserted his authority upon them, they couldn’t deny him when they asked for him to “amend” what was written on Jesus’s charge on the cross.
We then place the view to the people; when they were given the option to accept as they themselves were given life as it was Passover, they chose to have Jesus crucified. Democracy at its finest; the weird thing is that a lot of them do not fully know who Jesus is and was as they have only seen Jesus for who He was at the time and not what He could have been for them or what He has done for them.
In all of these perspectives, they subjected themselves back to the ruler at that time who was Caesar. If you look at it closely, all of them were trying to divert the blame of judgement onto something else other than themselves. It is a dance of death of sorts where they all feel justified in what they did due to their own circumstances. Where then does the power lie that could have saved Jesus? I guess that is something for people to ponder upon.