When Jesus remained quiet as he was being grilled, Governor Pilate inquired, "Do you refuse to speak to me? Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?" (Jn 19:10). To which "Jesus answered, 'You would have no power over me if it were not give to you from above'" (v. 11).
His response made it clear that Jesus knew that his life was not in Pilate's hands but instead in the Father's. He knew his purpose, he knew the path laid out before him and he put his trust in the Father's will, accepting the crucifixion at the hand of men as a divine decree from above.
What we learn from Jesus' stance before Pilate is that entrusting your life into God's hands does not mean that he will preserve it on this earth but rather that you willingly accept God's decision as to the disposition of your life, which may mean a transfer from this world to the next.
Listen to the words of the apostle Paul in Philippians 1:19-20, "for I know that through your prayers and God's provision...that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death." And Paul went on to say, "I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain" (vv. 23-25).
The point of our lives isn't whether we get what we want but rather that God's will is accomplished in and through our lives. The goings and doings of this world are not to be our primary concern but rather, as Jesus points out in his model for prayer, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt 6:9-10).
When we accept Gods will in our lives, we have meaning, direction and purpose that leads us back to the Source of our lives, which is God himself and his manifest will. And that is what truly matters for "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" (Mk 8:36). Jus' Say'n.
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