John 18:36-37 New American Standard Bible 1995
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom [a]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 [b]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.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/1041
| 1 | Jesus is standing in Pilate’s hall— Friendless, forsaken, betrayed by all: Hearken! what meaneth the sudden call? What will you do with Jesus? |
| What will you do with Jesus? Neutral you cannot be; Some day your heart will be asking, “What will He do with me?” | |
| 2 | Jesus is standing on trial still, You can be false to Him if you will, You can be faithful through good or ill: What will you do with Jesus? |
| 3 | Will you evade Him as Pilate tried? Or will you choose Him, whate’er betide? Vainly you struggle from Him to hide: What will you do with Jesus? |
| 4 | Will you, like Peter, your Lord deny? Or will you scorn from His foes to fly, Daring for Jesus to live or die? What will you do with Jesus? |
| 5 | “Jesus, I give Thee my heart today! Jesus, I’ll follow Thee all the way, Gladly obeying Thee!” will you say: “This will I do with Jesus!” |
What will you, would you do with Jesus?
What will I, would I do with Jesus?
What will the church, would the church do with Jesus?
Who is the King of Truth …
On the morning of what is today known as the first Good Friday, the Jewish religious authorities took Jesus to continue His trial before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor.
We can see in the details of the Gospel accounts how God sovereignly orchestrated all of these events.
The Jews’ determination to secure Christ’s death by crucifixion would actually fulfill God’s plan from eternity.
God had also planned Christ’s interaction with Pilate.
As they stood before one another, Pilate asked significant questions about Jesus’ identity and authority.
These questions formed an examination with eternal ramifications—an examination we all must make. Consider how the hymn writer puts it:
Jesus is standing in Pilate’s hall—
Friendless, forsaken, betrayed by all;
Hearken! What meaneth the sudden call?
What will you do with Jesus?
Pilate from his position of high authority, as representative of the Emperor, believed he was holding an examination on a purely intellectual, natural level.
But anyone answering the question “Who is this Jesus standing as prisoner before all these decision makers, those with the power to decide life and decide death?” is always going to be confronted by a spiritual, supernatural matter.
Jesus wasn’t any political king, as Pilate believed, but he was the heavenly King.
He essentially told Pilate,
My kingdom doesn’t find its origin in this world. The concern of My kingdom is the spiritual transformation that is brought about in the hearts of My people. The very reason why I was sent by my Father, born as a King, was to testify to God’s truth.
But Pilate, blind in his unbelief, did not grasp that, had already made up his mind – after all, he had the positions of authority, he was conquering Roman and therefore, in that exact moment he was all the truth that ever mattered.
Jaded and disdainful, he sought to avoid the fundamental question we all must ask: “What will I do with Jesus?”
But in trying not to answer, he nevertheless gave his answer: I shall reject His claim on me and His authority, rule over me, and therefore His offer to rescue me.
What will you do with Jesus?
Neutral you cannot be;
Someday your heart will be asking,
“What will He do with me?” [1]
1 Albert B. Simpson, “What Will You Do with Jesus?” (1905).
Neutral you cannot ever dare to be!
Neutral I cannot ever dare to be!
Neutral the church cannot ever dare to be!
You and I and the church will either live under Jesus’ rule or we will not.
So do not close your Bible in the morning and then live out your day as though this world and its changing concerns and kings are all that is or all that matters.
Do not proceed as though Jesus has no place or interest in your life in this world.
The King of Truth stood friendless and forsaken before the Temple Authorities, Pilate, so that we all might be welcomed as His friend into His eternal kingdom.
There is no option of neutrality—but why would we want there to be?
What Jesus Did had nothing to do with being Neutral!
John 18:36-37 Amplified Bible
36 Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not of this world [nor does it have its origin in this world]. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting [hard] to keep Me from being handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this world.” 37 So Pilate said to Him, “Then You are a King?” Jesus answered, “You say [correctly] that I am a King. This is why I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth [who is a friend of the truth and belongs to the truth] hears and listens carefully to My voice.”
Jesus came as King.
He did not come as a king in robes of royalty or with a fine palace and a royal court.
Instead, Jesus came as the King of Truth in simplicity and with a band of everyday folks called apostles.
His mission was not to conquer the political landscape, but for God’s truth to win the hearts of the people — all people, not just the Jewish people.
Truth, however, is extraordinarily dangerous for some people to hear, listen to.
Every pretender to a powerful position and those who misuse the power that they have are threatened by one who is genuinely qualified and powerful in ways that they don’t understand.
Pretenders fear the truth.
So the true King was murdered so that they could feel secure in the power that they had.
The only problem was that once the truth was out there, no political pretender and no earthly power could keep truth from triumphing.
Where is Pilate’s power today?
Where would Pilate’s power be today?
What’s left of Herod’s thirst for royal recognition?
And Caesar’s rule?
And the Roman Empire?
All are gone, even those who actually had royal and powerful positions.
Hebrews 13:5-9 Amplified Bible
5 Let your character [your moral essence, your inner nature] be free from the love of money [shun greed—be financially ethical], being content with what you have; for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!” 6 So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently say,
“The Lord is my Helper [in time of need], I will not be afraid.
What will man do to me?”
7 Remember your leaders [for it was they] who brought you the word of God; and consider the result of their conduct [the outcome of their godly lives], and imitate their faith [their conviction that God exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things, the Provider of eternal salvation through Christ, and imitate their reliance on God with absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness]. 8 Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 Do not be carried away by diverse and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established and strengthened by grace and not by foods [rules of diet and ritualistic meals], which bring no benefit or spiritual growth to those who observe them.
On the other hand, one TRUTH always remains inviolable: one King still reigns over the hearts of all men and women of all races — Jesus, the King of Truth!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Father, thank you for the blessing of an everlasting Kingdom and a triumphant King — your Son and my Savior, Jesus. May his inviolable truth and his Kingdom come to complete triumph in my life and the life of Your church in these ever changing days.
Psalm 24 New American Standard Bible 1995
The King of Glory Entering Zion.
A Psalm of David.
24 The earth is the Lord’s, and [a]all it contains,
The world, and those who dwell in it.
2 For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the rivers.
3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
And who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul [b]to falsehood
And has not sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord
And [c]righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 [d]This is the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face—even Jacob. [e]Selah.
7 Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, O [f]ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
8 Who is the King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, O [g]ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 