Whose Friend Am I?

John 19:12 KJV

And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.

The thought occurred to me this morning, "Whose friend do I want to be; the Lord's or the Caesar's?"

It is obvious who these Jews had chosen.

Though they would have been quick to say their loyalties were in Israel, their actions here betrayed something else. They were friends of Caesar because they would not stand up to Caesar.

Pilate's choice too becomes obvious.

Having received his position at the pleasure of Caesar he was not about to choose a king other than Caesar.

The question that remains is whose friend will we be?

Will we choose:

·       The world over the Lord?

·       Riches over righteousness in Christ?

·       This life over eternal life?

·       Favor over faith?

The Roman Caesars have all passed into history but there are kings aplenty in this life. The crowds around us will taunt us with their threats; to choose Christ means you are no friend to their king. But God in response says that friendship with this world is enmity with God.