Pilate entered the praetorium again and called Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or Did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me; what have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world.” Pilate said to him, “So you are a King?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is the truth?”
Introduction
Do you remember the show “name that tune?” Contestants listened to short renditions of musical selections and then were asked to “Name that tune.” How well do you think you would do if you went on that show? Well here is your opportunity, I am going to play a short musical selection and I want you to identify it. (Play “Hail to the Chief”) Do you recognize it? That’s right, it’s “Hail to the Chief.” This song was published in the US in about 1812. It was first played to announce the arrival of the president on March 4, 1837 when it accompanied Martin Van Buren’s inauguration. This musical piece serves to create a sense of Pomp and Circumstance It helps our elected representative look “Presidential.” Now can anyone tell me the words to this song?
“Hail to the chief we have chosen for the nation. Hail to the chief we salute him, one and all. Hail to the chief as we pledge cooperation. In proud fulfillment of a great noble call. Yours is the aim to make this grand country grander. This you will do that’s our strong, firm belief. Hail to the one we selected as commander. Hail to the president. Hail to the chief.”
As I have observed the on-going debate over the Florida vote count. As I’ve observed each side slugging it out in court. Listened to each camp’s representatives spin-doctor the results. As the days have turned into weeks, and the weeks creep towards months. I’ve wondered if in the end. We will finally learn who won the office for the next four years, but will have to wait for a lot longer for someone who will appear presidential. I can’t help but think would it be better to just go back to having a king. A king, after all, is trained from birth on how to wave, and how to speak, and how to govern. Now just think about it for a moment. There would be no more of this on the job training stuff. No more of this campaigning for the office. No more of these political parties. Just the royal family. And when the king (or queen) dies, we just follow the next family member in line. No more choosing by hanging chads. Our next leader would be chosen by their blood. Well, how about it? What do you say? Shall we forget this democracy mess and go back to following a King? But then our passage for today reminded me. As Christians we already have a king
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world.”
Get Ready. You and I are about to look at one of the great mysteries of the New Testament. In this passage Jesus refers to his Kingdom. But no-where in all of the biblical record can we ever find Jesus stating “I am a king.” Other people will make this claim of Him. John in Revelations will even go so far as to call Him the “King of kings,” and the “Lord of lords.” But Jesus never makes this claim of Himself. Yet when he makes mention of His kingdom Pilate says to him, “So you are a King?” Jesus answers, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth.” So Jesus has come to bear witness to the truth, yet will not declare for himself that he is king. Then what is the truth that Jesus has come from heaven above to bear witness to, if it is not the truth that he is king?
To comprehend what is going on here we need to first understand Israel’s experience with kings. The Jewish people have a long history of being a conquered people. Starting with slavery under the Egyptians, then the conquest of northern Judea by the Assyrians. The defeat of Southern Israel by Bablylon. Next came the Greeks under Alexander the Great. And now servitude under the Roman Emperor. And even now in the days of Jesus the man who holds the office of the Jewish King, Herod is only a figurehead, appointed by Rome. It is Caesar who calls all the shots. Into this political mess walks Jesus, the King of all Kings, the Lord over all other lords. Yet in coming to His people, Jesus makes no demands for allegiance. There is no conquest. There is no force by arms. Jesus simply asks, in Matthew 16
“Who do men say that the Son of man is? And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it.“
And what is this rock upon which Christ will build His church? It is the rock of Confession. It is individuals coming to the divine recognitionthat this man Jesus is the Christ, the King of kings. This is what Jesus has come to bear witness to . He has come to bear witness to our confession. In Luke 12, Jesus says, “I tell you, every one who acknowledges me before men, the Son of man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; but he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. Standing before God the Father and all of the heavenly host. Christ will bear witness to the truth of our confession. When asked, “What about their sin?” “I have forgiven it”, he will say. “What of their depraved nature?” “It has been washed clean by my blood,” he will claim. “The sinner you speak of is dead,” he will tell them. “They died with me, on the cross, the moment they placed their faith in me. It is no longer they who live, but I the Christ, who lives in them.”
This is why when Pilate asks, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus replies with the question, “Do you say this of your own accord, or Did others say it to you about me?” Jesus wants to know is Pilot simply repeating what someone else has told him, or is he making and inquiry of faith? And Pilot realizes that this is what Jesus is asking of him. That is why Pilate answers, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me; what have you done?” Not being a Jew, Pilot assumed that any man claiming to be the King of the Jews would hold no earthly authority over him and could not, therefore, expect allegiance from him. But what Pilot missed was that the man who stood before him was no mere earthly king. He was the King over all kings, the Lord above all other lords. This man, this Son of God, was in fact the ruler of all heaven and earth. And he would accept allegiance from anyone who would make the confession, “Jesus is Lord.” Have you done this? Have you given your allegiance to the Christ? Has there been a moment in your life where you gave everything you had, everything you were
everything you hoped to ever be or do, over to the rule of Jesus Christ. The one who gave up everything to save your soul
Conclusion
There are those who call the church a volunteer organization. But how volunteer can it be when we follow a king? Christ is not looking for volunteers. He’s looking for subjects. He’s looking for servants - who will give their all for Him. “if anyone wants to follow me, they must take up their cross daily and follow me.” Do you remember as a child watching the Hollywood moves about knights and maidens. There would be a scene where the knights bowed before their king and vowed allegiance. Their life, their wealth, their hearts were forevermore the kings to command. Just a fantasy you say. Just a movie for children, you think. But I tell you the King of kings is seeking for those who will give their all for Him. Who will seek his will before their own. And isn’t this what we pray for every Sunday when we pray “Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done. On Earth, as it is in Heaven.” Jesus answered Pilate by saying, “My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world.” A Heavenly kingdom that has yet to come. A divine King, who will not force His rule when He does come. An earth bound set of servants who longing for his coming pray, “Thy Kingdom Come.”
In the mid-17th century, Oliver Cromwell sent his secretary to the continent on some important, state business. One night during his travels he found he was unable to sleep. According to an old custom a servant slept in his room and that evening the servant was sleeping soundly. In the middle of the night the secretary woke the man up to tell the servant that he could not rest because “I am so afraid something will go wrong with the diplomatic mission,” “Master,” said the valet, “may I ask a question or two?” “Of course.” “Did God rule the world before we were born?” “Most assuredly He did.” “And will He rule it after we are dead?” “Certainly He will.” “Then, master, why not let Him rule the present, too?” The servant’s reply stirred the secretary’s faith he found a deep sense of peace, and in a few minutes both he and the servant were sound asleep.
As christians we claim that Jesus is the Christ, the King of Kings, The Lord of Lords. Our Lord and Savior. Yet, how often we forget that truth. Let me remind you that Jesus Christ is Lord. He was King before Pilate. He was Lord of Cromwell’s Secretary. He will be King at the end of time. He will be Lord when He comes again. And He is our Lord and King today.