For This Reason I Was Born
Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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28 Then they led Jesus away from Caiaphas into the Praetorium. By now it was early morning, and the Jews did not enter the Praetorium, to avoid being defiled and unable to eat the Passover.
29 So Pilate went out to them and asked, “What accusation are you bringing against this man?”
30 “If He were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed Him over to you.”
31 “You take Him and judge Him by your own law,” Pilate told them. “We are not permitted to execute anyone,” the Jews replied.
32 This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to indicate the kind of death He was going to die.
33 Pilate went back into the Praetorium, summoned Jesus, and asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
34 “Are you saying this on your own,” Jesus asked, “or did others tell you about Me?”
35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed You over to me. What have You done?”
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world; if it were, My servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jews. But now My kingdom is not of this realm.”
37 “Then You are a king!” Pilate said. “You say that I am a king,” Jesus answered. “For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.”
38 “What is truth?” Pilate asked. And having said this, he went out again to the Jews and told them, “I find no basis for a charge against Him.
39 But it is your custom that I release to you one prisoner at the Passover. So then, do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
40 “Not this man,” they shouted, “but Barabbas!” (Now Barabbas was an insurrectionist.)
1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged.
2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns, set it on His head, and dressed Him in a purple robe.
3 And they went up to Him again and again, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and slapping Him in the face.
4 Once again Pilate came out and said to the Jews, “Look, I am bringing Him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against Him.”
5 When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”
6 As soon as the chief priests and officers saw Him, they shouted, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” “You take Him and crucify Him,” Pilate replied, “for I find no basis for a charge against Him.”
7 “We have a law,” answered the Jews, “and according to that law He must die, because He declared Himself to be the Son of God.”
8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid,
9 and he went back into the Praetorium. “Where are You from?” he asked. But Jesus gave no answer.
10 So Pilate said to Him, “Do You refuse to speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You and authority to crucify You?”
11 Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed Me over to you is guilty of greater sin.”
12 From then on, Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is defying Caesar.”
13 When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat on the judgment seat at a place called the Stone Pavement, which in Hebrew is Gabbatha.
14 It was the day of Preparation for the Passover, about the sixth hour. And Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is your King!”
15 At this, they shouted, “Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him!” “Shall I crucify your King?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” replied the chief priests.
16 Then Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified, and the soldiers took Him away.
Introduction: What Is Christmas All about?
Is Christmas about
presents?
shopping for good deals?
Santa Claus?
decorations?
time with loved ones?
snow outside?
sitting by a fire?
Maybe you know better than to think of Christmas as only about these material realities that our culture focuses on.
But is Christmas even just about
the manger where Mary laid Jesus?
The angels giving a message to shepherds?
The brilliant shining of a new star?
The wise men from the east with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh?
I hope that as great as these things are, you will consider with me that Christmas means even more than this. Its meaning goes far beyond any of these things.
Christmas is about the glory of God.
Christmas is all about the glory of God being revealed in the Incarnation of His Son. It’s about God showing us Who He is by taking on our humanity, suffering and dying in our place, and revealing to us the truth by which we can be saved and enjoy eternity with Him.
Christmas is about the coming of the rightful King to rescue His subjects who had rebelled and been held captive by sin and Satan.
Christmas is about God’s fulfillment of His promise in Genesis 3:15 that one day a Redeemer would come to crush the head of the serpent. And now he’s here. The promised King has come. And we’re almost to that part in John where the King deals the death-blow to the serpent’s head, there on the cross.
Christmas is about God’s revelation of His glory in His Son.
I want you to consider with me a truth that has become increasingly precious to me in recent years, and that is the reality of the present reign of Jesus Christ.
Like perhaps some of you, I grew up thinking of the kingdom of Christ as a future reality rather than present, probably because we do not perceive Him with our physical senses.
But the Scriptures repeatedly affirm the truth that He is not only the King who is to come, but He is King right now!
Even in so many of our well known Christmas hymns we proclaim that in His first coming Jesus came as King - something that was not only true during His life here on earth, but continues into the present and for all eternity. Jesus is the King.
The King in the Christmas Carols
189 O Come All Ye Faithful: “Come and behold him, born the King of angels.”
190 Silent Night (v. 4): “With the angels let us sing Hallelujah to our King.”
192 O Holy Night (v. 2): “The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger, in all our trials born to be our Friend.”… “Behold your King, before Him lowly bend.”
199 Joy to the World: v. 1: “Let earth receive her King”; v. 2: “The Savior reigns”; v. 4: “He rules the world”
206 Angels from the Realms of Glory: chorus “Worship Christ the newborn King”
209 Come Thou Long-expected Jesus v. 2 “Born a child and yet a King”
212 Who Is He in Yonder Stall? chorus: “Tis the Lord, the King of glory”
223 Born to Die v. 1 “a cross that would humble a King”
225 Angels We Have Heard on High v. 3 “Christ the Lord the newborn King”
227 Hark the Herald Angels Sing “Glory to the newborn King”
236 What Child Is This? Chorus “This, this is Christ the King whom shepherds guard and angels sing”; v. 3 “The King of kings salvation brings”
The Titles applied to Jesus show us that He is King
“Christ” or “Messiah”
“Son of David”,
“Lord”
The Kingship of Jesus is not only a future reality; it is a present reality.
Jesus is on His throne (many verses - Revelation 3:21)
To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
Jesus is the King, and we as believers are His kingdom (Revelation 1:5-6 and elsewhere)
Revelation 1:5–6 (BSB)
… Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by His blood, who has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen.
One way the Gospel is expressed in Acts is that the King has come the first time to save and He’s coming again to Judge. All who trust Him and submit to Him will be saved; all who refuse to trust Him and submit to Him will be condemned.
This shows us that His present Kingdom is a spiritual kingdom.
This is part of why the Jews missed it. They were expecting the Messiah to bring a physical kingdom.
They expected that their Messiah would defeat all their enemies (the Romans)
He would bring about peace with all the nations around them
He would restore them to the prosperity enjoyed under Solomon
Such peace and prosperity would be wonderful, but it doesn’t meet the greatest need we have. Having an easy, comfortable life, having everything we could possibly want could never satisfy us, as much as we think it would.
We have a much greater need, which is the restoration of our souls to God. Without a right relationship with God, all the prosperity in the world could never satisfy us.
One day Jesus will bring a Kingdom of peace and prosperity, but even then it won’t be those things that satisfy us; rather we’ll be satisfied by being in the presence of God and enjoying Him forever.
In our passage today, there is one theme that stands out above the rest, and that is that Jesus is King. Not just one of many, but the King of kings.
Theme: Jesus is King
Theme: Jesus is King
33 Pilate went back into the Praetorium, summoned Jesus, and asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
John 18:36–37 (BSB)
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world; if it were, My servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jews. But now My kingdom is not of this realm.”
37 “Then You are a king!” Pilate said. “You say that I am a king,” Jesus answered. …
39 But it is your custom that I release to you one prisoner at the Passover. So then, do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
3 And they went up to Him again and again, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and slapping Him in the face.
12 From then on, Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is defying Caesar.”
14 It was the day of Preparation for the Passover, about the sixth hour. And Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is your King!”
15 At this, they shouted, “Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him!” “Shall I crucify your King?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” replied the chief priests.
Let’s consider how Jesus as King reveals to us the glory of God.
King Jesus Reveals God’s Glory by Taking on Our Humanity
Jesus Is the King Who Is Both God and Man
Jesus is God
7 “We have a law,” answered the Jews, “and according to that law He must die, because He declared Himself to be the Son of God.”
8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid,
9 and he went back into the Praetorium. “Where are You from?” he asked. But Jesus gave no answer.
10 So Pilate said to Him, “Do You refuse to speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You and authority to crucify You?”
11 Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed Me over to you is guilty of greater sin.”
As God (and without ceasing to be God), He took on humanity
37 “Then You are a king!” Pilate said. “You say that I am a king,” Jesus answered. “For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.”
5 When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”
Earlier in his Gospel, John has affirmed for us the eternity of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and his taking on of our flesh:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
14 The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Because Jesus, the eternal Son of God, took on our humanity, he was able to suffer and die for us:
14 Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil,
15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
17 For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, in order to make atonement for the sins of the people.
Because of this He is also able to sympathize with us and help us in our weakness:
18 Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin.
C.S. Lewis Quote:
The son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God. -C.S. Lewis
The son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God. -C.S. Lewis
.
King Jesus Reveals God’s Glory by Suffering in Our Place
Jesus Is the King Who Suffers and Dies in Our Place (even though He’s innocent)
Jesus’s Innocence
Who’s the guilty one? (It’s not Jesus) - Jesus’s innocence
29 So Pilate went out to them and asked, “What accusation are you bringing against this man?”
30 “If He were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed Him over to you.”
35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed You over to me. What have You done?”
38 “What is truth?” Pilate asked. And having said this, he went out again to the Jews and told them, “I find no basis for a charge against Him.
4 Once again Pilate came out and said to the Jews, “Look, I am bringing Him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against Him.”
6 As soon as the chief priests and officers saw Him, they shouted, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” “You take Him and crucify Him,” Pilate replied, “for I find no basis for a charge against Him.”
11 Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed Me over to you is guilty of greater sin.”
Jesus said earlier in John’s Gospel that He always does what pleases the Father.
29 He who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him.”
He even challenges the religious leaders to point out any sin in His life if they can.
46 Which of you can prove Me guilty of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe Me?
Of course, they could say nothing because there was no sin to convict him of.
Jesus’s Suffering
1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged.
2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns, set it on His head, and dressed Him in a purple robe.
3 And they went up to Him again and again, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and slapping Him in the face.
16 Then Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified, and the soldiers took Him away.
Jesus’s Atoning Death
28 Then they led Jesus away from Caiaphas into the Praetorium. By now it was early morning, and the Jews did not enter the Praetorium, to avoid being defiled and unable to eat the Passover.
31 “You take Him and judge Him by your own law,” Pilate told them. “We are not permitted to execute anyone,” the Jews replied.
32 This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to indicate the kind of death He was going to die.
Jesus has already told us multiple times in John that He is going to lay down his life for us.
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
15 just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father. And I lay down My life for the sheep.
13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Song: It’s About the Cross
It's not just about the manger
Where the baby lay
It's not all about the angels
Who sang for him that day
It's not just about the shepherds
Or the bright and shining star
Oh, it's not all about the wisemen
Who travelled from afar
___
It's not just about the presents
Underneath the tree
It's not all about the feeling
That the season brings to me
It's not just about coming home
To be with those you love
It's not all about the beauty
In the snow I'm dreaming of
___
It's about the cross
It's about my sin
It's about how Jesus came to be born once
So that we could be born again
It's about the stone
That was rolled away
So that you and I could have real life someday
It's about the cross
The beginning of the story is wonderful and great
But it's the ending that can save you and that's why we celebrate
It's about the cross
King Jesus Reveals God’s Glory by Bearing Witness to the Truth
Jesus Is the King Who Reveals and Proclaims the Truth
37 “Then You are a king!” Pilate said. “You say that I am a king,” Jesus answered. “For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.”
38 “What is truth?” Pilate asked. And having said this, he went out again to the Jews and told them, “I find no basis for a charge against Him.
Jesus Is the Truth
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Jesus Speaks the Truth (which came from God)
The truth is the message of God’s revelation of Himself in the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ. The truth is the reality of who God is, what He has done, and what He promises to you. It is this truth that Jesus bears witness to.
26 “I have much to say about you and much to judge. But the One who sent Me is truthful, and what I have heard from Him, I tell the world.”
40 But now you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing.
45 But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me!
46 Which of you can prove Me guilty of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe Me?
The Truth Will Set You Free and Sanctify You
32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
17 Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.
In the physical absence of Jesus, the Holy Spirit makes known to us the truth. He does this through the written Word of God.
13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.
Conclusion:
Jesus is the King. The King has come. And He’s coming again. Are you ready for Him?
The King came the first time to reveal the glory of God in His merciful salvation of those who believe.
The King will come again to reveal the glory of God in His righteous judgment of those who reject Him.
Jesus has revealed God’s glory to us by taking on our humanity, suffering and dying in our place, and bearing witness to the truth of who God is, what He has done, and what He has promised.
Application:
Have you trusted Jesus? Is Jesus Your King? Have you submitted your life to Him? Has your heart prepared Him room?
Behold the Man! (John 19:5) - see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4-6); as you spend time beholding His glory, you will be changed into His image, which is God’s good purpose for you if you’re a believer. So look to Jesus, behold Him, and become like Him.
Worship Him! “Behold your King, before Him lowly bend.” (O Holy Night, v. 2) “Worship Christ, the newborn King.” (Angels from the Realms of Glory). Give thanks to God for the gracious gift of His Son, our Lord and King, Jesus Christ.