Power and Rightness Are Not the Same Thing

John 19:11a · Witnesses: Encountering Jesus When It Matters Most

“Jesus replied, ‘You would have no authority over me if it had not been given to you from above.’” — John 19:11a (CEB)

Pilate thought he held all the power. He controlled the courtroom, the soldiers, the outcome. But Jesus quietly reframed the entire situation. The one in chains was actually the one with clarity about what was really happening.

Real authority, Jesus suggested, doesn’t come from political position or military force. It comes from above—and it can be given or withdrawn. We encounter situations daily where someone holds positional power over us: a boss, a bureaucratic system, a social dynamic that rewards conformity. It’s easy to feel small in those moments, to believe the person with the title automatically holds the truth.

But positional power and moral authority are very different things. Where in your life are you confusing someone’s power with their rightness?

God of all authority, give us wisdom to know the difference between power and truth. Ground us in what comes from you, not in titles or positions. Amen.