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Are You the King of the Jews – Mark 15
Are You the King of the Jews – Mark 15
Pilate questioned Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" And He *answered him, "It is as you say." (Mark 15:2).
John gives us a more complete account of this conversation. Prior to this question Pilate asked: “Are you the King of the Jews?” To this, Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” (John 18:33-34). It appears that Jesus perceived a difference in word usage here: Pilate asking about a political kingdom but Jesus is speaking of a spiritual kingdom.
Jesus then adds: “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” (John 18:36).
It is at this point that Pilate asks the question: Are you a king?” and Jesus answers “You say”. Lenski remarked that this was “the regular way of affirming the contents of a question.” Hence the various translations: ““You have said so.” (RSV); “You say so.” (NET); “It is as you say.” (NKJV).
The great promise to David was that one of his descendants would sit on his throne ruling over a kingdom that was made without hands (2 Sam. 7:12-15; Daniel 2:44). With the coming of Jesus, came the preaching of the kingdom of God (Mark 3:2; 4:23, Matt. 10:7). The angel announced that to Jesus would be given the throne of David (Luke 1:32).
Such a kingdom required a lot of explaining by Jesus because it was so different than the common expectation of the day; hence, the many parable of the kingdom.
Jesus came to be king (John 18:37). After his ascension, He sat down on the throne. He now reigns and must continue to reign until the last enemy, death, is defeated (1Cor. 15:25-26).
The kingdom belongs to the poor in spirit (Matt. 5:3), and to those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake (Matt. 5:10). People were instructed to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matt. 6:33). They were warned that “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21). He stated that ‘the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matt. 12:28). Thus Jesus would say that his kingdom of NOT OF THIS WORLD (John 18: ). Paul would affirm that “the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).
When people believe and obey the gospel, they are “delivered us from the domain of darkness” and transferred “into the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Col. 1:13).
As Pilate saw Jesus standing there looking so much NOT like a king, no wonder he was perplexed. People still have the wrong concept of Jesus as king and the nature of His kingdom.
Hugh DeLong
