By Andrew Williams
As soon as it was morning, the chief priests had a meeting with the elders, scribes, and the whole Sanhedrin. After tying Jesus up, they led Him away and handed Him over to Pilate.
Mark 15:1 HCSB
Good morning fellow disciples.
This situation kind of reminds me of jungle justice. These persons have arrested Jesus, they have put Him on trial, they have found Him guilty of a crime that is punishable by death, they beat Him and and tie Him up, but they have no authority to put Him to death.
It is now that they turn Him over to the proper authorities. This reminds us of persons who are caught stealing and the community comes and beat them almost to death and then they hand them over to the police.
Even when we want to take things into our own hands we have to be reminded that we are still under the authority of someone greater. In this case the chief priest, the Sanhedrin, the elders and the scribes were under the authority of the Roman government.
Even though they had declared Jesus to be guilty of blasphemy they had no power to put Him to death. They had Jesus and they had the charges against Him but the next course of action was to deliver Him over to the legal authorities. So they brought Him bound to Pilate who was the governor over Jerusalem.
Are you a disciple who is under authority?
How many times do you want to pass judgment on others but then you realize that you have to give the case to someone else?
What do you do in that moment?
Do you enforce jungle justice or do you hand over the persons to the proper authorities?
Prayer: Father God, I surrender to Your ultimate authority. Everything I do, say or think will be submitted to Your authority. I will not take things into my own hands by passing judgement on, and punishing others. I will leave it to those who are authorized to do so. Amen.