King of the Jews

John 18:33-37

Context
John's Gospel is very stylized - you might think of it as a historical play, like "Henry VII", which puts a lot of commentary into how the story is told, and is expected to use poetic license in the telling. Even more than with other books, John's Gospel rewards careful literary reading.
The trial of Jesus is a stellar example. Pilate, the judge and commander of immense physical force, is reduced to a page boy running back and forth between "the Jews" and Jesus. In the end, it is clear that Jesus is the true judge, and that Pilate's charge "The King of the Jews" is correct. TextWeek studies the entire trial, if you want to invest more time in the study.

Listening to the writer
Consider the circumstances of our reading. Does this Jesus look like the Anointed son of David? Does he act like the Son of Man coming on the clouds?

Jesus’ kingdom “is not of this world.” What world is it of?

According to verse 37, why did Jesus come?

Pilate scorns Jesus’ answer. What is the truth that Jesus came to share?

Listening to God
Christianity claims that a relatively powerless first century laborer, who was executed by the state with very little difficulty, is Lord of all creation. Do you believe that? If so, why? If not, then what is it that draws you to church and Bible study?

If Jesus is truly Lord of creation and the Church is his body, then it seems to me that the Church ought to be more involved in doing what Jesus said to do. Allow Jesus to challenge you: are you truly following him? Does the way you use power (time, money, position, voice, activity) reflect Jesus’ values? Do you need to take a greater position in leading others to follow Christ?

Dig deeper at TextWeek.