While Jesus was a king, He was a different kind of king. He was a spiritual king, which neither the Jewish leadership nor Pilate understood. The Jewish council had accused Jesus of blasphemy because He had claimed to be the Son of God. Ironically, this was the truth.
But blasphemy would not be a reason for a Roman governor to put someone to death. So, the leadership just said that Jesus had claimed to be a king. This was a charge the Romans would investigate.
A Spiritual King
John 18: 33 Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to him. “Are you the king of the Jews?” he asked him.
34 Jesus replied, “Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?”
35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate retorted. “Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?”
36 Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”
37 Pilate said, “So you are a king?”
Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”
38 “What is truth?” Pilate asked.[1]
An Innocent King
Pilate could see that Jesus was no threat to the emperor, yet the Jewish leadership kept accusing Jesus. Matthew 27: 12 But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent. 13 “Don’t you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?” Pilate demanded. 14 But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise. [2]
Just as Jesus remained silent at the earlier trial, He again refused to respond. Nothing He would say would make any difference since the accusers were determined to see Him die. It also fulfilled prophecy. Isaiah 53: 7He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. [3]
Yet, God would turn this evil into good. Only a sinless man could take our place to pay our sin price. Again, this fulfilled prophecy. Isaiah 53: 4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down…5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.[4]
Jesus is our king who loved us so much He was willing to die for us so that we can be restored and spend eternity with Him. To learn how Jesus is a different kind of king, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/a-self-serving-trial
[1-4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.