It’s simple ….

Only God Is SOVEREIGN ….

Only God has complete control and is the ultimate authority!

Most of the world does not acknowledge this. And sadly … many times, we who place our faith in Christ, do not either.

But Jesus knew it!

And He was sure of it in one of the hardest times of His life … we need to follow His example. He is THE example of complete trust in the absolute control of God the  Father. 

Here’s the story …. look at John 19 …. I’ll wait ….

Jesus has been bouncing around to different rulers or authorities who are trying to figure out what to do with Him.  The Jewish religious leaders want Him to pay for His claims.  Jesus is back with Pilate but Pilate wants nothing to do with this part of the insanity. But the leaders want Jesus crucified because He has claimed to be the Son of God and that is punishable by death. This scares the ba-gee-bees (is this a word? lol!) out of Pilate.

Pilate takes Jesus into his headquarters and begins questioning Him again. Jesus does not answer the first question. But the second question from Pilate elicits an answer from Jesus.

Here’s what is said …..

Pilate said to Him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?’ Jesus answered him, ‘You would have no authority over Me at all unless it had been given you from above. . . . ‘  (Jn. 19:10-11b)

Stop and let Jesus’ words penetrate deep into your soul ……

Jesus does not explicitly say, “The Father is sovereign” here …. BUT HE SAYS … “The Father is sovereign!”  🙂

Authority means … the power to determine; the right to control or command.  While Pilate may believe he is in control of Christ’s destiny at this point . . . in reality, he is not!  Only God the Father has the power to determine what happens to Jesus next …. and literally … that was PRE-determined long before Pilate came on the scene!

The worst evil that is about to happen does not escape the sovereign control of the Father … and Jesus is completely confident of this. 

Jesus demonstrated this when Peter cut the ear of one of the solider’s when Jesus was taken in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Jesus reprimands Peter and then says …

“Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and He will at once send Me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”  (Matt. 26:53-54)

In the worst of times, do we live by this example of Christ? Do we believe that God is in ABSOLUTE & COMPLETE control? There was a beautiful purpose in what Jesus went through and He knew His Father was controlling the whole thing.

So …. today … whatever you may find yourself walking through … from the slightest irritation to the most profound pain you’ve ever experienced …. will you …with me ….

• Choose to believe in the absolute authority of the Father?
• Please Him by being confident in the Father’s sovereignty?
• And will you … passionately love the almighty Father who has you in the palm of His hand?

Blessings Friends,