This week, the Major League Baseball playoffs began with a series between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports. These teams have a long shared history, passionate fans, and geographic proximity that fuel an us vs them mentality.

Rivalries don’t just exist in sports. There are sibling rivalries that sometimes produce feelings of jealousy and charges of favoritism. There are religious rivalries, Catholic versus Protestant. Of course, there are political rivalries, back and forth between the R’s and the D’s. Some are even passionate about their brand of truck, Ford versus Chevy.

In the previous episode of our salvation story, Jesus was subjected to a sham trial at the hands of the religious leaders who convicted him of blasphemy. We now read that they brought Jesus before the civil authorities, who had the power to put him to death. But the charges changed. The trial hinged on Jesus’ controversial claim to be king. Though historic rivals, both the religious and civil authorities came together against the Lord and His Anointed. Those alliances forged against Jesus’ kingship would continue on into the early church and still persist today. It’s not us vs. them. It’s about siding with Jesus, the coming king.