30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 23 01-05 THE KING AND HIS KINGDOM 04 Luke 23 02-05 Dealing with the inner man
📖 Luke 23:1-5
Wed10Nov2021 – Dealing with the inner man - Luke 23:01-05 - THE KING OF THE JEWS (04) - Bible reading: John 18:33-38
Jesus is our King. We come to Jesus in total surrender and submission. The Lord must have full reign over us. This is not just a one-time surrender to Jesus but needs to be an ongoing manner of life.
The Lord is loving, patient and caring so that we would be in that place of deep commitment and restedness in Jesus. It is in this place of rest in Jesus that we have life and we fulfil all that the Lord has intended for each of us.
Luke 23:2-5 And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King." (3) Then Pilate asked Him, saying, " Are You the King of the Jews?" He answered him and said, "It is as you say." (4) So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no fault in this Man." (5) But they were the more fierce, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place."
The Jews were becoming impatient and angry with Pilate that he was not quickly deciding to have Jesus crucified. Whereas, Pilate, paid no heed to all the allegations that the Jews had against Jesus. He, categorically, told the Jews that he found no fault in Jesus.
The whole plan of the Jews was going totally out of their hand. We can imagine their rage against Pilate.
We have already said that the Jews were unnecessarily troubled, for Jesus was surely going to the cross. God was reaching this man Pilate, for the Lord saw in Pilate, a man, who was searching for truth.
John 18:33-38 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, " Are You the King of the Jews?" (34) Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me ?"
The Lord knew that Pilate had gathered his own intelligence on Jesus. Pilate was wanting Jesus to say something about Jesus’ intention to set up His kingdom, which would then give Pilate the basis to put Jesus to death on the cross.
Whereas, Jesus was probing Pilate's heart. It was Pilate who was on trial. The Lord’s question to Pilate was whether Pilate desired to know how Jesus was King or was just to have a basis to deliver his judgement.
At this point, Pilate could have desired Jesus to explain His kingship. This was the first opportunity for Pilate to come under the lordship of Jesus. Instead, Pilate did not address the emptiness of his own heart. He stayed with his task of giving a decision, as the Governor. Pilate missed his first chance.
When we reach people, with the gospel of Jesus Christ, we will find that they will not address the emptiness of their hearts. They will stay at the surface and only deal with what is tangible and their inner man remains starved. We must be intentional to probe and make people examine their inner person.
(35) Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?"
Pilate remained at the level of eliciting from Jesus, some basis to crucify Him. He needed Jesus to say that He is setting up a kingdom, which was in some way against Rome. If Pilate could establish this from Jesus, then he would give the decision of death by crucifixion. This was not coming from Jesus.
(36) Jesus answered, " My kingdom is not of this world . If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."
The Lord gave a simple answer to Pilate that His kingdom was not from this world. He says this twice in one verse.
When the Lord said that His kingdom was not of this world and also clarified that His kingdom did not operate in the ways of the world, then Pilate’s question should have been, “How does your kingdom operate?” This was the second opening for Pilate to confront his own heart.
Instead, (37) Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?"
Again, Pilate stayed with the job at hand, which was to ascertain a basis to give the decision of death by crucifixion. He was being a thorough professional and Pilate did not let the Lord get close to his own inner search. Pilate lost his second chance to surrender his life to Christ.
The Lord reached out to Pilate, one last time.
Jesus answered, " You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice ."
This is the place where the Lord brought Pilate to directly face his own heart. This was the final opportunity for Pilate to give his life to Christ.
Pilate was a seeker. He was searching for truth and the Lord came looking for Pilate. Luke 19:10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
(38) Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all. Pilate lost his third opportunity to respond to Jesus.
Pilate did not reckon with his own heart but was pressurised by the circumstances to give a verdict to the Jews, who were desperately waiting. He saw no basis to send Jesus to the cross and therefore his judgement was, “NOT GUILTY”.
We will look more closely at Jesus being King.
The wonderful learning here is how Jesus, though in deep anguish Himself, was still seeking to save the lost .
Thought to ponder
Are you seeking to save the lost? Or, is your life revolving only around your own challenges in life?