Text: The Holy Gospel According to Saint John 18:33-37
Men struggle for power and authority over other men.
For centuries, yes, even thousands of years, men have sought to control other human beings and become their kings, emperors, presidents, and premiers, whatever.
Even today, two candidates seem locked in an unending battle for the presidency of the United States of America, my own country.
Jesus IS the KING by Divine right.
Jesus, the King needs NO ONE to declare his Divine right as THE KING.
He is not the King by popular opinion, nor by Electoral College votes! Jesus is King NOT OF this world system, but, by and through the Authority of God.
33 Pilate entered the praetorium again and called Jesus, and said to him, "Are you the King of the Jews?"
Notice, please, that the KING of the UNIVERSE was called by Pontius Pilate for questioning.
Do we comprehend what is happening here?
The Eternal Word of God, the God-Man, has humbled himself and been brought low under the miniscule authority of a corrupt Roman governor.
Awesome God..., we cannot comprehend how far down God came down to meet us at the point of our need as human beings!
Now, this Pilate speaks roughly to the King of kings and Lord of lords!
"Are you the king of the Jews?"
My beloved, who thinks these days of entering Pilate's "praetorium"? Pilate has met his Judge already.
The leaders of the world have such and infantile and narrow perspective. They tend to think that they are really in control of all events that surround them. If we would merely study the subject of cosmology or astronomy, and look at the stars of the sky and the immensity of the universe we live in, soon we would discover that we are really rather small and insignificant in this world compared to the whole universe.
Modern science tells us that our little galaxy is composed of a mere 200 billion stars and that it would take 100,000 years to travel from one end of it to the other if we could fly 186,000 miles per second!
In 1969 we landed on the moon. It was a "giant step for mankind," but, it was God who created all things and it please God that all the fullness dwell in his Son, Jesus Christ, (cf. Colossians 1)
34 Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?"
35 Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me; what have you done?"
Here Pilate with the world we live in, only sees Jesus as an ancient prophet, a preacher, a rabbi - never do they see Jesus as King. The Church declares this Kingship, but, the world view today is anti Christ. Not only is the world against Christ, it sees itself as "god" instead of Christ.
Jesus hit the nail on the head by saying,
36 Jesus answered, "My kingship is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world."
Saint Michael was probably standing by waiting for the command.
One angel could destroy many nations. Two thirds of the heavenly host could perhaps decimate the entire cosmos!
But, Jesus would have none of that. He came to save and to seek the lost - sinners like you and me, beloved. Bless his Holy Name. O, beloved, that we might see this Incarnation for what it really was and remains this Christmas and Advent in the Jubilee of the Year 2000.
The Kingship of Jesus does not rely one little bit on our allowing Jesus to be the King. The KING is KING and we await his KINGDOM, a KINGDOM here already, because he is the KING NOW for the Christian.
Pilate, nor the world, see this --
37 Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice."
Beloved, I HEAR HIS VOICE. I am a sheep, and, Jesus is my Shepherd and my KING.
Have you heard his voice?
I know no other KING than Jesus.
Do you know this King?
I have been a citizen of the United State of America all my life and am happy that God allowed me to be born here in the United States. But, I would not trade my citizenship in God's Kingdom where Jesus is King for the presidency of the United States of America.
In 200 years we will have forgotten who the presidential candidates are, those who ran with them, those who barked and howled their slogans and promises they could not keep.
My body will be dust.
My soul will see my King and yours.
But, in 200 years, should the Lord delay his second coming - my KING will still be the KING for all eternity and the Day of the Lord will come in his good timing and we shall be raised and behold the King of Glory eschatologically!
Why do I know this within every fiber of my corruptible bones?
This corruptible must put on incorruption. This mortal must put on immortality.
Again, Why do I know this within every fiber of my corruptible bones? Why does this come home to my very soul?
It is because Mary has taught me in the wilderness of this world the truth of Jesus being the Truth in the place that God prepared for her there. I have been shown that Jesus is the King, my King, and yours. Therefore, I proclaim this truth to all who will hear my little voice in the wilderness.
Grace and peace beloved this Advent season as we worship Christ our King who came down in the little manger in the little town of Bethlehem, the house of bread where the Bread would lay in a manger as a symbol of the Bread of Life he was and is indeed and Truth!