(Text and Audio)
Title: A Simple Question, A Simple Answer
“Are you the King of the Jews?”
This was a weighted question.
On one hand, Rome was happy to leave the Jews alone to tend to their own religious affairs, provided two minimal requirements were met:
- They pay tribute to Caesar (taxes)
- Pax Romano (They kept the peace of Rome)
Interestingly enough, it is Luke’s Gospel that gives the clearest picture of Jesus being framed for these two very violations:
Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate. And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.” (Luke 23:1-2)
Pause for this thought with me:
Since Christ himself, Christianity and Christians have fallen under the unjust suspicion of the civil governments. As if the Christian religion were subversive and harmful to government, therefore, government has always sought to control the Christian religion. There are a few exceptions. Perhaps the foundations of our country are one of those exceptions, where politicians and leaders, even those who were admittedly themselves NOT Christians (Thomas Jefferson comes to mind) saw the value of working with the religion in government.
My point is this: Because the Christian religion stresses both morality and civil obedience, Christians are inherently good for any government.
But rarely are we seen that way. You need look no further than the national news to understand we are being painted by many as the enemy of democracy and free thought. But this struggle is nothing new. It has been going on since the time of Jesus himself. And we, and our children, will continue on the same struggle. Is is one of the many crosses we joyfully bear.
“It is as you say”
We have seen this very response from Jesus before, not long ago…if fact, less than 24 before Jesus says these words to Pilate, remember what he says during the Last Supper to Judas Iscariot in Matthew 26:25
Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said , “Rabbi, is it I”?
He said to him, “You have said it.”
The greek is the same. This is Jesus’s way of saying, “What you are speaking is the truth.”
(Read vv 12-14)
These last three verses today are subtle, but there are some important things I don’ want us to overlook. Consider:
- Even though Jesus has already admitted to being the King of the Jews, the chief priests and elders continue to bombard him with further accusations.
- Jesus does not even respond to THESE accusations. He doesn’t dignify them with a response. He knows they have all they need to crucify him.
- Pilate asks Jesus if he realizes the seriousness of all these accusations.
- Jesus still answer nothing.
- Pilate marvels at this. Notice he is not angry, he is curious. Who is this man who would so easily admit to being a King of the Jews, but won’t dignify these others accusations with a response?
Pastor Ben’s Position: This is a man who believes he IS the King of the Jews, and that there is NOTHING wrong with that. These other accusations are just “noise” and he won’t dignify them with a response.
(Pray/QA)