“‘Away with him!’ they yelled. ‘Away with him! Crucify him!’ ‘What? Crucify your king?’ Pilate asked. ‘We have no king but Caesar,’ the leading priests shouted back.”
John 19:15 (NLT)
Pilate tried—again—to release Jesus. But the pressure mounted. The leaders played their final card: If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. It was blackmail dressed up as loyalty. Pilate gave in, sat on the judgment seat, and handed Jesus over—right as Passover lambs were being prepared in the temple. Two lambs were being readied at the same time. One was examined, protected, and treated with care, according to the Law. The other—the spotless Lamb of God—was humiliated, beaten, bruised, and treated like trash. The Passover lambs were prepared with precision. Jesus was prepared through suffering. And with His sacrifice, the lambs in the temple would soon become unnecessary.
When Pilate said, “Look, here’s your king,” the response cut deep: We have no king but Caesar. This wasn’t new. In 1 Samuel 8, Israel asked for a king “like the other nations,” and God said, They’re not rejecting you; they’re rejecting Me. Now, again, God’s people rejected God as King—choosing an ungodly ruler over the Son of God.
Why does this matter? Because we choose our king every day. Sometimes it’s money. Sometimes approval. Sometimes fear, pleasure, news cycles, influence, or even ourselves. But only one King leads to peace, fullness, and joy. Only one Shepherd leads to good pastures and quiet streams.
Confessing Jesus as Lord is essential—but living with Him as King is where abundant life is found. Union with Him. Uninterrupted.
Who’s your king today?