Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him… After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.
— Matthew 27:27, 31 —
Genis M. | Albania
It is common in Albania for spiritual authority to be abused. It is often used to maintain power or to gain influence and status at the expense of others. But Jesus, the King of Glory, revealed something during His earthly life that the world had never before seen: a perfect exercise of true power. In human terms, it would be unfathomable to endure what King Jesus endured. [Jesus] allowed Himself to be led to the slaughter. Why? It was the perfect exercise of His true power and authority. It would have been unheard of for a Roman officer to be mocked by his own cohort. It would be outrageous for a general today not to be recognized and saluted by those under him. How much more shocking the treatment of the King of kings at the hands of ungodly men! Jesus was rejected, mocked, humiliated, and finally crucified naked on a tree. Nevertheless, this King, unlike all other kings, allowed such infinite injustice to occur. He allowed Himself to be led into the Praetorium, allowed Himself to be mocked, and allowed Himself to be led to the slaughter. Why? It was the perfect exercise of His true power and authority. And He explained it ahead of time, for He came to suffer and to die so that others might live (Matt. 17:22–23). What an example the King of the universe sets to Albanian church leaders, and indeed to rulers and powers and authorities everywhere! While it is our nature to abuse influence given to us, Jesus demonstrated the absolute perfection of leadership: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
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