I recently came across with this passage in Scripture in my church and I thought it would be good to reflect on them prior the new season of advent:
“33 Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” 35 Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” 37 Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” John 18:33:37 (taken from NRS with Apocrypha version)
I find this passage very significant before Advent and Christmas and all the festivity that is to come because it really reminds us what to my mind is an important aspect of Christology: that Jesus Christ is a king.
The first thought that pops into my mind is linked to the question Pilate asks Jesus: Are you the kings of the Jews? Clearly, different sections of the Jewish population of the time would expect the Messiah to be different from the other section. For some he would be a warrior coming from the high priests; others would expect him in a rather sci-fi view. None of them would remotely expect Jesus to be who he was. “Are you the King of the Jews?”… I ponder on this question and I wonder if we see him as the King of the Jews. I mean, I personally see Jesus as a friend, my personal saviour, a role model, my hero, my god but hardly ever as a king, let alone the King of the Jews. Surely we hear on Sundays that he is the king of the Jews, the King of kings, the king of the Earth, the king of the Church, and even the King of the Institutional Church. He has sovereignty above all.
Yet, he says in verse 36 that his kingdom is not from this world. I often wonder what Jesus meant by that statement other than the literal meaning. Right at that point of trial, he is not the king of this world as he hadn’t conquered death and sin just yet. However, when I read his answer slowly, I feel convicted in my heart and start questioning if he is truly the king of this world, if he is truly the King of MY world, my heart,my life? Is Jesus the king of your world?
So I think and think and come to the conclusion that if it is on my own account, that is, if I consciously and utterly believe that He is my king, then yes. Unfortunately, I fall into the discordance of thinking that I tend to give more credit to the burden of my sin, or my rebellion.In other words, I fail to see him in my life and then what? is he not the king?… Whenever I dwell in my guilt alone, I become a Judas, where hope, and restoration do not come to me. In those times, I let the king of lies, the usurper take over my soul. But that’s not who God is. I have already said that if I declare with my heart and my mouth that Jesus is Lord and has been raised up from the dead, then I am saved, then I can confidently say that HE IS MY KING!! Satan has no power over me nor does he of Jesus being a king. Accepting who he is in my life and accepting who I am (a total wreck), makes me like king David, messed up to the bone but restored by his grace. His kingship is not about me but about him; my life is not about me but about him.
In 1995, Jessica a sweet 7-year-old girl from southern Spain, had another brain seizure that caused her high temperature and put her parents’ faith to the test once more. When the temperature had gone Encarni, her mum recalls her saying “Mama, I’ve seen Jesus. He was seated on a throne, with a golden crown and golden rings and he was telling me: “Jessica, I’m with you, do not fear” For an Evangelical family from the south of Spain, seeing Jesus in pictures was not normal and very likely, Jessica had never seen a picture of the western guy we normally paint on pictures with crowns and golden stuff. The chances for her to have seen this in real life were very low. From that day on, Jessica has had the privilege of seeing Jesus as that crowned man who would call her name in that “dream when she was very poorly”.
Jesus calls us today to be welcomed in our hearts as our King and ruler; then we can hear his voice, a voice of love and mercy and we know this because Jesus is Lord and he is Love and he is the Truth and “those who are on the side of truth listen to my voice” John 18:37. Like sheep to the shepherd so we hear our Abba’s voice. Let us rejoice in believing Jesus is the King.
My prayer for you today is that you can admire Jesus as a king and that you make him king of your life.
Abba’s King
thelittlehouseontherock 