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It Is As You Say - Mark 15
It Is As You Say - Mark 15
As Jesus stood before Pilate, Pilate questioned him: “Are you the King of the Jews?” (Mark 15:2). Imagine if you can, Jesus – beaten, spit upon, a crown of thorns on his head, rumpled clothes and used sandals. Are YOU a king? We would probably ask the same question!
The king was an established idea in Jewish teaching. God himself had chosen and appointed the kings. Especially He had appointed David and promised that one of his descendants would be the eternal king and would rule not just the Jewish people but the nations. This was the proclamation concerning Jesus, that God the Father would give unto him the throne of David (Luke 1:32). He was believed to be the promised son of David and thus the King over Israel.
Did Jesus ever claim to be such? YES, in this very passage. “It is as you say”. (NASB, NKJV, NLV)
Such idiomatic statements are often difficult to translate. Look at these: “Thou sayest” (ASV), “You have said so” (NIV); “That’s what you say” (CSB). The Expanded Bible reads: “Jesus answered, “Those are your words [It is as you say; You say so, an indirect affirmation]. God’s Word Translation reads: “Yes, I am,” Jesus answered him.”
In John 18:37, the NASB95 reads: “Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."
Such affirmation that He is king, [here: “it is as you say”], was understood and repeated in other passages of the New Testament.
Matt. 2:2; this was the understanding of the wise men at His birth
Matt. 21:5 – the proclamation of the people in His triumphant entry in to Jerusalem
Matt 27:37 – while denied by the people, Pilate put such a title on the cross (Mark 15:26)
Luke 23:2 - The Jewish leaders affirmed that Jesus had indeed claimed that ‘He Himself is Christ, a King’ (see also John 19:21).
John 1:49 - Nathanel said to Him: “Rabbi, Yo are the son of God; You are the King of Israel”
Paul wrote that we are ‘in the kingdom of God’s dear son’ (Col. 1:13).
John said that we were made a kingdom of priests and thus ‘unto Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever’(Rev. 1:6, 5:10).
The book of Revelation states plainly that He is ‘the ruler of the kings of the earth’ (1:5), and ‘king of kings, and lord of lords’ (Rev. 17:14).
The greatest question after reading all of this is simply what do YOU say? Is he YOUR King?
Hugh
