Bible Truth Preached HereJesus – King of the Jews
Jesus –King of the Jews
Pilate (to Jesus):Are you king of the Jews?
Jesus: Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?
Pilate:Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me; what have you done?
from John 18: 33-35
After Pilate had questioned Jesus and finally allowed him to be crucified, the Bible says that he wrote a title and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazereth, the King of the Jews.”1 This was written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek so that anyone passing by could read it2. We can’t be sure why Pontius Pilate did this, but it was important to the Jewish officials. When they saw it they wanted the sign changed to “This man said, I am King of the Jews”, but Pilate would not change it.3
What is so important about the title, King of the Jews?
Pilate was a Roman governor sent to the region of Judea to enforce Roman law and authority. He was not concerned with religious laws and customs of the Jews. Pilate was only concerned about any possible rebellion against Rome. When the leaders of the Jews claimed that Jesus violated religious laws that require death, Pilate told them to take care of it themselves4. It was only the charge that Jesus claimed to be a king that caught Pilate’s attention.
Was Jesus planning a rebellion against Rome? Pilate’s conclusion was no. So why were these Jewish officials so upset? They brought Jesus to Pilate saying he claimed to be a king, yet they did not accept him as their king. This was confusing to Pilate and he finally says, “Am I a Jew?”
A prophecy to king David.
David, son of Jesse, was the second king of Israel and was described as a man after God’s own heart (1Sam 13:14). David loved God and decided that he would like to build a house for Him. God replied to David telling him that it was a wonderful idea, but David would not be allowed to build the house. Instead, God would do great things for David. One of David’s offspring would come and sit on David’s throne. His kingdom would last forever and he would also build God’s house (2Sam 7: 1-17). This would be the King of the Jews – Jesus (Acts 13:23, Luke 1:31-33, Rom 1:3, Matt 1:1).
Jesus – son of David
The geneologies of Matthew chapter 1 and Luke chapter 3 make it clear that both Joseph and Mary are descendents of king David. That meant that if Israel were to rule over themselves again and establish a new kingdom, Jesus could make a claim to the throne. Many of the people that lived in Israel at that time thought Jesus might be the one prophesied to David so many years earlier (Matt 15:22). Would he stand up and claim the throne? Would he bring the nation of Israel back as a world power? Would his kingdom truly last forever as David was told?
Jewish officials deny kingship of Jesus.
While a great number of the people were hailing Jesus as king, the Jewish leaders were plotting to kill him5. Jesus had called them hypocrites and told them to “feed” the people not lead them to destruction.6 Their rules and traditions were leading the people astray, according to Jesus.7 They did not want Jesus to rule over them at all. Although they did not particularly like the Romans, they were happy with their wealth and way of life. They did not want Jesus to upset all of this.
Finally, at Passove,r they arrested him and brought him to Pilate. Eventually they would cry out, "Away with him, away with him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." (John 19:15)
Why does this matter to Christians today?
Hasn’t Jesus, the son of God risen above race and national allegience? Do we really need to be concerned with Jewish history to follow Jesus? The short answer is, “Yes we do.” God has given us His son in the context of Jewish history. We have tended to westernize the man and the message, which can be very dangerous.
When Pilate says “Am I a Jew?” a scriptural reply could be: “You need to become one if you desire salvation.” Salvation is of the Jews (John 4:22). You are a true Jew if you are one inwardly (Rom 2:29). If you belong to Christ then you are the seed of Abraham (Gal 3:29). Jesus will be King of the Jews when he returns to this earth.
Jesus – the Return of the King!
Pilate would not change the inscription over the cross. This Gentile ruler put a declaration over Jesus that was a witness to all generations. This man who was such a mystery to Pilate, is King of the Jews. It is absolutely relevant to us today.
Jesus will return to the nation of Israel and make Jerusalem his capitol8. There is no way to “spiritualize” this without breaking promises made to faithful believers of the past. Jesus was born a Jew. He will eventually rule the world, but he will begin by establishing a kingdom in Israel9. Jesus is “King of the Jews” And those who believe this teaching will have become Jews through faith, and baptism into Jesus. 10
Footnote Bible References
- John 19:19
- John 19:20
- John 19:22
- John 18:31
- Mark 11:18
- Matt 23:13-15
- Mark 7:1-8
- Is 2:2-4, 9:6-7, Zech 14:4,9,16-17
- Jer 3:17, Ezek 43:7. Ps 2:6-9
- Rom 2:28-29, Col 2:11, Phil 3:3, Eph 2:11-22, Gal 6:16. 3:27-29, Acts 2:37-39
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