Leaders In Power

There are in scripture many instances where I can’t help but wish I was there at the time of the scene. I would like to look at one such case in scripture.

Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?
Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: John 19:10-12a

Jesus was known for speaking with great authority. At one time soldiers, who were sent to arrest Christ, returned without their prisoner saying that He “spoke as no other.” I am very much impressed by what the Lord says to Pilate in this passage. Here we have the Son of the Living God standing before the governor of one of the greatest cities of the then known world. When most men would have been battling in there minds for a way out, Christ remains silent until the time came for Him to speak a “word fitly spoken.”

Christ in one sentence reveals to Pilate that no man has anything without the Father’s consent. The revelation here gives such insight in that though a man might have power, and he might use it for evil, he would never have it had it not been given from on high.
We deal today with leaders who both compromise and utterly revoke the very foundations of scriptural truth. It is at times hard to believe that the Lord God gave them the power and leadership over nations when they themselves give no respect to the Lord. The biggest problem though in what we see is not in the use of their power, but in how we view the leaders in whole. See if we view our leaders and the powers that be as being themselves more then just mere men, we tend to become far more motivated to worry.
To help us understand who these men are we can turn our attention over to Titus.

Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. Titus 3:1-2

How much different were we in our lost state in comparison with Pilate? We were as Paul wrote, not at all different. We were foolish, disobedient, etc. We were not of the mind and spirit of Christ. In our lost state we would have both condemned and followed through with the crucifixion of Christ. We would have done as Pilate did. Though he found no wrong with Christ, though nothing that the religious leaders brought against Christ stood strong, Pilate none-the-less sentenced Christ for the sake of the people. The leaders of today are no different then the common sinner. They all seek after the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. They all go after their own ways. We are not surprised when a sinner runs after his flesh, so I say, neither should we be surprised when an adversary to the gospel makes laws that contradict the core of our salvation. Would we do anything different then they had we not been saved and our eyes opened? We are the Church we are led by no man save one, that is Christ our Lord. If Christ Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate in the restfulness of God’s will, knowing that all things work together for good, shouldn’t we as the children of God, heirs with Christ, also rest in our present time knowing that the “servant is not greater then his Lord” and the Lord does not give us more than we can handle, but gives us the strength to carry on through what we can? Leaders arise and leaders fall, but the promise that Christ will neither leave me nor forsake me should be the foundation on which my worries fall. It should be the wall to which all worries come up against, so that they are left to crumble before the promise of God: if we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself. 2 Timothy 2:13

There is still more to be learned though when it comes to the leaders and rulers of our times. It would be one thing if all we had to do was realize that the unjust leaders of our time were no worse then we were in our lost state, but Paul once again takes a another step forward in how we are to look at our leaders.

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:1-4


There are many things we are commanded to do in scripture that to be honest are at times hard to fulfill when the flesh is allowed access to our choices. But here, in 1st Timothy, Paul exhorts us to not only pray for our leaders in authority, but to be thankful for them as well. It is even harder to believe that such a statement would be made by one who was both imprisoned and persecuted by the authorities of his time for his belief in the Lord Jesus. How could we pray and be thankful for such leaders as Pontius Pilate, or even more recent, Adolph Hitler? Why should we pray for such men? The Lord desires “that none should perish,” however evil or wicked they might be. Our Father who sent His only begotten Son, sent Him not only for us, but for the whole world. Christ died for the poor man struggling to survive yet seeking the Lord, as well as the froward leader who walks not after the spirit but after the flesh. For this purpose are we to pray and be thankful for our leaders that they too might come to know and understand the truth, and believe that the truth shall not only set them free but, even more so, make then free! For if the power of God could transform a persecutor of the church, into a son of God, then I have confidence that it can also transform the very lowest of men into the greatest of saints.