For This Reason He Was Born

John 18:33–37 CSB

33 Then Pilate went back into the headquarters, summoned Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Are you asking this on your own, or have others told you about me?” 35 “I’m not a Jew, am I?” Pilate replied. “Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” 36 “My kingdom is not of this world,” said Jesus. “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” 37 “You are a king then?” Pilate asked. “You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

Introduction:

Tell the story

Counter cultural (beatitudes)

Peter tries to stop Jesus (get behind me satan)

The King Israel Wanted

The Jews were under Roman rule at this time and they were looking for a king who would overthrow the Roman government and set them free. (they’re going off OT scripture about the coming Messiah).

David’s Kingdom would last forever

2 Samuel 7:16 CSB

16 Your house and kingdom will endure before me forever, and your throne will be established forever.’ ”

Ancient of Days kingdom will last forever (Jesus)

Daniel 7:13–14 CSB

13 I continued watching in the night visions, and suddenly one like a son of man was coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before him. 14 He was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.

This is good news to an opposed people.

Application: Sometimes we are look for the king we want and not the King we need.

Jesus’s Kingdom is Far Better

Didn’t look nothing like what they expected

born in a manger (a dusty place where animals were kept)

ate with sinners and hung with the lowest of society

His Kingdom was/is better

He came to free men from the bondage of sin not the bondage of Rome

Application: Let us look for the better Kingdom. It might just be in some unexpected places

The King Rejected

The Jews rejected Jesus.

John 1:11 CSB

11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

Pilate asked them who do they want and the said Barabbas

John 18:38–40 CSB

38 “What is truth?” said Pilate. After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no grounds for charging him. 39 You have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at the Passover. So, do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” 40 They shouted back, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.

Application: We still reject Him today. Ultimately because we want to do what we want to do (Herod, His own people, etc)

He Was Born For This

John 18:37 CSB

37 “You are a king then?” Pilate asked. “You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

Jesus is truth

John 14:6 CSB

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

The baby in the manger came to set us free

John 8:31–36 CSB

31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. 32 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 “We are descendants of Abraham,” they answered him, “and we have never been enslaved to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus responded, “Truly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 A slave does not remain in the household forever, but a son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.

For Jesus and for John truth is not merely some intellectual concept of correct facticity. It also involves life-oriented integrity. Accordingly, we misunderstand Johannine truth if we merely speak of the truth about Jesus or doctrinal formulations about Jesus. Jesus is himself truth as he states: “I am the way, the truth and the life” (14:6). Jesus was not proposing to give the disciples a map or “triptik” to heaven or a theological description about himself. Jesus gave them himself. There is no doubt that truth is related to ideas and matters of facticity, but Jesus’ mission was to bring people to himself and to God and in the process thereby bring them to integrity of life. It is clearly possible to be academically right and theologically correct but still lack integrity in life.

Jesus’ mission was to integrate truth into life.

Gerald L. Borchert, John 12–21, vol. 25B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002), 243.