Monday, March 16, 2009
John 18:37 "Are you a king then?"
JESUS AS KING
He certainly didn't look like a king to Pontius Pilate. As the accused One stood before him, Pilate marveled greatly at how the Man answered nothing as false accusation after false accusation was thrown at Him by His own people, the Jews. It was obvious that their purpose was to see Jesus crucified.
It is true that Jesus had already made it very plain to Pilate that while, yes, He was a king, He was not a king like any other. For any earthly king would have had his servants fight so that he would not end up as Jesus had.
But to hear Jesus talk about how His kingdom was not from "here," and that as a king He had come to "bear witness to the truth," it made no sense to Pilate. "What is truth?" the Procurator asked -- and did not wait for an answer. No, Jesus does not fit the mold of a "king" in the usual, earthly sense. He has no kingly pomp, no royal steed, no military army at His beck and call. His rule is in the hearts of His people. His victories are over our enemies -- sin, death, and the power of the devil.
With the Lord's blessings we will use the rest of this week to look at Jesus as a king in the light of others who served as kings before Him in the pages of the Old Testament. We look forward to seeing our Lord, our King, shine through in His glory as we kneel in allegiance before Him. By His victory over sin and death He has given us through faith a place in His heavenly mansions above!
