Was Jesus Really Bound?

Open the Bible UK Daily

They bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate.

Mark 15:1

Try to take this in: The hands that healed were bound, and so were the feet that brought good news. The Son of God was delivered into the hands of those who hated Him and wanted to hurt Him. And God allowed it to be so. Doesn’t Jesus have all power? Couldn’t He break those bonds? No, and here’s why: God had determined that at this moment Jesus should be bound.

The Bible says that God cannot deny Himself. He cannot contradict Himself. There is no confusion in Him. So, heaven itself could not break these bindings, that were the will of God, for Jesus at this moment. And Jesus said that His will is to do the will of the Father. He is committed to this. So even Jesus could not break these bindings.

Klaas Schilder, in his book, Christ in His Suffering, says, “Speaking generally, God can break all bonds.” Then he points out that “speaking generally” is irrelevant to what was happening here. There was nothing “normal” about the sufferings of Jesus. They were utterly unique. This was God redeeming the world in Christ. Christ really was bound and in the hands of His enemies.

You may find yourself facing someone who wants to ruin you professionally, financially, or personally. Someone who sees a world without you is given power over you, and you can't do anything about it. You are bound. And you find yourself crying out to God, “How is this possible?” Jesus says to you, “I’ve been there. I’ll be your comfort, direction, and strength.”

How does Jesus’ experience of being bound enable Him to identify with you?