In the later part of John 18 we find Jesus brought before Pilate. The Jewish leaders didn’t have the power to execute Jesus so they brought Him to Pilate so that Jesus could be condemned to death.
In this encounter between Jesus and Pilate we learn four truths about Jesus that need to affect the way we live our lives as followers of Jesus.
John 18:33-37a
Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked Him, “Are You the king of the Jews?” “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about Me?” “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “It was Your people and Your chief priest who handed You over to me. What is it You have done?” Jesus said, “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 from another place.” “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered , “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for that reason I was born , and for this I came into the world to testify to the truth.”
Truth #1: Jesus is King.
Synonyms for king are ruler, sovereign, lord.
Jesus is saying that He is the Sovereign Ruler and Lord of all creation.
Jesus says that His kingdom is not of this world. Jesus’ kingdom is bigger than just this world. His kingdom cannot be contained in this world.
In Colossians 1:15-20 Jesus is pictured as the Creator and Ruler of all creation. He is also pictured as the Head of the church.
Jesus is supreme over everything.
Jesus being king means that we are to obey Him without question.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is acknowledging Jesus as king and unconditionally obeying Him.
John 18:37b-38a
“Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me.” “What is truth?” Pilate asked.
Truth #2: Jesus is Truth.
Truth means to be in accordance with fact or reality.
Jesus says that He is truth in John 14:6.
Jesus is saying that He is what is real.
Jesus is saying that He is fact.
Jesus is saying that anything that does not agree with Him is false.
Paul calls Jesus the living and true God in 1 Thessalonians 1:9.
John calls Jesus true and the true God in 1 John 5:20.
In Revelation Jesus is called Faithful and True.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing Jesus is real and living in the reality of who Jesus is.
John 18:38b-39a
“I find no basis for a charge against Him. But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover.”
Truth #3: Jesus is Innocent.
Jesus was perfect.
Jesus was sinless.
1 Peter 2:22 says that Jesus committed no sin and no deceit was found in His mouth.
1 Peter 3:18 we are told that Jesus, the righteous, died for our sins. He was the righteous dying for the unrighteous.
In 2 Corinthians 5:21 we are told that God caused the One who knew no sin to become sin for us so that His righteousness could be placed on us and our unrighteousness could be placed on Him.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is believing that Jesus is the Innocent, Sinless One.
John 18:39b-40
“Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?” They shouted back, “No, not Him! Give us Barabbas !” Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.
Truth #4: Jesus is Rejected.
Jesus was not liked, let allowed loved, by all people.
Jesus is not liked by everyone today.
Jesus was never accepted by the religious establishment of His day.
Jesus was seen as an outsider.
Jesus was seen as a dissident
Jesus was seen as a trouble maker.
In John 15:20 Jesus warns His followers that we would be treated as He was. If people rejected and persecuted Jesus, they will reject and persecute us.
The truth is that Christianity was always antiestablishment. It was always countercultural.
When we follow Jesus, we are going against the flow of culture.
Culture is fallen.
Culture is broken.
Culture is under the curse.
When we follow the True Sinless King who was rejected, we can expect to face rejection also.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being willing to face rejection for the cause and name of Jesus.
We are entering a new year (four days into it). My prayer is that we as the church of Jesus in American will focus our lives as individual followers and as the family of God on Jesus the True, Sinless King of all creation.
He gave His life for us; may we yield our lives to His control.
With the True Sinless King Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
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