SO YOU ARE A KING?: THE ACCUSER' LACK OF TRUTH
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. So You Are A King?
a) Jesus was brought before Pilate, and Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” After Jesus replied, Pilate asked again, “So you are a king, are you?” This put Jesus on the spot: he is a king, but his kingdom is not of this world.
b) This interview between Pilate and Jesus is recorded in John 18:28-38. What Jesus said to Pilate reveals three serious lacks. One is regrettable, another is deplorable, and the third is commendable.
John 18:36-37
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” 37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
2. The Accusers’ Lack Of Truth
a) Let's look at those who were accusing Jesus. Pilate couldn't understand the charges against Jesus. He asked the Jews, "What accusation do you bring against this man?" (John 18:29). He did not get an intelligible answer.
b) So Pilate asked Jesus, "What have you done?" (John 18:35). Jesus quite rightly declined to answer that directly, because he had done nothing wrong.
c) The treatment of Jesus in the Jewish courts was unfair and even illegal. The function of any court is to fairly examine a case and discover the truth. But the people accusing Jesus had no interest in the truth. They lacked integrity. They bore witness to lies.
d) The sad thing about the hypocrisy of the accusers, is that some of them were the nation’s religious leaders. They knew what Jesus had said and taught, because he hadn't taught in secret.
f) They twisted the truth into lies. They said to Jews that Jesus claimed to be God and was guilty of blasphemy (John 19:7). They said to the Romans that Jesus claimed to be a king and was guilty of treason.
g) Jesus did claim to be God. It was a true claim. It was no blasphemy. He did claim to be a king. But his kingdom was not of this world. It was no affront to Caesar.
h) Be believers in the Truth. There are two kingdoms that are not of this world: the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of darkness. We are in one or the other of these kingdoms.
i) We must seek to be "delivered from the power of darkness and conveyed into the kingdom of God’s dear Son" (Colossians 1:13). Only faith in Jesus and his truth can make that happen.
The End ...
1. So You Are A King?a) Jesus was brought before Pilate, and Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” After Jesus replied, Pilate asked again, “So you are a king, are you?” This put Jesus on the spot: he is a king, but his kingdom is not of this world.
b) This interview between Pilate and Jesus is recorded in John 18:28-38. What Jesus said to Pilate reveals three serious lacks. One is regrettable, another is deplorable, and the third is commendable.
John 18:36-37
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” 37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
2. The Accusers’ Lack Of Truth
a) Let's look at those who were accusing Jesus. Pilate couldn't understand the charges against Jesus. He asked the Jews, "What accusation do you bring against this man?" (John 18:29). He did not get an intelligible answer.
b) So Pilate asked Jesus, "What have you done?" (John 18:35). Jesus quite rightly declined to answer that directly, because he had done nothing wrong.
c) The treatment of Jesus in the Jewish courts was unfair and even illegal. The function of any court is to fairly examine a case and discover the truth. But the people accusing Jesus had no interest in the truth. They lacked integrity. They bore witness to lies.
d) The sad thing about the hypocrisy of the accusers, is that some of them were the nation’s religious leaders. They knew what Jesus had said and taught, because he hadn't taught in secret.
f) They twisted the truth into lies. They said to Jews that Jesus claimed to be God and was guilty of blasphemy (John 19:7). They said to the Romans that Jesus claimed to be a king and was guilty of treason.
g) Jesus did claim to be God. It was a true claim. It was no blasphemy. He did claim to be a king. But his kingdom was not of this world. It was no affront to Caesar.
h) Be believers in the Truth. There are two kingdoms that are not of this world: the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of darkness. We are in one or the other of these kingdoms.
i) We must seek to be "delivered from the power of darkness and conveyed into the kingdom of God’s dear Son" (Colossians 1:13). Only faith in Jesus and his truth can make that happen.
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