Our daily reflections follow the M'Cheyne Bible reading plan, designed for those who want to read the whole Bible in one year. Each reflection focuses on one of the chapters from that day's readings. Darllenwch rhain yn Gymraeg.
Lord, open my ears to hear what you have to say to me; open my heart to love your word, and open my mind to understand your truth.
After his betrayal, Jesus is 'tried' by the chief priests and elders, who are determined that he should die. As they don't have the authority to execute him, they need the permission of the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. 'Are you the king of the Jews?' Pilate asks (verse 11). Jesus' answer is very interesting: in Greek it's just, 'You say.' If he had said, 'Yes I am', his answer would not have been wrong, but it would have been misleading: he was not an earthly revolutionary. If he had said, 'No', that would have been equally misleading: he is King and Lord of all. Even at this crucial moment of terrible danger, he is still in control; those who have tried to catch him out and trip him up have never succeeded.
Perhaps there is something else here too, though. He is not trying to persuade Pilate or his accusers of anything; 'he said nothing in response to the accusations of the chief priests and elders' (verse 12). The time for that has passed: now it's time for people to decide.
Sooner or later, as we get to know Jesus through prayer or reading our Bibles or spending time with his people, we are all faced with a decision: who do we think he is? No one can answer that question for us; we have to say what we think, judging for ourselves on the basis of the evidence. That 'You say' is a challenge for us, too.
God, help me to choose Christ, not just once but every day. May he be the king of my life, now and forever.
This reflection was written by Mark Woods, Bible Society's Editor
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