#DailyDevotion Jesus Is THE King of Israel
Matt. 2711 Jesus stood before the governor. “Are you the King of the Jews?” the governor asked Him. “Yes,” Jesus answered. 12While the ruling priests and elders were accusing Him, He said nothing. 13Then Pilate asked Him, “Don’t you hear how many accusations they are bringing against you?” 14 But Jesus didn’t answer him in regard to anything that was said, so that the governor was very much surprised….27Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s palace and gathered the whole troop of soldiers around Him. 28They took off His clothes and put a scarlet cloak on Him. 29They twisted some thorns into a crown, placed it on His head, and put a stick in His right hand. Then they knelt before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30They spit on Him, took the stick, and hit Him on the head….37They put above His head a notice stating why He was being punished. It read: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS….41 The ruling priests, with the Bible scholars and elders, mocked Him in the same way, saying, 42“He saved others, but he cannot save himself. He’s King of Israel. He should come down from the cross now, and we’ll believe him.
Jesus doesn’t answer but two questions in his this kangaroo court, “Are the Christ, the Son of God” and “Are you king of the Jews.” Being the truth, Jesus could not but tell the truth. All other accusations were lies, fabrications of lies and half-truths. Jesus gives a simple but definitive yes to the question, “Are you the king of the Jews?” It would be a theme running through the suffering, i.e. the passion of our Lord.
The soldiers under Pilate would make a mockery of Jesus’ claim to be king. They made him a crown of thorns and put a scarlet robe on him and gave him a stick for a scepter. They gave mock subservience to Jesus and saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then went onto spit on him and hit him. Pilate put a sign of the charges against Jesus on the cross he was crucified. “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” It seems he did this more to mock the Jews who wanted him crucified more than Jesus himself. The Jewish leadership and their followers mock Jesus as well saying, “He’s King of Israel. He should come down from the cross now, and we’ll believe him.”
But what does it mean to be King of the Jews, the King of Israel. Well certainly Jesus was a son of David. But Jesus’ claim to be King of the Jews is greater than any line of succession. Jesus was THE King of the Jews. In 1 Samuel 8 we read, 7“Obey the people,” the LORD told Samuel, “in everything they tell you; they haven’t rejected you but Me from being their King.” It is written in Deut. 33:5 “And He was King in Jeshurun when their leaders were gathered and the tribes of Israel were united.” Psalm 99:1 tells us “The LORD is King – the people tremble; He’s on a throne among the angels — the earth shakes.” Isaiah prophesies in 44:6 “The LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of armies, says: ‘I am the First, and I am the Last, and there is no God besides Me.” When Jesus claims to be King of Israel, King of the Jews, he is claiming to be the King of Israel in these verses. It is this King they mock. It is this King they crucify. The King of Israel, the King of the Universe allows himself to be crucified and to die so he may redeem mankind, yes even those who did this to him, yes even you, so you may join him on his throne and rule with him.
O King of Israel, Jesus Christ, you allowed yourself to be mocked and crucified that you may redeem mankind and lift it to your throne on high. Grant us your grace to believe this and receive from your merciful hand your salvation and redemption. In your precious name you pray. Amen.