As the Gospel of John winds down there seems to be a lot of
confusion about Jesus. Just prior to this passage, Peter, Jesus'
most trusted disciple, denies knowing who he is. Then Jesus was
brought before the Roman governor of the region, Pontius Pilate, and
was further questioned. Pilate, not a Jew by the way, was unsure why
the Jews sought Jesus' execution and so he started asking Jesus
questions including the question listed above. Jesus was evasive in
his answers but apparently he said enough to give Pilate some clue
as to his true identity. Nonetheless Pilate seems confused by the
whole event.
This brings me to our situation today. Here you have Peter, a
disciple, denying Jesus and you have Pilate, not a disciple,
intrigued but confused by Jesus and then you have the Jewish leaders
who were convinced Jesus was a threat to both Judaism and them. In
short, none of them were clear as to the true identity of Jesus. And
so I ask, are you? Do you have a clear sense of Jesus' identity and
role in your life? Do you deny him? Are you confused by him? Do you
ever see him and his preaching as a threat to your lifestyle? In
truth many of us are as confused about Jesus today as they were then
and while we do not have power over him as they did our confusion
can lead to a damaged faith and a distance from God. Identifying who
Jesus is and what role he ought to play in our lives is a central
element of our faith journey and if you are unclear about who he is
and what role he ought to play in your life then I humbly point once
more to the annual theme for the final Sunday prior to
Advent...Christ the King. |
Prayer: Holy God, help me make Jesus Christ the king of my
life. Help me to see him as my authority and truth and lord and
savior. Please draw me closer to him and, in so doing, closer to
you. I pray in his name, Amen.
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