Dave spoke from John 18:33-37 this morning, looking at Jesus as our King.
The world’s idea of what a king is is not at all the kind of king Jesus represents, however. An earthly king was a powerful human being who secured order and peace and was honoured and respected, revered and feared. Nowadays, the monarchy generally is not held in high regard and there is a general lack of respect for any kind of authority. What does it mean, therefore, for us to own Jesus as King?
Pilate served the Roman Caesar, so he knew all about respecting (and fearing) authority. He knew what earthly kings looked like and recognised that Jesus was no earthly king! Jesus Himself confirmed this when He said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world… my Kingdom is from another place.’ (John 18:36) Despite the sign He placed above the cross, Pilate knew there was no legal basis for finding Jesus guilty of being the kind of king whom Rome would fear. There was no reason to crucify Him for the kind of sedition Rome feared. He simply was not that kind of king.
We can reject Jesus’s kingship in our own lives, either by thinking He is authoritarian and a king in the fashion of all worldly things or by thinking His kingdom only applies to the spiritual realm and has no bearing on how we live our lives on earth. In actual fact, we need to understand that Jesus’s kingship is not like the world’s idea of a king. He exercised His power by serving others, by giving, by forgiving and by loving. He demonstrated what truth, faith, hope, love and life really look like. We need to accept, believe and obey Him, secure in the reality that Jesus reigns. He really is the One in charge and in control of our lives and of the universe. He brings healing and peace to the world and has control over darkness. Jesus is King!