Get Back into the Palace
Rev. Enoch Thompson | October 26 2024 | John 19:4-9

KEY VERSE:
” ⁸ When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, ⁹ and he went back inside the palace. "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. ” John 19:8-9 (NIV)
MESSAGE:
It is sometimes necessary to deliberately walk away from a place where there is a lot of noise so that we can receive a telephone call or hold a discussion with another person. Exposure to noise affects the processing of our thoughts, and we must sometimes seek a quiet location to process our thinking. We need to withdraw from some of the noise of the practice of Christianity, into the recesses of our souls, and into the pages of the Bible to clear our fainting heads and clarify the confused messages we might be dealing with.
Pilate had been trying to point to the Jewish people that the Lord Jesus was not the dangerous king that they accused Him of claiming to be. He was innocent of their charges, and he Pilate was ready to release Him. The Jews take their accusation to another level; Jesus did not only claim to be king, He also claimed to be God. In the Jewish thinking to claim to be “the Son of God” meant a claim to being God (verse 7).
When this other layer of accusation was brought up, Pilate got afraid, and “went back inside the palace.” (verse 9). He went back into the palace to make further inquiry of the Lord, to ascertain the truth of what he had heard, for it was a serious matter. We need to sit at the foot of the Master, like Mary, and ask Him about the real meaning of life, and how to live it out.
FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:
Is your life as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ taking place in the noisy environment of other people (often unsound in their understanding and practice of the faith), of programmes for programmes’ sake, of a politicized church, a materialistic Gospel, or ethnically conditioned Church?
We need to go back into the quiet place of God, within the soul and in the Word of God. We need to “steal away to Jesus,” and get a refreshing insight into the simplicity of God and the sweet fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Would you find a place to get away, periodically, weekly, or daily? Get back into the palace!
PRAYER:
Father in Heaven, I confess that I get bogged down with the noise around and miss out on your communications with me at the soul level. I want to steal away, to steal away to you, in the inner sanctuary of the soul, and to be moved not by what I hear and see, but by your Spirit and your Word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.
SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!
DAILY word study: PALACE
The word "palace" comes from the Greek praitorion (πραιτώριον), referring to a governor’s headquarters or the official residence where important discussions occurred.
In John 19:9, the palace represents a place where Pilate withdrew to speak privately with Jesus, symbolizing a retreat from external noise to seek clarity. For believers, this palace becomes a metaphor for moments of solitude with God—our inner sanctuary where we can quiet distractions and hear His voice.
Reflections:
Are you finding time to retreat from the noise around you to reconnect with God? How can you create a “palace” in your daily life to seek His guidance and refresh your spirit?

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