Bible Passage: John 18:33-37
Pastor: Joel Jenswold
Sermon Date: November 21, 2021

Bulletin November 21, 2021

Jesus is King…that’s the Truth

 In the name of, and to the eternal glory of, Jesus,

One of the major themes of the Gospel of John is “truth.”  We see this in the very first chapter.  In that section sometimes called the Prologue of John’s gospel, John tells us that Jesus came full of grace and truth (v. 14).  John concludes the Prologue by telling us:  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (1:17).  John wants us to know that truth, lasting eternal truth, is to be found in Jesus.

John is the one who records Jesus saying, If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (8:32)  In the same dialogue, Jesus says this: You are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. (8:40)  And it is John who records those profound words of Jesus, I am the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6)  Of the 102 times in the New Testament “truth” is mentioned, 21 of those are in the gospel of John!  The next closest book to John’s gospel is 1 John, where “truth” is used 8 times.

Our text is from John’s gospel, and so it will surprise no one when I tell you that it is all about “truth,” the truth that is our theme today.  Our text drives home the point:  Jesus is King…that’s the Truth!

Pontius Pilate wants the truth!  A Jewish mob has rudely interrupted his Friday morning. They want him to hear and judge a case.  They have brought to him Jesus of Nazareth.  And here is the indictment they bring:  We have found this man subverting our nation.  He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.” (Luke 23:2)  This is where our text picks up.

Pilate would interrogate the defendant and find out the truth.  Pilate takes Jesus inside, away from the mob.  Are you the king of the Jews? (v. 33)  Jesus’ answer to this question is critical evidence in this case!  But in an unexpected turn, Jesus flips the script and becomes the interrogator:  Are you saying this on your own, or did others tell you about me? (v. 34)  In effect Jesus asks, “Do YOU really want to know, or is this official business?”  Pilate blurts back, Am I a Jew?  His point:  “This is a Jewish thing!  I could care less about your national inside-baseball!”  Then he asks, What have you done?

Now Jesus will give him the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  My kingdom is not of this world (v. 36).  Everybody knows what kingdoms of this world are like.  They typically rise out of ambition and intrigue and ego.  They are all about land acquisition and amassing wealth and power and prestige.  Worldly kingdoms advance by means of regimented and disciplined soldiers, and brilliant battlefield generals who out-think and out-maneuver the opponent,  and sharpened and polished weapons.  Jesus says his kingdom is NOT like this.  As evidence, Jesus points Pilate to the obvious truth that there are no soldiers, no generals, no weapons fighting to free King Jesus at that moment.

There Jesus stands.  Tired.  Bound.  Bruised. Face swollen.  Spit in his beard.  A king.  With a kingdom.  Not much of a king to look at!  What Pilate struggled to see can only be seen with eyes of faith!  To see in this man a king, to set aside this day as Christ the King Sunday, is to see Jesus with eyes opened and unblinded by the Spirit of God.  It is to see the truth of what Jesus said, that his reign and his rule are different, so different from what the world looks for in a king.

The truth of what Jesus said did not escape Pilate:  You are a king then!  Jesus answers:  I am, as you say, a king.  For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world, to testify to the truth. (v. 37)  Jesus is saying, “Now you’re saying I’m a king.  This is what I’ve been saying all along!  I was born to be king!”  Indeed, the entire coming of Jesus into this world was about the coming of a King and a kingdom.  The language of monarchy is found throughout the story of Jesus!  When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her she was going to give birth to Jesus, the angel said, He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end. (Luke 1:32-33)  Mary was told she was going to be the mother of a little King!  When the little King is born, Wise Men from the east come and they announce their intentions:  Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?  We have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him. (Matthew 2:2)  What kind of king gets his own star?  King Jesus does! Herod slaughtered the “Innocents” in Bethlehem because he thought this king had ambitions of having a kingdom of “this world.”  He was wrong.  When Jesus entered upon his public ministry, his message was simple:  Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near. (Matthew 4:17)

 A different King.  A different kingdom.  Jesus didn’t come to conquer the world.  He came to save it.  He didn’t come to kill his enemies.  He came to die for them and by the power of his love make them his friends.  He didn’t come to build for himself the biggest, highest, throne you ever saw.  He came to reign in human hearts and lives.  He came to build a kingdom on his life, death, and resurrection.  A kingdom that will never end.  A kingdom that advances not with bombs and bayonets and bullets.  But a kingdom that advances relentlessly, day and night, through Words, and water, and wine, and wafers.

Oh, there have been worldly kingdoms that have set themselves against the advancing kingdom of heaven.  Some even exist today!  Moscow, Beijing, and even some in Washington D.C. have been so bold as to go to war against our dear King and his kingdom.  To defiant kings, Psalm 2 speaks:  The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One…The One enthroned in heaven laughs;  the Lord scoffs at them.  Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill”…Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth.  Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment.  Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (Psalm 2:2, 4-6, 10-12)

 There is no half-way with this King.  One is either “for” or “against” this King and his kingdom.  By God’s grace, we are among those who are “for”!  We are on the side of this truth, and we listen to this King.  To us, the beatitude of Psalm 2 applies:  Blessed are those who take refuge in him.  We have taken refuge in our King!  We hide ourselves in his life, in his blood, in his empty tomb.  To us has come the Kingdom of grace!  Soon, soon will come the Kingdom of glory!  And that is the truth!

On almost the last page of your Bible you will find a stunning, and stirring, description of Christ the King. To finish this morning, we place John’s vision of Jesus from Revelation next to the humble King in our text: 11 I saw heaven standing open, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True… 12 His eyes are like blazing flames, and on his head are many crowns… 13 He is also clothed in a garment that had been dipped in blood [this is the blood of the enemies he has defeated], and his name is the Word of God…16 On his garment and on his thigh this name is written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (Revelation 19:11-13, 16) 

Amen.

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