King Above All Kings Series

OPENING SLIDE

INTRODUCTION

• Over the past five weeks we have explored the world Jesus stepped into; we have seen:

• The Law and covenant expectations

• The religious power structures

• The political pressures of Rome

• The conflicting religious groups

• But today we come to the moment where all those worlds collide.

• Rome…

• Religion…

• The crowd…

• And they all must answer the same question: Is Jesus really King?

• No matter the season, Jesus challenges the rule of the day.

• When we consider who Jesus is, our answer affects everything we hold important.

• Let begin with John 18:33-38

John 18:33–38 NET 2nd ed.

33 So Pilate went back into the governor’s residence, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

34 Jesus replied, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or have others told you about me?”

35 Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own people and your chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?”

36 Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish authorities. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”

37 Then Pilate said, “So you are a king!” Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world—to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

38 Pilate asked, “What is truth?” When he had said this he went back outside to the Jewish leaders and announced, “I find no basis for an accusation against him.

• The first person forced to wrestle with that question in our text is a man who represents the most powerful empire in the world at the time, a Roman governor named Pontius Pilate.

• So the first thing we see in this passage is this:

MAIN POINT 1 SLIDE

SERMON

I. Jesus Challenges Political Power

• The first person forced to answer the question about Jesus is Pontius Pilate.

• Pilate was Rome’s man in Judea. His job was to keep the peace and protect Caesar’s authority. And now standing in front of him was a man accused of claiming to be a king.

• Pontius Pilate served as the Roman governor (prefect) of Judea from about A.D. 26 to A.D. 36 under the Roman emperor Tiberius.

• His job was simple but difficult: keep order in a very volatile region.

• Judea was a challenging province for Rome because the Jewish people were deeply committed to their religious identity and strongly resisted Roman rule.

• Ancient historians such as Josephus and Philo describe Pilate as a harsh and insensitive ruler who often provoked the Jewish population.

The Pilate Inscription (Archaeological Discovery) SIDE NOTE

• For years skeptics wondered whether Pontius Pilate was even a real historical figure.

• But in 1961 archaeologists discovered a stone in Caesarea that reads, “Pontius Pilatus, Prefect of Judea.”

• This inscription dates to the time of the emperor Tiberius, exactly the period when the Gospels say Pilate governed Judea.

• Today that stone is displayed in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

• The man who questioned Jesus that morning wasn’t a legend—he was Rome’s governor standing face-to-face with the King of Kings.

• Pilate was not a religious leader; he was the Roman governor of Judea.

• That means he represented the most powerful empire in the world at that time.

• Into that world stands Jesus, bound, arrested, and standing before the Roman governor.

• Pilate looks at Him and asks the question that drives this entire passage, "Are you the King of the Jews?" (John 18:33)

• Pilate is not asking a theological question; he is asking a political one.

• Rome tolerated many religions, but Rome would not tolerate rival kings.

• If Jesus was claiming to be a king in a political sense, that would be considered rebellion against Caesar.

• So Pilate wants to know, "Are you starting a revolution?”

• Jesus responds in a way Pilate did not expect: “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36)

• Jesus is not denying that He is a king; He is explaining the nature of His kingdom.

• Jesus says if His kingdom were like the kingdoms of this world…

• His followers would be fighting.

• But His kingdom operates differently.

• Earthly kingdoms are built on force, control, and military power, but Jesus’ kingdom is built on truth.

John 18:37 NET 2nd ed.

37 Then Pilate said, “So you are a king!” Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world—to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”