Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus, grant that we may hear Your voice. Amen.
Text: John 18:33–38
Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself on this, or did others tell you this about Me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “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.” Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.”
Devotion
Jesus is not King of the Jews in the sense that Pilate asks. If He had used His almighty power to rule an earthly kingdom, then He would not be standing before the secular governor, accused and despised by the leaders of His people. Then the Jews would have applauded Him because then He would have been a Messiah after their own thinking. – We too have much of the same thinking. It is easy to complain about mingling the church’s power with secular power as a Church-State or State-Church, but it is harder to deny one’s own ambition and live in the truth that Christ’s kingdom is not of this world. We want to reign with Christ already here. Being suppressed, despised, and slandered, and enduring and keeping silent, going the way of the cross and death with Him – this we find difficult. It is hard to understand, hard to carry out. Our King will help us.
As He confessed before the council that He is the Son of God, so He confessed before Pilate that He is a King. Indeed He knows what this confession will bring: terrible mockery, mistreatment, and the crown of thorns. And yet He goes forth to the sword of death, not yielding a hair-breadth from His royal path. He knows also that Pilate’s heart is like a lump of fat, and yet He faithfully pours the water of grace over it, pours forth His saving royal work and testifies of His saving truth. In the midst of being judged and dying for the whole world, He works on the single unfortunate soul in front of Him.
“What have You done?” Pilate asks. Yes, what is Jesus’ royal work? If Pilate seriously wanted to ask about the truth, then he himself would have answered what you and I can answer by the experience of faith: Jesus has overcome the devil and destroyed death. He has established a Kingdom of salvation, in which He administers righteousness, peace, and joy to souls by His Holy Spirit. He has brought me out of the darkness, begotten me again, given me power to suppress sin, given me an inheritance in heaven, and gives me daily comfort, healing, and patience, upholds me and doesn’t for one moment leave me without His protection. Pilate would further answer: Christ defends His Church, leads His people, guides them through the wilderness, and will soon change their distress into everlasting glory. His Kingdom is indestructible, and His throne does not waver. It stands on the eternal rock of truth. “Whoever is of the truth hears My voice.” Liars have no part in it. But because Pilate asked about truth only in jest, Christ’s royal work remained foreign to him.
So, hear this, you who thirst for light and salvation, let it be heard clear around the world: Here is truth and victory and eternal life, here and nowhere else, for outside Christ’s Kingdom there is only darkness and death! Whom will you follow and obey: Jesus or Pilate? What shall rule over you: truth or falsehood? Don’t delay. Choose now! For the sake of your soul and your salvation, take up your cross and give Jesus your heart!
Closing Prayer
Yes, Savior, speak the Word of truth to us, and draw our hearts to You in sincere repentance and living faith. We want to belong to You and serve You. Give us this salvation, and accept our humble thanks for Your indescribable grace. Amen.
Hymn
On Jesus’ true and living trust
My faith and my salvation rest.
The way He leadeth I will tread;
His promise I’ve inherited.
Did not Thy Word upon me shine,
The least step I could not design.
My Jesus, I will offer Thee
Whatever would belong to me;
Yea, nothing is so good or rare
That ever I from Thee should spare;
Whate’er I give to Thy great name,
A thousand times I’ll find again.
Brorson: Paa Jesu Død og blodig saar L 101:2-3 tr. DeGarmeaux;
tune: Magdalen (ELH 197); alternate hymn: Jesus, Thy boundless love to me ELH 372:1