Composure: Mark 15:1-5
When walking the path God has set for us, our faith can cause us to display amazing composure in times of great trial. Jan Hus allowed himself to be burned at the stake as he attempted to work towards church reformation. Dietrich Bonhoeffer voluntarily returned to Germany under the Nazi regime – and ultimately died because of that choice – to proclaim God instead of a Nazi propaganda. There are only two inspiring examples of Christians displaying composure in the face of great trial because they walked the path of God.
When morning comes, the Sanhedrin meets, probably to save face in case anyone became upset Jesus’ case had been handled the prior night. They deliver Jesus over to Pilate. Because the Hebrew people were under Roman occupation, the Sanhedrin deferred to Rome on certain affairs. The Hebrew people did know a great amount of freedom to govern themselves, but certain things – like capital cases – needed Roman input. Rome didn’t want its own people randomly killing more of its own people without being informed about it.
Jesus’ continued response to interrogation in the Gospel of Mark is intriguing. When Pilate inquires of Jesus regarding Him being the king of the Jews, Jesus doesn’t give a straight answer. Jesus merely replies, “You say so.” Jesus doesn’t deny the claim, but neither does Jesus assert the claim.
Jesus is king of the Jews in the same way Jesus is king over all nations. Jesus is the Son of God. As such, He has dominion over the nations. The concept of dominion, though, is not the same for Jesus as it is for human rulers. When human beings think of the word dominion, we think it means the right to take what we want and live like we want. Human beings, especially leaders, tend to be self-motivated. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. The more power a person has, the more abuse they apply and the more overbearing they become. This description does not apply to Jesus and His understanding of dominion. Jesus employs dominion to give people freedom to reveal their nature to themselves and then gives grace in helping them make improvements. For Jesus, dominion isn’t about displays of power. Dominion is a tool employed for the care and betterment of the world around us.
This is why Jesus defers His answer. He is king, but not a king Pilate would recognize. Jesus is king, but not a king the religious elite would recognize, either. Jesus is a king whose focus is helping people act righteously. Jesus is a king who desires to help people restore their relationship with God.
Jesus’ deference amazes Pilate as He presents no case. Pilate doesn’t know what Jesus knew, which is that Jesus’ death is a tool in God’s hand. Pilate marvels at Jesus’ composure. That’s the thing about understanding God’s ways. When walking the path God has set for us, our faith can cause us to display amazing composure in times of great trial.
