Today’s Reading: John 19

Defining who had the title King of the Jews was the argument surrounding the trial of Jesus Christ. Pilate asked Jesus if he was King of the Jews and Jesus answered him.

“My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”
Pilate said, “So, you are a king?”
Jesus responded, “You say I am king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”
“What is truth?” Pilate asked. — John 18:36-38

Finding Jesus not guilty of any crime, Pilate went out to the people and asked them if they would like him to release this “King of the Jews”, but they asked him to release Barabbas instead (John 18:39-40). Just moments before Jesus was going to die on the cross for their sins, the people were emphatically denying him and crying out for his death – “Crucify him! Crucify him!” The soldiers mocked Jesus, placing a crown of thorns on his head and purple robe on his back – “Hail! King of the Jews!”

Still finding Jesus not guilty of any of the charges against him, Pilate again went out to the people and said, “Look, here is your king!”
“Away with him,” they yelled. “Away with him! Crucify him!”
“What? Crucify your king?” Pilate asked.
“We have no king but Caesar,” the leading priests shouted back.
Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus away (John 19:14-16).

But Pilate seemed to know who he was handing over to be crucified. It didn’t matter to him that the people and the Jewish leaders were rejecting Jesus, he knew who Jesus was and he was determined to make it known. As was the custom, he had a sign made to hang over each man being crucified. Over Jesus the sign read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Once more the leading priests, men appointed by God to lead His people in sacrificial worship of Him, led the people in their rejection of the promised Messiah saying, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am the King of the Jews.’” Pilate stubbornly refused, “No, what I have written, I have written” (John 19:19-22).

God’s people stubbornly refused to acknowledge His Son as their King at the same time that Pilate stubbornly refused to acknowledge Him as anything but the King of the Jews. Just as their ancestors had rejected God as their King, demanding an earthly king instead, they were now rejecting His Son, the Messiah.

“Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”
Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for it is me they are rejecting, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer.” – 1 Samuel 8:5-7

Early in his life, there were those who recognized that Jesus was the King of the Jews, but there were also others who rejected his position and were threatened by his presence. King Herod even went as far as to kill all the baby boys two years of age and under living in Bethlehem in an attempt to end the life of the one the prophets declared would one day rule over Israel.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” — Matthew 2:1-2

As we approach Christmas, let’s turn our attention to the birth of Jesus. Let’s intentionally take time to fall on our knees and worship our Savior. Our American holiday traditions will clamor loudly for our attention, but Jesus is calling us to seek him so that we can find ourselves renewed by his presence. Let’s pray for God to reveal something new to us this year, so that our faith will be strengthened this Christmas.