One of my great joys is watching my kids in their elementary years participating in school plays. I enjoy it because they work hard to memorize the parts and deliver them in an engaging way. I think partly because of the deep fear I had growing up of public speaking, I even admire that they get to do something that would have terrified me at their age. This semester, my youngest, James, was King Richard in the Robin Hood play. For most of the play, his identity was hidden. He didn’t look like a king. He was wearing the clothes of peasants and lived in the woods. Nothing about him looked kingly and no one knew who he was. That is, until the end of the play when he revealed his identity and everyone saw him for who he really was. 

That’s the feeling of this passage. The main theme of Matthew’s gospel is the King and his kingdom. And I think he really wants us to see the irony here. The passage starts with Pilate asking Jesus ‘are you the king.’ And there is so much irony in this passage because the answer to Pilate’s question is ‘yes,’ but nothing about Jesus looks kingly. At least not from a human point of view. What true king is silent when accused? What good king is hated by his people? What powerful king can’t save himself? What rightful king can be mocked? And that’s exactly what Matthew wants us to see. He wants us to see that Jesus is a different kind of king over a far greater kingdom. So let’s look at those four questions and see Jesus more clearly for who he is. 

1. What true king is silent when accused? 11-14

The passage opens with Jesus standing before Pilate. Jesus has already had his trial before the Jewish leaders, now he’s standing before the Roman leadership and Pilate asks him very directly, “Are you the King of the Jews?” All four gospels record this question which is very important. But there are some things about the context that we need to understand. The Jewish trial happened because they hated Jesus for exposing their sin and claiming to be God. But, Pilate doesn’t care anything about that. Pilate didn’t seem to hate Jesus. He actually seemed to respect him. 

We also need to understand that Pilate was not a good man. His predecessors showed a measure of sensitivity to the Jewish religion, but he did not. But, when you get to Jesus’ trial, he seems to show great attention and integrity and this threw the Jewish leaders for a loop. Very likely, the Jewish leaders had contacted Pilate trying to get a quick trial and they were surprised when Pilate called for a full formal Roman trial. And the Jewish leaders were not prepared to bring well thought out charges against Jesus that would condemn him under Roman law. You see this more clearly in the other gospels. They said Jesus was subverting the nation of Israel and other claims that Pilate didn’t care about. But, then they said Jesus opposes paying taxes to Caesar and claims to be the Christ, which is a king. Now, this is a claim Pilate has to deal with. Jesus didn’t respond to any of the claims thrown at him by the Jews and that’s when Pilate asks Jesus very directly, “are you the king of the Jews?”

Pilate isn’t asking Jesus if he is the Messiah. Again, Pilate doesn’t care about that. His question is if Jesus is claiming to be the true king of Israel. And here is where Jesus finally responds. But he responds in a frustratingly ambiguous way. He says, “You have said so.” I think this is when Pilate begins to be intrigued and even to respect Jesus. 

Jesus could have said, “Well, that’s what you say” which would sound like a no. Or, he could have said, “Yes, it is as you say” which would sound like a yes. But his actual words are “You say” which is not a direct or clear answer. It’s really quite ambiguous.

As a rule of thumb, the most qualified and confident person in the room is usually the least likely to point that fact out…because they don’t need to. When I turned 40, I had some friends over to my house for a birthday dinner and Angela’s brother was there. Now, Angela’s brother is pretty much a perfect physical specimen. He was all state in High School in whatever sport he did. He was a wide receiver at Ole Miss for Eli Manning. He’s my age and height and can still dunk a basketball. I remember the first time I went to the beach with Angela’s family when we were newly married. I was about to take off my shirt, but he did first and I decided, “yeah, I’m going to keep my shirt on today.” 

Anyway, at that party, one of my friends was talking about how he thought he could beat Angela’s brother in basketball. He was making his case to everyone and even getting to the point of taunting Angela’s brother, Ross. But Ross never defended himself. Finally my friend asked the whole group what we thought and one guy, who was a lawyer, said, “Yeah, I’m going with the guy who isn’t talking at all. Seems like he knows what he can do on the court.” 

That’s kind of how I see Pilate looking at Jesus. Jesus is calm. He isn’t defending himself. It’s like Jesus knows something that Pilate doesn’t. But there is another thing that I think gave Pilate pause about Jesus that we see sort of tucked away in verse 19 Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” - Mt 27:19 Romans were not Christians at this time, but they were very superstitious. Dreams meant something to them. Roman leaders would not take on any big task before seeking the gods. So, it’s very possible that Pilate thought Jesus could be some sort of god or prophet that fit into the pantheon of Roman gods. 

So, what king is silent? The one who is really king. But his kingship isn’t defined by human characteristics. It isn’t defined by political power, military power, self-promotion, or social maneuvering. His kingship is defined by love. I read a very interesting quote attributed to Napoleon at the end of his life that he supposedly said to one of his generals. I couldn’t find the primary source for this quote, but it’s in enough different places that I thought I’d read it. “I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for him.” Jesus’ kingdom was built on the King’s love for the Father and for us that would cause him to not defend himself and willingly be falsely accused so that he could be punished in the place of his people. 

1. What good King is hated by his people? 15-23

This brings us to Barabbas. Pilate can still clearly see that this was a religious matter and not only did he not want to get involved, he hated the religious leaders and didn’t want to give them what they wanted. Pilate comes across very stubborn to me. Matthew tells us this in verse 18: For he (Pilate) knew that it was out of envy that they (the Jewish leaders) had delivered him up - Mt 27:18

Pilate found no evidence that Jesus was guilty of anything. John records Pilate saying this three times. We know from Luke that Pilate tried to hand Jesus off to Herod who oversaw the region of Galilee since that is where Jesus was from, but Herod didn’t want the case. Pilate also offered to punish Jesus without an execution, but the Jewish leaders wouldn’t hear of that. This is when Pilate gives the people a choice. It was a common practice during the passover to let the people get to pick someone to be pardoned of their crimes. So, Pilate looked for the worst criminal he could find and let the people decide if he or Jesus goes free. And Pilate chooses Barabbas. 

Barabbas was not just a common murderer. He was an insurrectionist who wanted to raise up an army, drive out the Roman occupiers, and establish himself or someone like him as Israel’s king. If you know your history, this was exactly what Judas Maccabaeus did just about 200 years before. Pilate thought surely, they would choose Jesus and Pilate would be off the hook. Barabbas led a bloody violent rebellion that brought the brute Roman force down on the Jews. Surely they would choose Jesus who was heralded by the people just days before. But, no, the people choose to release Barabbas and cry out to crucify Jesus. The Jewish leaders, stirring up the crowd, know that Barabbas can be stopped by the Romans again if he is released, but Jesus cannot. There are so many ironies in this passage and here we have one of them. Barabbas’ name actually means son of the father. So, in a great irony, the people choose to set him free and crucify the true Son of the Heavenly Father. 

So, how could Jesus be the true King when he is so hated by his people? Because his people are sinners. But for the grace of God, every one of us would be there yelling ‘Crucify him!’ as well. No one is wise enough, smart enough, or spiritual enough to desire Jesus to be King over them. That is a work of His Spirit in our hearts. This is why Paul says in Ephesians 2  8 For zby grace you have been saved athrough faith. And this is bnot your own doing; cit is the gift of God, 9 dnot a result of works, eso that no one may boast. - Eph 2:8

But, at this moment, we get a picture of what the King does for us. We are Barabbas! We who should be rightly and eternally condemned for our sin are set free by Jesus trading places with us. We are set free from the kingdom of darkness because Jesus took on the wrath that kingdom deserves in our place so we could be brought into the kingdom of light. That is the gospel. The king is hated by his people and still dies for them. For while we were still enemies, Christ died for us. 

1. What powerful king can’t save himself? 24-26

At this point, the Jewish leaders are in the crowd stirring them up to crucify Jesus and Pilate can see he has a new problem on his hands. Pilate’s plan had backfired and he was the one trapped. He asked the crowd what he should do now with Jesus and they again yelled, “Crucify him!” Pilate asks them, “For what? What evil has Jesus done?” But, led by the Jewish leaders, they have no answer and just yell ‘crucify him’ even louder. Sometimes when you don’t have a good answer, the only thing you can do is to talk louder. Pilate now feared a riot if Jesus is not executed. 

According to John, the Jewish leaders were threatening to report him to Caesar saying, “if you do not let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be king opposes Caesar.” This was the tipping point. Pilate may have feared Jesus a little (maybe he was a kind of god), but he feared the crowds more and he feared the Emperor the most. There was no way word could get to the Emperor that Pilate had a man in custody claiming to be king and that that man was let go. 

Now, Pilate can be misunderstood to be a good guy here, but he is not. He’s a coward. I’ve heard it said that all bullies are cowards deep down. He may be for Jesus at some level, but he’s not going to support Jesus if it causes him harm. And doesn’t he perfectly illustrate so many cultural Christians today? They are for Jesus in general. They will welcome the good that comes with an association with Jesus and they may even pray and go to church, but when following Jesus threatens their comfort, they are out…just like Pilate. 

I remember a friend who is a few years older than me became a Christian and really started to grow and make significant life changes. His wife saw all these changes and the way he was giving his time and money and she said, “Come on honey. I mean, I like that you are a Christian, but don’t get carried away here.” She wanted enough Jesus in her husband to make her life easier, but she didn’t want enough Jesus to threaten her own comforts. The great baptist pastor, Charles Spurgeon, once said, “Nominal Christianity is tolerated by most, but the pure gospel is scorned and rejected.” 

No one can be neutral concerning Jesus. Pilate was trying to be neutral to be innocent of his death, but could not be and turned against Jesus. Following Jesus means that we will endure trials because of our loyalty to him. We will lose friends. We will lose certain social statuses. We will give our time and money away in ways that will hurt. But, it’s worth it to be with the King. The King who has saved us from the greatest sufferings that lie beyond death. Any discomfort we endure for Jesus’ sake isn’t just something we have to do, it’s something we get to do. And the more we do it, the more we identify with the King. The more we understand the King and in a very counterintuitive way, the more joy we will feel in the King. Not because we are earning his love through suffering, but because we are loved by him in his suffering. 

There are two important ironies to see here. First, is that Pilate thinks he can wash his hands of the execution of Jesus and blame the crowd. All the water in the world could not cleanse Pilate of the sin of ordering Jesus’ death. Remember last week when Judas felt remorse for betraying Jesus and went to the chief priests, what did they say? It’s your responsibility Judas. What is that to us? The chief priests thought he could hand their guilt over to Judas and now Pilate thinks he could pass it off to the crowd. There is no recognition of guilt which is the first step washing it away. 

The second irony is that Jesus is claiming to be king, but can’t save himself. What kind of a king can’t save himself? But, Matthew wants us to see that if Jesus wanted to, he could have raised one finger, silenced the crowd, broken his chains, and had fire fall from the sky on every Roman soldier. One finger. One word from Jesus is all it would have taken. But, you know what? It wouldn’t have truly accomplished his end goal. His true power is that he went to the cross to save us. His love led him to do the harder, but greater thing. If Jesus had raised that finger or spoken that word, we would not be here right now. Jesus’ power was not to be used in that way at that time. So Pilate, the coward, freed Barabbas and delivered Jesus over to be crucified. 

1. What rightful king can be mocked? 27-31

The soldiers took Jesus to Pilate’s headquarters and the entire battalion was there watching. They stripped him naked and put a scarlet robe on him which is what a king would wear, but they are mocking him. They forced a crown of thorns on his head which caused Jesus to bleed all down his face. Then, they put a staff in his right hand. They kneeled before Jesus mocking him saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then, they stripped him again and led him away to be crucified. No one on earth looked less like a king at this moment than Jesus. 

But, when you go back to Matthew chapter five, what we call the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus is teaching about his kingdom and you have that as your filter to read this passage, Jesus looks like more of a King than ever. Jesus taught to turn the other cheek and that is what he’s doing. Jesus taught that if anyone takes your tunic give him your cloak too. And here he is naked. Jesus taught us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you and here he is loving us by enduring this mocking that we might stand in front of God fully righteous, unable to be mocked. Jesus taught that if anyone asks you to walk a mile, go two and he is about to make that walk to his crucifixion. Jesus taught that we are to be a light on a hill, unable to be hidden and, as he is raised up on that cross, he becomes the shining light of God’s love for us. 

Jesus’ kingdom was never a kingdom to be established by force and maintained by military might. It’s God’s kingdom and it will come about by God’s means. And the means that God chooses are the means of self-sacrificing love. Jesus is not just a king, but the King of kings. He is not just Lord, but the Lord of lords. And he will return one day, just as he told the high priest, Caiaphas, and He will judge the world. 

And his kingship was proven at his resurrection. When Jesus died and came back to life, Pilate's question was answered. Are you the king of the Jews? Yes! So, our question is simple. Will we align every area of our lives around his kingship? The ways we talk to people, the habits we embrace, the things we look at, the ways we use our time and money…all of those things claim that Jesus is either the king of our lives or not. There is no middle ground. The only appropriate responses are worship or derision. How will we respond? Will we be like Pilate and get out when things get tough? Will we be like the Jewish leaders and worry more about maintaining kingship in our own lives? Will we be like the crowd and do whatever the people around us are doing? Will we be like the soldiers and mock Jesus? 

Or, will we kneel to him realizing that he had us in mind 2000 years ago when he chose to go to the cross? Will we see that we are as guilty as Barabbas and that Jesus exchanged his earthly life for our eternal life? Jesus is before us today every bit as much as he was before Pilate. I would say even more so because we know so much more of the story. Will we see that Jesus is the true King we long for? It is only under his kingship, walking in accordance with his kingdom values, that we will find the purpose, joy, hope, love, and satisfaction that we long for. Will we live out the kingdom values taught by Jesus that will grow his kingdom? 

If you study ancient near east kingdoms, you see that a king establishes his kingdom by placing statues of himself as far as the kingdom spans so everyone will know who is king. Well, Jesus does a similar thing. We are his statues. The more we live, by the power of the Holy Spirit inside us, according to his kingdom and not the kingdom of the world, the more we proclaim the True King. Jesus has marked every one of his people and we now have the opportunity through the way we live our lives to proclaim that Jesus is our True King and that we are a part of his kingdom.