Easter MattersSample

Written by Ben Hewitt - Lead Pastor of City on a Hill Ballarat

Have you ever had someone question you? Maybe they’ve questioned your credentials for a job. Maybe they’ve questioned your desire for a role. Such questions ruffle our feathers and bruise our egos. Imagine having your very identity questioned though, and how uncomfortable that would be. Jesus has been questioned throughout his public ministry, here at his sham trial the questions come and it’s a matter of life and death.

If you are the Christ, tell us. From his birth Jesus has been identified as the Messiah, God’s promised king. Luke has little trouble finding eye witnesses to say so in his orderly account. Jesus knows he’s a dead man, so he tells his accusers he’s not simply the Christ but the Son of Man — God himself coming on the clouds as prophesied by Daniel.

Are you the Son of God then? This next question is designed to catch Jesus in blasphemy and condemn him on the spot. Jesus dodges it but they aren’t interested in the truth. The court has enough to take him to Pilate.

Are you the king of the Jews? Are you a rival for Roman rule, Pilate wants to know. Yes and no —Jesus will not overthrow the empire, because his kingdom is not built with swords and stone. Jesus’ kingdom is far greater, far more significant, far more permanent than any that humans can build.

The questions have come, but Jesus has not crumbled. Hours before his death, he has testified about his own identity, unshakeable in the face of his interrogators. He is the Christ. He is the Son of God. He is the King of Jews. The question for us is this — do we have the same confidence in Jesus’ identity as he does?

Today ponder this:

What confidence can you gain from Jesus’ self-assurance? How do these titles encourage your trust in him?