Originally posted: 11/16/2019
And he said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!” (19:14).
Our attention can quickly move to those who demanded He be crucified. We shake our heads in disgust as we hear their merciless mocking and read of their heartless brutality.
But if we look closer, if we stop judging and are truthful with ourselves, we will see and hear the dreadful reality; it is our own hands twisting His crown of thorns, our own voices demanding His death.
But today, may we turn our eyes on Him. Jesus explicitly revealed the truth of His identity to Pilate.
Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”…36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” 37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice,” (John 18:33, 36-37).
What kind of a King leaves His kingdom for the sake of others, to come into a world in desperate need of truth? Though He came as a helpless babe, though He laid aside His deity and came as a mere man, though He was persecuted and crucified does not change His identity.
Though He cannot be explained, He is the King of all kings. He is a King unlike any other, and whether or not we believe or agree does not change the truth. He is the King over all the universe and one day the whole earth will bow before Him, Our King.
Consider Him, Our King
- What kind of King subjects Himself to such merciless treatment and ridicule? Our King.
- Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; 3 and they began to come up to Him and say, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and to give Him slaps in the face, (19:1-3).
- What kind of King allows Himself to be wrongfully accused? Our King.
- So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him,” (19:6).
- What kind of King makes Himself out to be the Son of God? Our King.
- The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God,” (19:7).
- What kind of King allows Himself to be handed over to His executioners? Our King.
- And he said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!” 15 So they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” 16 So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified, (19:14-16).
- What kind of King, though innocent, bears His own cross? Our King.
- They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, (19:17).
- What kind of King fulfills the Scripture by His death? Our King.
- …this was to fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My outer garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” 25 Therefore the soldiers did these things, (19:24-25).
- But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. 36 For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, “Not a bone of Him shall be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced,” (19:34-37).
- What kind of King, when dying an excruciating death, is concerned for the welfare of others? Our King.
- When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household, (19:26-27).
- What kind of King determines His time of death? Our King.
- Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit, (19:30).
How do we respond to Him, Our King?
While there is much about Him we cannot explain, much that is confusing, He has explicitly revealed Himself to us, as He did to Pilate. We have His Words and His Works recorded in the pages of the Holy Scriptures.
“If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me,” (John 10:24-25).
And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written, (John 21:25).
He is Our King, by faith or by fact. The day is coming when the whole world will bow before Him in submission. And though we too were His enemies, when we bow before Him by faith, we will return with Him as the called and chosen and faithful.
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life, (Romans 5:10).
These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful, (Revelation 17:14).
He is Our King, by faith or by fact. For those who reject Him on earth it will be too late to bow by faith; but they will bow before Him, Our King, by the very fact of Who He is.
And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS,” (Revelation 19:11-16).
May we bow before Him today in faith and may we grow in worship and obedience to Him, Our King.