Today we celebrate Good Friday. This is the day we remember the death of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. He was beaten, whipped, ridiculed and shamed in a way that none of us can imagine. Yet, as we see in this passage, God was the one who planned it.
Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So 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.”
This is a remarkable passage from John 19. Jesus remained silent up to the point of Pilate’s statement about authority. When Pilate claimed to possess the authority to crucify Him, Jesus was not willing to have the credit taken away from God.
Jesus was clear about who’s plan this was. Pilate would not have authority to crucify Jesus if God did not authorize it to happen. What was taking place was an evil thing, but God is ruler of all, even the greatest evil. God showed us that there is no evil that is outside His control. God controls both the good and the bad.
On Good Friday, remember that the greatest evil in history, the murder of the Son of God, frees us from being slaves to sin and invites us to be children of God. The power of God through the death of Christ has triumphed over evil. Therefore, nothing can stop us from enjoying God forever!
William Knelsen 
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