A selection of verses showing that although Jesus had tremendous power, he resisted the temptation to use it for his own advantage.
Jesus' ability to heal attracted great crowds:
23 Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness amongst the people. 24 The report about him went out into all Syria. They brought to him all who were sick, afflicted with various diseases and torments, possessed with demons, epileptics, and paralytics; and he healed them. 25 Great multitudes from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and from beyond the Jordan followed him.
After He had fed 5,000 people, they thought he would make a good leader, but Jesus resisted this idea:
14 When therefore the people saw the sign which Jesus did, they said, “This is truly the prophet who comes into the world.” 15 Jesus therefore, perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
Jesus could have made an attempt to become king when he rode into Jerusalem, but again he resisted the idea:
12 On the next day a great multitude had come to the feast. When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 they took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet him, and cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!”
When Jesus was on trial he confirmed that he was a king, but Pilate was amazed that he made no attempt to do anything about it:
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
Jesus said to him, “So you say.”
12 When he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. 13 Then Pilate said to him, “Don’t you hear how many things they testify against you?”
14 He gave him no answer, not even one word, so that the governor marvelled greatly.
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