Jesus the King

Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose, I was born and for this purpose, I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice” (John 18:37)

Background Setting

The headquarters of the Roman military governor was in Caesarea, where the palace Herod the Great had built was existent.  However, Pilate and his predecessors usually stayed in Jerusalem during the feasts in order to control any uprisings. And this place of Pilate in Jerusalem too was regarded as headquarters/praetorium. The chief priests did not enter the Pilate’s headquarters lest they would become defiled, and Pilate had to go outside of his headquarters to talk to them (John 18:28-29).

Then Pilate said to him (Jesus)…

1. Entering his headquarters again, Pilate started conversing with Jesus (John 18:33)
2. Pilate had a private interaction with Jesus (John 18:33-38 a)
3. Pilate asked of Jesus as to
   1. His Kingship (John 18:33)
   2. The question of truth (John 18:38a)
4. Jesus affirmed and confirmed that He was the King (John 18:37)
   1. Having His own Kingdom (John 18:36)
   2. Having His own servants (John 18:36)

For this purpose…

1. Jesus’ birth (incarnation) is tied to who He really is
   1. He was born as the King
   2. He was born as such because He has always been the King (Psalm 2)
2. Jesus’ life and work on earth stems from who He really is
   1. His authority of teaching has its basis in His Kingship/Messiahship
   2. His work of witnessing to who He actually was is rooted in the truth that He has eternally been the Messiah-King

Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice

1. This is the challenge for all, including Pilate himself, who heard Jesus speaking
2. This is the criterion of all who would follow the teaching of Jesus as the truth
   1. Jesus versus other teachers/philosophers
   2. Jesus’ teaching versus other system of belief/philosophy
   3. Jesus the personal truth of God versus other forms of truth