EXPLORING GOD’S WORD
Christ the King Jesus’ message about the Kingdom of God is what He lived for. But it’s also what He died for, having revealed Himself as King—a King who will reign! by Victor Kubik
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n what charges was Jesus Christ crucified? Was it that He was a prophet or teacher? Was it that He fed the masses, healed the sick, comforted the discouraged? No. The Jewish religious establishment opposed various aspects of His teaching and claims and was jealous of Him. Many even hated Him. But His laudable duties and acts could not be used to sentence Him to death. The Jewish leaders did not have the authority to impose capital punishment at this time. What, then, could they do? In the final hours of His earthly life, a harassed and brutalized Jesus was taken by the Jews to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. They sought to have Jesus killed by the occupying power. On what basis? “And they began to accuse Him, saying, ‘We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar [which was a lie], saying that He Himself is Christ, a King” (Luke 23:2). The word Christ here means the same as the Hebraic term Messiah, the Anointed One—a reference to a coming King of the line of King David. They knew this accusation would get Pilate’s attention. Continuing in John 18, Jesus stood before Pilate. In this momentous confrontation, Pilate asked Jesus, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus didn’t deny it, but He stated that His Kingdom was not of the present world order. Pilate again asked, “Are you a king then?” (verses 33-37). Jesus responded: “You say rightly that I am a king. For
this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (verse 37, emphasis added throughout). This powerful answer encapsulated Christ’s role, purpose and gospel message—and it places on us who aspire to the truth the need to grasp this! What was Jesus saying? “Behold your King!” Pilate didn’t get it. But he didn’t see Jesus as an insurrectionist. Taunting the Jewish leadership, he asked the crowd, “Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” (verse 39). But those gathered refused. In John 19 Pilate had Jesus scourged, and the Roman soldiers mocked Him as King of the Jews (verse 3). Seeing Him further brutalized, those gathered still called out for His crucifixion. When Pilate said, “Behold your King!” (verse 14), they cried out the more. Pilate asked, “Shall I crucify your King?” And “the chief priests answered, ‘We have no king but Caesar!’” (verse 15). Jesus was then led away to be crucified. In that crucifixion a signboard was hung above His head giving notice of His crime. Pilate had not found Him guilty but gave in to pressure to punish the political offense. Pilate ordered that the placard say, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” (verse 19). The chief priests complained that it should not declare Him King of the Jews but that He merely claimed to be—yet Pilate said it would remain as
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