Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him (John 18:12). The One who came from heaven to set our hearts free, and to remove the bindings of sin from us, was bound. The crime Jesus had committed was knowing who He is; He was charged with being the Son of God and the King of Jerusalem – King of the Jews (but those who arrested Him did not know the Jerusalem that is above – the City of God). The same bindings are on the body of Christ today – but today it is because we do not know who we are. The religious leaders of Jesus’ time feared that what they had would be taken from them if the people knew the freedom of serving God, so they arrested and bound Jesus. Today the religious leaders fear the same thing, and so they bind the body of Christ. But Jesus came to set us free, and He is still setting us free.
After binding Jesus, they (Who are “they” – the leaders and those blindly following them) led Him to be accused, and abused. Pilot washed his hands of the death of our Lord (he would not set Jesus free nor would he condemn Him, in fact condemning Him). When asked by Pilot, the Jews would not set Jesus free. Jesus was mocked, whipped and put on the cross for our sins. Taking Him from the cross before the sunset that began the High Sabbath, He was put into a tomb. When Jesus walked out of the tomb, there were no bindings on Him.
Because leaders in the churches today fear the freedom purchased by our Lord – fear the Holy Spirit and the anointing who teaches us – they deny the power, and bind up the body (to keep their titles and positions). Jesus said He would be our Shepherd because the leaders do not feed the flock. To the flock the Spirit has prophesied that we trample the crop and muddy the water – we are without a shepherd, because the leaders care for themselves and do not prepare the flock; so we trample and muddy. But Jesus is our Shepherd, if we put our eyes on Him. Not all leaders fear and starve the flocks, and not all are bound by the greed of the shepherds. Not all trample and muddy; but there is enough that the fields are trampled and the water is muddy. Jesus is the answer. Let us put our eyes on the Lord and not the men and women who feed or do not feed. Let us, the body, be led by God to harvest the fields and let the water settle (He leads me by still waters – He prepares a table).
Jesus was put in bindings and led to His trail, death, and tomb – the ultimate binding put on us by the earth – but the Lord walked out of the tomb, because no bindings could hold Him. The ultimate prison could not hold the Son of God (the Son of Man). When you are free in the Lord, there are no bindings that can keep you. Why is it that so much of the Body of Christ is still in their bindings? They have chosen to remain in their bindings. The leadership cannot hold you in bindings, if you turn your eyes off of them and onto God. Speak when the Lord tells you to speak, and do not wait for the approval of those in fear of the power of God. Jesus has set you free – obeying God is how we can be a voice to help set others free, including the leadership bound up by their fears. A few of the Jews knew who Jesus is – but feared those that feared the power of God. Do not fear those who fear – and do not wait for Rome to set you free; Rome will wash their hands and watch you die. Come out of the tomb – without your death clothes – without bindings.
© 2010, Tim D. Coulter Sr.