Behold Your King, Part 2 (John 19:17-36) Series

My goal this week, is a simple one. When you look at Jesus on the cross, think about what you are seeing. Think about who Jesus truly is, and what he did for you. And leave today, praising God the Father, and God the Son, for the life they have given to you.

Now, last week, when Jesus was on trial before Pilate, we found ourselves doing much the same thing.

Three times, Pilate called us to look to Jesus, and understand what we were seeing. Pilate meant this ironically. He said this, to try to humiliate Jesus and the Judeans. But what Pilate actually did, despite himself, was two things: First, Pilate spoke the truth. And second, Pilate pointed people toward Jesus.

Let's start this morning by rereading a portion of last week's text, picking back up in John 19:1:

(19:1) Then, Pilate next took Jesus,

and he flogged/beat him,

(2) and the soldiers, weaving a crown from thorns, placed it on his head,

and a purple robe they put on him,

and they were coming to him,

and they were saying,

"Rejoice, the king of the Judeans,"

and they were giving him blows/slaps ,

(4) and Pilate came outside again,

and he says to them,

"LOOK! I bring him to you outside,

in order that you would know that no ground for accusation I find against him."

(5) Then, Jesus came outside,

bearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe,

and he (Pilate) says to them,

"LOOK! The man!"

(6) Then, when the chief priests and the police saw him, they cried out, saying,

"Crucify! Crucify!

Pilate says to them,

"Take him-- you,

and crucify him.

"For I don't find in him a ground for accusation.

(7) The Judeans answered him,

"We, a law, we have,

and in accordance with the law he must die,

because the?/a son of God, he makes himself.

(8) Then, when Pilate heard this, he instead feared,

(9) and he entered into the governor's residence again,

and he says to Jesus,

"From where are you?"

Now, Jesus, an answer, he didn't give him.

(10) Then, Pilate says to him,

"To me you won't speak?

Don't you know

that authority I have to release you,

and authority I have to crucify you?"

(11) Jesus responded to him,

"You don't have authority against/over me, any , unless only it was given to you from above."

For this reason the one handing me to you, greater sin, he has.

(12) From this point on, Pilate was seeking to release him.

Now, the Judeans were crying out, saying,

"If this one you release, you aren't a friend of Caesar.

Everyone, the king making himself, opposes Caesar."

(13) Then, Pilate, hearing these words, brought Jesus outside,

and he sat [him?] upon the judgment seat at the place,

being called the Stone Pavement.

Now, in Hebrew, Gabbatha.

(14) Now, it was the day of preparation for the Passover.

It was about the sixth hour,

and he says to the Judeans,

"LOOK! Your king!

(15) Then, those ones cried out,

"Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!"

Pilate says to them,

"Your king, I should crucify?"

The chief priests answered,

"We have no king, except only Caesar.

(16) Then, he then handed him over to them,

in order that he would be crucified,

That's as far as we got last week. Jesus has been sentenced to death by crucifixion. He's been rejected, humiliated, used as a prop. Jesus is a king, but a very different kind of king, with a very different kind of kingdom.

Now, he's on his way to the cross. And we are supposed to understand that this is the moment of his exaltation. Every king, at his coronation, has an inauguration. The moment when everyone acknowledges, this is our new king. When everyone celebrates the king, and lifts him up. It's the moment of his glory. For Jesus, this moment is the cross. When Jesus is lifted up on the cross, this is not a moment of shame. This is his glory. And that's the picture I want you to see.

Verse 17-22:

(17) and carrying his own cross, he (=Jesus) went out to the place being called "The Skull,"

which is called in Aramaic 'Golgotha,'

where him, they crucified,

and with him, two others, one on one side, and one on the other.

Now, in the middle, Jesus.

(19) Now, Pilate also wrote a notice/inscription,

and he placed it upon the cross.

Now, it was written,

"Jesus, the Nazarene. The King of the Judeans."

(20) Then, this notice/inscription many of the Judeans read,

because near, the place was to the city

where Jesus was crucified.

What we see, so far, is two things. The first, is the title Pilate wrote. Who is Jesus? Verse 19 tells us, Jesus is two things. First, he is "the Nazarene." Second, he is "the king of the Judeans."