Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro — Kids and Questions

Parent peppered with questions...

“Kids ask an average of 40,000 questions between the ages of 2 and 5. 2-300 per day — Warren Berger, author of A More Beautiful Question

Where does poo come from?...“And Tigger, too?”

“One child wanted to know if his mom had to stay indoors when she was little during Covids 1 through 18.”

Season — “Is Santa real?

— Some answers to questions are just not cut and dried, definitive or simple to answer...

Today’s gospel lesson — one of those kinds of questions.

Only not from a 5 yr old but a man with great power.

Pontius Pilate, the Roman administrator at the time of Jesus

“What is truth?”

John 18:38

A regiment of solders sent to capture one man.

Bound and brought first before Caiaphas the high priest...

John 18:14 “Caiaphas was the one who had told the other Jewish leaders, “It’s better that one man should die for the people.””

Jesus now standing before Pilate, who seems to hold all the cards, faced with a decision — Set him free or send him to be executed.

Yet he is left with an question unanswered...

Two rulers, with different agendas — One of earthly authority, wanting to satisfy the crowds while not relinquishing his power, the other with all the authority of heaven laying aside his power for one purpose, the reason Jesus stands before Pilate.

A litany of questions and responses — A war of words — Jesus’ kingship is the central concern

(S) Christ the King Sunday — The Reign of Christ — The king of kings

Church in Monreale, Palermo, Sicily, southern Italy

Pantocrator —” A title of Christ represented as the ruler of the universe — "Almighty" or "All-powerful — "Ruler of All"

If we profess the Christian faith…we have questions...one important question we need to ask..

Bibles — Prayer

John 18:33 (NLT)

33 Then Pilate called for Jesus to be brought to him.

“Are you the king of the Jews?” he asked him.

There had been no king in Judea since Herod the Great, and while false messiahs had appeared, claiming to be in the Davidic line, Jesus hardly had the appearance or demeanor of such.

Several insurrectionists had been arrested recently (Barabbas, two on the cross), and the differences between Jesus and them were apparent.

“Pilate needed to probe Jesus and find out his claims regarding himself.”

Cornerstone Comm.

Jesus answer is consistent with how he responded to those who asked questions with ill intent, personal motives, or worldly agendas — Not answering the question

John 18:34 (NLT)

34 Jesus replied, “Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?”

Jesus responds challenging the integrity of Pilates question — Here in lies the problem: Whose truth did Pilate know?

His own or someone else’s?

Problem with truth today, is knowing what is true and what is not...

Truth can be relevant can’t it?

Personal presupposition, where life experience, what we know, or even political leaning, can make it hard to disseminate truth from fiction.

Is jesus the king of the Jews?

If so, what kind of king?

What is truth?

Depends who you ask…Many wanted a king but for a different purpose — Both a political and powerful ruler to bring them peace

Then, Pilate trying to separate himself from the whole thing…asks more questions…

John 18:35 (NLT)

35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate retorted.

“Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial.

Why?

What have you done?”

Early that morning he had been approached by his wife and told to let it go, and wash his hands of this Jesus fellow.

Matthew 27:19 “Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Leave that innocent man alone.

I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night.””

It was the most desperate attempt of a Roman wife to intercede in her husband’s affairs...

Matthew 27:24 “Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing.

So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.

The responsibility is yours!””

Is jesus a king?

What is truth?

Still the question is only vaguely answered

John 18:36 (NLT)

36 Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom.

If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders.

But my Kingdom is not of this world.”

A king? Yes, sort of…His reign is over a much greater realm then a nation or a people.

better said in the NRSV, My kingdom is not from this world...

Pilate's truth was based on what he knew, that another claiming authority would be a detriment to his own.

His perspective was tainted, like those who brought Jesus to him — Fear of loosing the hold of religious authority over the people.

Pilates perspective, Jew is better translated Judean — not all Jews — He reigned over all the people of Judea and Jesus’ claim of king would have been a threat to Pilate’s earthly kingdom rule.

The people wanted a king and for those who did not yet understand who Jesus was, fighting to save him would have been the natural response — Petter in the garden...

John 18:10 “Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave.”

Peter’s denial placed just before this — Some even those who were close to Jesus did not yet understand.

What kind of disciple was Peter?

What kind of disciple are we?

What kingdom are you fighting for?

Is telling people about who Jesus is the most important thing on your agenda?

Tim’s story with the tire guy

Christians — Sometimes we fight harder for this temporary worldly kingdom then we do for God’s eternal kingdom come

1 John 2:15 “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.”

Do not love this world more than you love God and the king who is the ruler over all things, Jesus who is to be the ruler of your heart.

What is truth?

It’s not of this world and neither was Jesus.

If saving himself in this world was the fight, then...

John 18:36 “ my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders.

But that is not Jesus’ fight…It was to bring the truth of salvation to the lost.

Pilate asks another question, and Jesus responds

John 18:37 (NLT)

37 Pilate said, “So you are a king?” Jesus responded, “You say I am a king.

Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth.

Testifying to the truth could have meant a lot of things — Who God is.

Who Jesus is.

Why he came.

Summed up best...

John 1:14 “So the Word became human and made his home among us.

He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.

And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”

Literally translates, full of grace and truth — John 14:6 I am the way, the truth…

John 8:31-32 “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.

32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.””

His truth is made know to us by the spirit..

John 14:17 “But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.”