The One True King Who Brings True Salvation
A. There is only one king who we are meant to serve
16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers.
17 They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.
18 And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!"
19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.
20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
21 A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.
22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull).
23 Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.
24 And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.
25 It was the third hour when they crucified him.
26 The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS.
1) The king who does not belong to a particular group of people
2) The king who is not a political figure
B. Our salvation
27 They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left. [27]
29 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days,
30 come down from the cross and save yourself!"
31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself!
32 Let this Christ, [32] this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
1) Not a guarantee that we will not suffer
2) Not a guarantee that we will not face anxiety
Summary
The people wanted a king and they expected many things--including salvation--from him. Human beings tend to fixate and depend on things that we think will meet our needs quickly, rather than relying on the one true king who can fulfill our deepest needs. When we are nearsighted and can only see the things that we want or need in our immediate future, we aren't able to fully appreciate the things that we truly need in our lives. Jesus cares about our needs, both great and small. Beyond that, he helps us realize that he is our king--our one true hope and salvation, who gives meaning and purpose to our lives.
For Discussion
1) Why was Jesus' charge, "The King of the Jews"?
2) What has Jesus saved you from?