JOHN 18:28-40
CHRIST’S CLAIMS
CONTRADICT CONSPICUOUSNESS
I. HIS CLAIMS*
A. Clarity.
B. Consented.
C. Condemned.
II. HIS CAUSE: **
A. Communicate.
B. Confront.
C. Cure.
III. HIS CONQUEST: ***
A. Church.
B. Commonness.
C. Continually.
Two leaders met face to face one day, years ago and it was the most unusual meeting between governmental officials that has ever happened upon this earth. Usually, when one ruler is to meet his equal there are many areas of utmost importance which needs to be solved before the two leaders meet.
One area of concern between the two heads of state concerns which country will be visited by whom. Other areas of concern deal with the delicate subject of who extends a welcoming hand to whom; which side will the visitor sit when seated next to the host; will the two leaders walk together side by side; who will address the audience first, and who will depart first from the other’s company? These are just some of the problems that arise when two heads of state meet. After all, public figures are important, at least they think they are. It is not proper for one ruler to be thrust into the presence of another without the proper ground work being laid before the two heads of state to meet.
But, this was not the case with Jesus and Pilate. Jesus was brought to Pilate early in the morning and the accusation leveled against Jesus was that He was a breaker of the Jewish Law. Pilate, who did not like the Jews, must have thought it ironic that the Jews-who hated the Romans-had now turned on one of their own. There must have been some irony here as Pilate witnessed the spectacle of the rabble who were always spewing hatred towards him only now turned to him because wanted Pilate to crucify one of their own.
Regardless of what he must have thought, he no doubt saw a spectacle that haunted him. Here was a Man who was disheveled, tired and had a swollen face due to the slaps delivered by the Man’s captors earlier that morning. The Man that stood before Pilate that morning must have evoked some pity from this hard hearted, conniving, rogue of a Roman Curator.
Not being too hasty to placate the motley mob of miscreants who were clamoring conflicting, contemptible comments against this plain, poor, pitied Person, Pilate delightfully dallied, defying the wishes of the Jewish hierarchy while he investigated the reasons for this disturbance so early on this particular morning.
As the conversation ensued between the Jews and with Jesus, Pilate was struck by this Man and after trying unsuccessfully to ascertain the real reason for Him being before him, he found this plain, ordinary Man saying that He had a kingdom and it was not of this world. This was when two heads of government met without any pre arranged human intervention and Pilate met the King-of-kings face-to-face. He was struck by what Jesus said and when he asked the second time, if Jesus was really a King, Jesus affirmed the truth. This is where Pilate failed to grasp the significance of the true King. These two leaders had a discussion which shook the world and set in motion the rise of the King of all Kings by His march to Calvary, then to Glory.
In answer to Pilate’s questions, if Jesus was a true King, He answered by stating HIS CLAIMS to His kingdom. Next, I see where Jesus laid out HIS CAUSE for claiming His kingdom and then, lastly, I note HIS CONQUEST as He sat out to establish His kingdom. Pilate did not or could not see these things that day, but history has relegated this ruinous Roman to the rear pages of history while King Jesus is still establishing His kingdom and will continue to do forever.
* HIS CLAIMS : How ironic the situation must have appeared to Pilate that morning when he asked Jesus if He were a King and Jesus said that, “You just admitted it.” Pilate knew he was important-he had the might of Rome behind him. He lived in a sumptuous palace and had fine clothes, servants and money along with pomp and circumstances where ever he went. Yet, here before him stood a Jew, alone, tired, forsaken and the butt end of much hatred and scorn and yet this Man affirmed that He was a King? It must have made Pilate question the Man’s veracity to say the least. But, Jesus knew what He was saying and He laid out His claim to His role of a King through His pronouncements.
The one thing I note about HIS CLAIM to being a King, was the Clarity of His words. He never apologized for His appearance, He never apologized for His lack of earthly riches and glory, and He stated in no uncertain terms with a clear voice that, “Yes, I am a King.” Oh, may we take a note from the Master here and loudly proclaim the same that, “Jesus is a King.” There was no timidity in the voice of the Master that morning. Yes, He was tired; yes, His face hurt; yes, He was forsaken; and yes, He was abused, but His voice was clear, commanding and convincing. He might have been suffering, but the voice that spoke worlds into existence eons ago did not loose its power that day when He told Pilate, “Yes, I am a King.” Pilate heard it and quaked.
Down in the corridors of the dammed where the demons who are held in captivity according to Jude, heard that pronouncement and they quaked. The Prince and the Power of the Air-Satan, himself, heard it and quaked. His followers, those fallen angels who saw Jesus in Heaven before they were banned, heard it and they quaked. And they all were ever more infuriated at Him for His proclamation and decided they had one more time to try and dethrone Him before He would rise and claim the world for His Father.
The Father in Heaven heard His Son say that He was a King in a clear voice and He rejoiced. The myriad of the angelic host heard it from their lofty realm and they rejoiced. And, heaven knew that the Pearl of Great Price would be lost in the field of death for a season, but He would rise and claim His kingdom and all of heaven celebrated that day. Jesus spoke to Pilate in a clear voice proclaiming Himself a King and the entire universe heard it.
Next, I see where Jesus claimed to be a King, because He would rule the hearts of the ones who Consented to His rule. Jesus did not come like Mohammad did threatening the people to believe in him and his diabolical dogma or he would off their heads. No, Jesus came, offering Himself to all and to those who accepted Him, He became their King and His reign was in their hearts and in their heads.
HIS Claim to His Kingdom was to rule by the consent of the obedient. His manner never was of force or brutality, but of love, of kindness, of cleanness, of wholesomeness and these qualities would endear Him to His followers and they would serve Him with all of their hearts, minds, souls and spirits. There were no soldiers guarding the believers of Christ in His Kingdom. There was no enforced subscription into His army; it was all volunteer-made so because His subjects loved Him and would die for Him.
Then, HIS CLAIM to His kingdom lay in the fact that at the end of time, all people, including the Condemned, will bow their knees to Him and proclaim Him as King of kings and Lord of lords. When Pilate asked Him that day, if He was a real King, Jesus said so in a clear voice and has built His kingdom in the hearts of those who have consented to follow Him. The irony of it all, is that all kingdoms will fade and yet His Kingdom will grow and grow as a mustard seed that will sprout and the birds of the air will alight in its branches. It will be Ezekiel’s river that will flow and although it will be ankle deep at the beginning it will flow until the river overflows all else. Its clear stream’s fountain will start from under the Throne of God and will flow out to water the nations with its life giving nutrients where the banks will be blessed by the Tree of Life that will give its fruit for the healing of the nations.
Yes, Christ will have, indeed does have, a Kingdom because He is a King and all will bow before Him sooner or later. Is He a King? Ask Pilate.
** HIS CAUSE: The question arises as to why did He come in the manner in which He did as the Bible says? Why did He not come to be born in a royal palace with a long pedigree and a regal name? The Bible says He came to this earth, was born of a virgin girl, whose claim to royalty was distant to say the least. He was born in a barn; laid to rest in a feeding trough; fled to Egypt like a common criminal; lived among poor people; learned to work with His hands; grew up amidst scorn of His mother’s supposed lack of honor; denigrated because He did not attend a rabbinical school; lived in the open with His followers; had no place to call His own; then hunted like an animal; finally captured; abandoned by His friends; and now stands defending His claim to be a King. Why?
HIS CAUSE for all of this was to be able to Communicate to the world via the best possible way and that was to be a common Person with an extraordinary message about a God who dwelt among people and wanted to save them. The only way to effectively complete HIS CAUSE was to Communicate to the world His Father and Himself by living among us. He could never communicate to the world, the dying masses, the hurt, the hungry, the oppressed, and the lost, if He did not come as He did. HIS CAUSE was in His telling the world that He came to help and to save. He came to reveal to all that there was a way into Heaven and into his kingdom and it would be through Him. He stood there before Pilate that day, looking anything but a King, yet He was a King, thee King, and He came with this purpose in mind: to die for His subjects in order that they might live in His kingdom. This was His purpose for all that proceeded that morning.
Next, I note another reason why He came, another purpose for His being held before Pilate was that one of the Causes for His coming was to Confront the devil and the reign of darkness that fell on the earth when Satan fell to the earth eons ago. Jesus walked as a Stranger on this earth because He and all of His followers are strangers on this earth that is dominated and controlled by Satan.
Note the Temptations of Jesus in the Wilderness when Satan told Him to bow and worship him and he, Satan, would give Him, Jesus, the kingdoms of the world. Note what was not said. Jesus never denied the claim of Satan to be the owner of the kingdoms of the world, but told Satan that he should worship Him not the other way around. Satan is the owner of the kingdoms of the world. Jesus and we who follow Him, are trespassers on Satan’s domain. But HIS CAUSE in coming to this earth was to Confront Satan and to take back this world for God’s ownership.
Another reason why Jesus came to set up His kingdom was to Cure mankind and the world of its malaise caused by sin. Jesus, the Creator of mankind, suffers to see the result of sin and its effects on the human body, the human psychic and the human soul. I do not believe that God created mankind to endure what man has endured for millennia. Man suffers at the hand of sin and Satan. The world suffers at the handiwork of this arch fiend. One of the causes that brought Jesus out of the Ivory Palace of yonder paradise was to Cure man and the world in which he lives.
When Pilate asked Jesus that day if He was truly a King, and Jesus said, “You said it,” Jesus was telling the truth because he came to Communicate His Father’s love for a lost world. He came as a King to Confront the devil on his own territory and He came as a King because He came to Cure all that was bad and defective. Yes, these two leaders met one day long ago. Pilate sneered at Jesus, but one day he will kneel before Him and Proclaim Him as the real King.
*** HIS CONQUEST: I have examined the claims that He made to be a rightful King; I have studied the causes that brought Him out of the glories of heaven to the gory of this sin cursed world. Now, for a moment, let me try and explain HIS CONQUEST of the world as He establishes His Kingdom. It is important to remember that the conquest He wages is far different than that which the world knows. HIS CONQUEST is not with swords, spears, shells and bombs, but with some things that the enemies of Christ cannot conquer. The ammunition of Christ in establishing His Kingdom is love, peace, kindness, forgiveness, gentleness of spirit against which there is no law. Christ has formulated a means to conquer Satan’s domain and He has picked what is probably the strangest vehicle to do the conquest: His Church.
Before He met Pilate that day so long ago, He told His chosen that He would set up His Church and the gates of Hell would never overtake it. He has kept His word. It would be by His Church that He would eventually pull down the strongholds of Satan. Emperors, kings, dictators, atheists, agnostics, charlatans and a host of others bent on the destruction of Christ’s Church have had their day in the sun and have found out that they have failed in one way or the other to destroy or obliterate His Kingdom on this earth.
Christ said He was a King and He is through the agency of His Church. This entity made up of people from all nations, languages, tongues, dialects, and skin hues of all colors, from the rich to the poor, from the educated to the illiterate, have composed the Church. Slowly the conquering Conqueror has waged a never ending, always ongoing war, against Satan and his imps and have turned the tide of history in favor of that tired, disheveled, lonely, abandoned King who stood before Pilate and all of Rome and said, “You said it, I am a King.” While others have railed against the King and His people, the Church has quietly wage an offensive war against the enemy of God. Jesus knew what He was saying that day when He told Pilate that He was speaking the truth. Jesus did not look like a King and He was not accorded the rank and prestige of a King, but He knew HIS CONQUEST would wear down Rome and outlast all others because He had set up one of the ways He was going to use to win the war with Satan and that was through His Church.
I then notice the second means that He chose to wage HIS CONQUEST of establishing His Kingdom and that was through the Commonness of His followers. His warriors would not be organized with ranks, fancy titles, high mandates, plush offices, luxurious homes and decked out in fine apparel. No, His soldier which would form His army would be the wash woman on her knees singing and praising God. His soldiers would be the nurses that cared for the untouchables, the sick and the dying. His soldiers would be those who worked in coal mines, auto factories, farms, warehouses etc. His soldiers would be school teachers, lawyers, doctors, those with money as well as those with no money. His army would be the ones who would stop the slave traffic and raise the status of women and children. His soldiers would be the ones who would open soup kitchens, hand out clothes to the naked, find shelter for the homeless, and give an education to those who could not afford one. His army, the ones He intended to woo unto Him, would be the ones who were short-tall, skinny-not too skinny; men-women; boys-girls; the loquacious ones-the timid ones; and on and on goes His army. He chose to conqueror Satan’s domain by the very common people of the world and He has done a good job at commanding such a force for now nearly two thousand years.
Lastly, HIS CONQUEST of Satan’s domain would be ever ongoing, a Continual battle that will consummate in Heaven when all of God’s children will be gathered Home. There is no rest nor R and R in the army of the Lord. We soldiers never take time off; we are constantly on call and on duty. We pray, we sing, we testify, we give money and time to God’s Kingdom on this earth as long as we are alive.
We suffer insults and slights from family friends and neighbors because we are Christians. Some of our army is locked away in jail cells in parts of the world. Some of our fellow soldiers are beaten, rob, slandered, and shamed, yet we march on. Some of our fellow soldiers have had their homes destroyed, their bodies broken, their riches stolen, yet we march on. We all grow weary and tired and lay our heads down and sleep troubled sleep only to arise and face the same enemy afresh and anew every day. We are told to quit, to surrender, to abandoned the cause of Christ, yet we fight on.
History has provided ample examples of the way Christ’s army has been treated, yet the Church advances, and He is still conquering. However, when He says it is enough, the King’s voice that was so clear that day so long ago, will call out for His people to come home and then we will rest. However, until we hear that clarion call, HIS CONQUEST will be a Continual, never ending struggle against Satan.
When Pilate asked Him in derision if He was a King, Christ answered the truth and told Pilate, “What you have just said is true-I am a King.” He is truly a King worthy of obedience because He is the only King and someday we soldiers will meet in heaven for our final bivouac and we will lay down our body and take up a new one. Then while the endless ages of eternity unfold, we will proclaim Him to be our King of all kings.
The meeting of these two was not arraigned by Rome or Pilate, but it was by God. From start to finish, God had all of the details worked out in advance. What looked like a one sided meeting of one superior over an inferior, really was a Superior King meeting an inferior Curator. The meeting came and went, but the real King lives on.
