No King But Jesus

Read This Week: John 19

Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews. But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. Finally, Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. – John 19:14-16 NIV

The former American evangelist Dwight L. Moody once said, “Death may be the king of terror, but Jesus is the King of kings.” This statement is relevant to the context of John 19 because it was indeed a terrifying scene. Jesus has been arrested and unjustly tried, and now Pilate has ordered him whipped, beaten, and his soldiers pressed a crown of thorns a half an inch into his scalp. He was hours from being put to death in the most gruesome and brutal of ways, and his followers had scattered to the wind in fear. It was terror, and death was imminent, but Christ was King, and his life was eternal.

In this passage, Pilate brings Jesus before the people for their evaluation. He was mocking the Lord and the Jews by presenting this savaged man with a robe across his bloody body as their so-called champion. It was Pilate’s way of saying to them that this was no king, but simply a misunderstood zealot who could be beaten into submission by the Roman government. Little did Pilate know that the authority he had to have Christ punished was given to him by Jesus Himself (v.11). Ironically, he was actually presenting the true King.

The crowd didn’t get it either. The multitude saw Jesus standing before them in all His misery and didn’t see kingship, eternal royalty, supremacy, and power. They saw someone who pushed the envelope too much with his claims and teaching and paid for it with severe consequences. They didn’t consider his supernatural acts, compassion, or heavenly wisdom. They didn’t look beyond their preconceived notions of what a king should look like. So they didn’t say crown him, but instead said take him away, take him away! Crucify Him! (v.15)

Finally, Pilate gives the people one last chance to acknowledge Christ as King. He says almost facetiously that surely they didn’t want to crucify their king (v.15). But angrily, the mob makes it clear that they think nothing of Jesus’ exalted position. They defiantly shouted back the rejection of Christ to the Roman governor, and their leaders added that they had no king but Caesar. They disregarded the sovereign, eternal ruler of the universe to swear allegiance and pay homage to a fallible and finite man who was oppressing them.

The most incredible thing about this profound and layered chapter is that Jesus is King the whole time. He was King when he was arrested, unfairly tried, ridiculed, beaten, and denied. He was King when Pilate humiliated Him, his followers abandoned Him, and the Jews rejected Him. He was King when He carried his cross, when the soldiers gambled over his clothes, spat on him, and viciously offered him sour vinegar when He said he was thirsty. He was King when they drove the nails, raised the cross, and stabbed his side to ensure he was dead. No matter what they said, did, or caused Him to suffer, Jesus was King.

The same is true of Christ still to this day. He is King. He is King when the world rejects Him and His disciples. He is King when skeptics try to disprove He ever lived. He is King when His name is taken in vain and worked into jokes and punchlines. He is King when things are falling apart, and all seems lost. He is King amid uncertainty, disease, heartbreak, and pain. Through His kingly power, He saves, heals, redeems, calms, and makes things right. He always has and always will. Nothing can stop Him. There is no King but Jesus.

6 Comments

  1. Javaid Ahmed on January 18, 2023 at 12:40 pm

    In this difficult chapter God focused me on John 19 verse 11:

    11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
    
What He said to me is:

    “The illusion of earthy power is dangerous. It has caused more carnage than anything else int he world. Relying on power as if it was somehow handed to you from earthly ways bases your entire ideology on a fallacy. When you recognize that the power you have or acquire is from Me, and that it was meant to be with you, you can use those powers for good, for My will, and for the betterment of everyone who inhabits the world. Remember that I am love, and it is love I expect you to give with any power you yield.”

    To yield true power requires maturity, responsibility, and good hearted intentions from God, otherwise there is not actual power, but a false sense of reality. With God’s love we yield the strongest power there is, and God gives us this ability to spread the purest form of Love all throughout the world. It is so beautiful to be able to do this and to be grateful and appropriately yield this power is the purest form of a thank you for God.

  2. Heidi on January 19, 2023 at 8:38 am

    This song means a lot to me ❤️
    My friend from Hawaii sent this to me when I was studying in Hawaii, when I listened to it I wept and wept I was wreaked because it’s the truth
    What does love look like to you?
    Look it up and listen to it you’ll be blessed by His love This song goes so well with this chapter ❤️
    Song for today
    Arms wide open
    Misty Edwards

    “What does love look like?” is the question I’ve been pondering
    “What does love look like?”
    If all of life comes down to love, then tell me
    “What does love look like?” is the question I’ve been pondering
    “What does love look like?”

    [Pre-Chorus]
    Then I sat down, a little frustrated and confused
    If all of life comes down to love then love has to be more than sentiment
    More than selfishness and selfish gain

    And then I saw Him there, hanging on a tree, looking at me
    I saw Him there, hanging on a tree, looking at me
    He was looking at me, looking at Him, staring through me
    I could not escape those beautiful eyes
    And I began to weep and weep

    He had arms wide open, a heart exposed
    Arms wide open; He was bleeding, bleeding
    Arms wide open, a heart exposed
    Arms wide open; He was bleeding, bleeding

    Love’s definition, love’s definition was looking at me

    Looking at Him, hanging on a tree
    I began to weep and weep and weep and weep

    This is how I know what love is
    This is how I know what love is
    This is how I know what love is
    This is how I know what love is
    This is how I know what love is
    This is how I know what love is
    This is how I know what love is
    This is how I know what love is

    [Chorus]
    And as I sat there weeping, crying
    Those beautiful eyes, full of desire and love
    And He said to me: “You shall love Me, You shall love Me
    You shall love Me, You shall love Me
    You shall love Me, You shall love Me
    You shall love Me, You shall love Me”
    With arms wide open, a heart exposed
    With arms wide open, bleeding, sometimes bleeding
    With arms wide open, a heart exposed
    With arms wide open, bleeding, sometimes bleeding
    He said to me: “You shall love Me, You shall love Me
    You shall love Me, You shall love Me
    You shall love Me, You shall love Me
    You shall love Me, You shall love”

  3. Trina on January 21, 2023 at 5:49 pm

    John 19 v. 28
    After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished (ended), said in fulfillment of the scriptures, I thirst. [Ps. 69:21.]
    Jesus is saying to everyone, our bodies and spirit may endure the unthinkable, unbearable and the darkest burdens but know that in the end when all is said and done, the the only fulfillment for any of this is to thirst spiritually. Jesus knew the statement prior to, “It is finished.”, was a final plea to mankind to repent and thirst spiritually.
    What this means to me is that being thirsty spiritually is the end of darkness and the worldly nature but also the beginning of a new insatiable relationship with Him. I pray to be as thirsty for God as He was for us. Thank you God for your Grace and your Holy Spirit.
    Gatorade doesn’t have anything on Christ!

  4. Heidi on January 24, 2023 at 9:41 am

    John 19:26 So Jesus, seeing His mother, and the [m]disciple whom He loved (esteemed) standing near, said to His mother, “[Dear] woman, look, [here is] your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple (John), “Look! [here is] your mother [protect and provide for her]!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

    What does love like?
    Love like Jesus❤️
    Jesus came to show us the way to heaven.
    All He did was out of love.
    He was still loving and caring for people while He was hanging on a cross! Looking after His mother while He was suffering and in pain ❤️
    Thank you Jesus for all Your ❤️
    God is saying All you have to do is believe in your Heart that Jesus came to set you free because We love you!
    Thank you Father God
    I love you

  5. Alma on January 24, 2023 at 11:59 am

    This week I got a song in John 19

    Praise you
    We are praising you praising you. We are praising you ourLord because of you our sins are forgiven washed away you gave your life so we could be set free.We have hope love peace because of you We are blessed to do our life with you every minute of every day we have your spirit with in us we never have to be along sad or upset You’re are comfort are happiness. We are standing with you our Lord we praise you we praise you We are praising you our Lord. Amen.

    We should always focus on the prize which is an our Lord. We never have to be alone or afraid our Lord is with us and only wants the best for us.

  6. reachchurch on January 25, 2023 at 2:43 pm

    This Week in the Life: John 19

    For the best experience, we suggest you listen to the first song, the message, and the second song.

    1. Sunday Worship – First Song: https://reachchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-0122-Worship1.wav
    2. Sunday Message: https://reachchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-0122-Message.wav
    3. Sunday Worship – Second Song: https://reachchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-0122-Worship2.wav

    Join the Party Line Live – Schedule: https://reachchurch.org/connect

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