“Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?’ Pilate answered, ‘Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate therefore said to Him, ‘Are You a king then?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’ Pilate said to Him, ‘What is truth?’ And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, ‘I find no fault in Him at all.’” John 18:33-38

Jesus was charged and put to death under the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, as being “the King of the Jews.” This was the charge brought by the Jewish leaders, and this was the inscription on His cross. But was Jesus “the King of the Jews”?

Pontius Pilate asked Jesus that very question (v. 33), but Jesus’ answer to being a king and having a kingdom revealed a wholly different type of kingship and kingdom: “Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate therefore said to Him, ‘Are You a king then?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice’” (John 18:36-37).

Jesus’ kingdom is not a worldly kingdom; it is a spiritual kingdom, the kingdom described in Daniel’s interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream regarding the kingdoms of this world being supplanted by a coming heavenly kingdom, recorded in Daniel 2:44: “And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”

The establishment of this kingdom and Jesus’ rule over the subjects of this kingdom will not be by earthly weapons and power. Instead, it will be through the preaching of the truth revealed in God’s Word. Those who are of the truth — who by the grace of God are chosen out of this world — will hear Jesus’ voice and believe the truth (cf. v. 37; John 8:31-32; Eph. 1:3-14; 2 Thess. 2:13-14; 1 John 1:5–2:2). They will believe the Word of God which tells them of their utter sinfulness and guilt before God; and they will believe that through faith in Jesus — who is “the way, the truth, and the life” and the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world — they have forgiveness for all their sins and life everlasting (John 14:6; cf. John 1:29; 1 John 2:2).

The world cannot now see or understand this kingdom or Jesus’ kingship, but those who are born again from above — born not of the flesh but of water and the Spirit, those who trust in Christ Jesus as their Savior and Lord and are baptized in His name, becoming partakers of the new covenant of mercy and forgiveness established through the shedding of Jesus’ holy and precious blood — are a part of this everlasting kingdom and have an eternal inheritance awaiting them in heaven (cf. John 3:3ff.; Gal. 3:26-29; Eph. 2:19-22; 1 Pet. 1:3ff.).

O Dearest Jesus, our Savior and King, grant that we hear and believe the truth, trusting in You for our salvation and submitting to Your rule over us through Your holy Word. Amen.

[Scripture is taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.]

“Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.” Isaiah 53:1-3

Who believes what the Scriptures say of Jesus? Who believes that He is the long-promised Messiah and the Savior of sinful mankind? Writing some 700 years before the birth of Messiah Jesus, Isaiah the prophet spoke of His coming, His sufferings, death, and resurrection, and of His rejection by the people. And these words still hold true today!

Jesus, the arm of the LORD, the promised Messiah and Savior of the world, grew up before the LORD God humbly, “as a tender plant,” and in an unexpected time and place, being born of a virgin named Mary and growing up in Nazareth of Galilee “as a root out of a dry ground.” His form and appearance were nothing unusual so as to draw people to Him or permit them to recognize Him as the Messiah. And, as Jesus carried out His ministry, calling upon all to repent and believe the good news of forgiveness and life in Him, He was despised and rejected.

The religious leaders of Israel hated Him and viewed Him as a threat to their system of worship and sacrifice. The religiously conservative Pharisees hated Him because He pointed out their inner transgressions and failures to keep God’s law by loving Him first and foremost and then also loving their neighbor as themselves. The liberal Sadducees hated Him, for He pointed out their unbelief and rejection of the teaching of the Holy Scriptures. Many of the common people recognized His great power and longed to see His miracles, but still, for the most part, they failed to recognize Him as the holy Son of God, come into this world a true man to save sinners.

And what is different today? Who believes and recognizes that this Jesus is the LORD God Himself in human flesh? Who comes to Him in repentance and trusts that in Him there is forgiveness and life everlasting?

The Jesus of the Bible is a threat to many of the religious leaders of our day, for He did not teach that we can get to heaven by our good deeds, our religious works and church services, by church membership, or by charitable contributions to worthy causes. Jesus still calls upon all to repent of their sinful ways and turn to Him in faith for forgiveness and eternal life!

The Jesus of the Bible is too merciful for many of the religiously conservative, for He associated with the worst of sinners and offered them forgiveness and life through faith in Him. On the other hand, He is too zealous for the truth for the religious liberals of our day, for He taught the absolute truth of Scripture and yielded not a jot or tittle of God’s Word to popular opinion, holding to the Genesis creation, a bodily resurrection, a final judgment, and a literal heaven and hell.

Though Jesus came into this world to take our place under God’s law, to bear our griefs and sorrows, and to suffer and die in our stead, He is still “despised and rejected of men.” We hide our faces from Him and neglect the great salvation He has won for us by His innocent sufferings and death on the cross.

Instead of taking the time to consider Jesus — who He is and what He has done for us — we value Him lightly and neglect the gracious gift of forgiveness and life which God desires to give us through Him. Instead of considering the pain and anguish He suffered for us when He bore the guilt and punishment for our sins, we turn our heads and walk away in apathy and unbelief.

Yes, the inspired words of Isaiah, the prophet, still hold true today, but, more importantly, they reveal to us the truth about who Jesus was and is. They point us to Jesus, the Messiah and Savior rejected by men. They tell us what He suffered in our stead to save us from the punishment we so deserve. They offer to us forgiveness and life through faith in Jesus’ name!

O dear Jesus, forgive me for not recognizing You for who You are and for all that You suffered in my stead that I might look to You in faith and have forgiveness for all my sins and life everlasting with You in heaven. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound Him, and led Him away to Annas first; for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year…” John 18:12-13 (Read John 18:12-24)

After Jesus’ arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was taken to the home of the high priests — first to Annas, who had been the high priest but was deposed by the Romans. Before Annas, Jesus was questioned regarding His disciples and His teaching and then sent to Caiaphas, the current high priest and a son-in-law to Annas.

Before Caiaphas and the Jewish council (Matt. 26:57-68), witnesses were sought against Jesus so that they might have grounds to condemn Him. When they could not even find two or three witnesses whose testimony agreed, Caiaphas placed Jesus under oath, saying, “I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God” (Matt. 26:63).

Jesus answered, “Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven” (Matt. 26:64; cf. Mark 14:62; Dan. 7:13-14). The high priest then tore his clothes and said Jesus had committed blasphemy because He was claiming to be the Messiah and God Himself. The Jewish Council said Jesus was guilty of death and then mocked and abused Him.

In the morning, because it was not legitimate for them to conduct a trial and convict a person at night, the Jewish Council met again, this time to officially try Jesus and find Him guilty of death (Matt. 27:1; Luke 22:66-71). Again, Jesus was asked if He was the Christ, the Son of God. When Jesus told them that He was, they found Him guilty and led Him off to Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor, to attain the death penalty for Jesus since they, themselves, were not permitted by the Romans to put any man to death (cf. John 18:31).

Why did the Jewish rulers so hate Jesus, and why was He condemned for telling and teaching the truth about Himself and the sinful world in which He lived? Because the truth hurt — it revealed their sinfulness and the shortcomings of their religious system!

Who wants to hear that they are sinners who need to repent? Who wants to hear that good works, sacrifices, and observances of certain religious rites won’t make them right with God or save them? Who wants to hear that apart from saving faith in Jesus, God’s own Son, and His blood, shed upon the cross for the sins of the world, there is no forgiveness, no salvation, no true religion, and no hope?

Even today, religious leaders and religious people don’t like to hear these things, but they are true! If you hold to your own righteousness and your own religious works, you will join in condemning the Jesus of the Bible. If you believe the truth and acknowledge that it was because of your sins that Jesus died, if you trust in Christ Jesus, God’s own dear Son, as your Savior, you will have life in His name!

Dear Jesus, Son of God and our Savior, grant that we not reject and condemn You for speaking the truth about our sins or about You and Your redemptive work. Through the Scriptures, reveal to us our utter sinfulness before God and graciously grant us faith to trust in You and Your blood shed for us upon the cross. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:5-6

O dearest Jesus, what law hast Thou broken

1 O dearest Jesus, what law hast Thou broken
That such sharp sentence should on Thee be spoken?
Of what great crime hast Thou to make confession—
What dark transgression?

2 They crown Thy head with thorns, they smite, they scourge Thee;
With cruel mockings to the cross they urge Thee;
They give Thee gall to drink, they still decry Thee;
They crucify Thee.

3 Whence come these sorrows, whence this mortal anguish?
It is my sins for which Thou, Lord, must languish;
Yea, all the wrath, the woe, Thou dost inherit,
This I do merit.

4 What punishment so strange is suffered yonder!
The Shepherd dies for sheep that loved to wander;
The Master pays the debt His servants owe Him,
Who would not know Him.

5 The sinless Son of God must die in sadness;
The sinful child of man may live in gladness;
Man forfeited his life and is acquitted—
God is committed.

6 There was no spot in me by sin untainted;
Sick with sin’s poison, all my heart had fainted;
My heavy guilt to hell had well-nigh brought me,
Such woe it wrought me.

7 O wondrous love, whose depth no heart hath sounded,
That brought Thee here, by foes and thieves surrounded!
All worldly pleasures, heedless, I was trying
While Thou wert dying.

8 O mighty King, no time can dim Thy glory!
How shall I spread abroad Thy wondrous story?
How shall I find some worthy gifts to proffer?
What dare I offer?

9 For vainly doth our human wisdom ponder—
Thy woes, Thy mercy, still transcend our wonder.
Oh, how should I do aught that could delight Thee!
Can I requite Thee?

10 Yet unrequited, Lord, I would not leave Thee;
I will renounce whate’er doth vex or grieve Thee
And quench with thoughts of Thee and prayers most lowly
All fires unholy.

11 But since my strength will nevermore suffice me
To crucify desires that still entice me,
To all good deeds, O let Thy Spirit win me
And reign within me!

12 I’ll think upon Thy mercy without ceasing,
That earth’s vain joys to me no more be pleasing;
To do Thy will shall be my sole endeavor
Henceforth forever.

13 Whate’er of earthly good this life may grant me,
I’ll risk for Thee; no shame, no cross, shall daunt me.
I shall not fear what man can do to harm me
Nor death alarm me.

14 But worthless is my sacrifice, I own it;
Yet, Lord, for love’s sake, Thou wilt not disown it;
Thou wilt accept my gift in Thy great meekness
Nor shame my weakness.

15 And when, dear Lord, before Thy throne in heaven
To me the crown of joy at last is given,
Where sweetest hymns Thy saints forever raise Thee,
I, too, shall praise Thee.

Title: O Dearest Jesus
German Title: Herzliebster Jesu
Author: J. Heermann, 1585-1647
Translator: C. Winkworth, 1827-78 (alt.)

“Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon Him, went forth…” John 18:4 Read John 18:1-11

Jesus, after He had taught and comforted His disciples and then prayed for them, went forth over the Brook Cedron to the Garden of Gethsemane where He prayed to His Father in agony over the cup of suffering for the sins of the world which He was about to bear, saying: “Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done” (Luke 22:42; cf. 22:39ff.).

Judas knew the place because Jesus often went there with His disciples, so Judas came, bringing with him a band of soldiers and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, with lanterns and torches and weapons, to arrest Jesus. What did Jesus do? He knew what would happen to Him. He knew He would be arrested, tried, mistreated, and crucified. Yet the Scriptures tell us: “Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon Him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?” (v. 4).

And when they told Him that they were seeking Jesus of Nazareth, He did not hide His identity, but said, “I am He” (v. 5). [Literally, Jesus said, “I am.” Cf. Ex. 3:13-14] When Jesus said this, they drew back and fell to the ground (v. 6). When Jesus again asked them who they were seeking, He told them that He was the one they were looking for and asked them to let His disciples go.

When Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant, Jesus said to Peter: “Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it?” (v. 11). Luke tells us that Jesus touched this man’s ear and healed him (22:51). Matthew tells us that Jesus also said: “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He shall presently give Me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?” (26:53-54).

The point we should undoubtedly see here is that Jesus willingly obeyed the Father and went the way to the cross to redeem us. Jesus went forth to meet those who sought to arrest Him. Though His enemies and their soldiers had no power over the almighty Son of God and fell backward to the ground at His presence, He permitted them to take Him.

Though Peter was ready to fight for Jesus, Jesus told Peter to put away his sword, telling him that He could call for more than 12 legions of angels, but to do so would not fulfill the Scriptures, which told of the Messiah’s sufferings and death for the sins of the world and also of His glorious resurrection (cf. Isaiah 53 & Psalm 22).

Jesus Christ, “being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:6-8; cf. Heb. 2:14-17).

Why? That He might redeem you and me! That He might suffer and die for our sins and win for us forgiveness and life everlasting so that we might look to Him in faith and be pardoned and reconciled to God! It is as the Scriptures say, “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them…For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:19, 21).

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, we thank You for willingly going forth to suffer and die for our sins and redeem us unto God. Graciously grant us faith to trust in You for forgiveness, life, and eternal salvation. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth”
by Paul Gerhardt, 1607-1676

1. A Lamb goes uncomplaining forth,
The guilt of all men bearing;
And laden with the sins of earth,
None else the burden sharing!
Goes patient on, grow weak and faint,
To slaughter led without complaint,
That spotless life to offer;
Bears shame and stripes, and wounds and death,
Anguish and mockery, and saith,
“Willing all this I suffer.”

2. This Lamb is Christ, the soul’s great Friend,
The Lamb of God, our Savior;
Him God the Father chose to send
To gain for us His favor.
“Go forth, My Son,” the Father saith,
“And free men from the fear of death,
From guilt and condemnation.
The wrath and stripes are hard to bear,
But by Thy Passion men shall share
The fruit of Thy salvation.”

3. “Yea, Father, yea, most willingly
I’ll bear what Thou commandest;
My will conforms to Thy decree,
I do what Thou demandest.”
O wondrous Love, what hast Thou done!
The Father offers up His Son!
The Son, content, descendeth!
O Love, how strong Thou art to save!
Thou beddest Him within the grave
Whose word the mountains rendeth.

4. From morn till eve my theme shall be
Thy mercy’s wondrous measure;
To sacrifice myself for Thee
Shall be my aim and pleasure.
My stream of life shall ever be
A current flowing ceaselessly,
Thy constant praise outpouring.
I’ll treasure in my memory,
O Lord, all Thou hast done for me,
Thy gracious love adoring.

5. Of death I am no more afraid,
New life from Thee is flowing;
Thy cross affords me cooling shade
When noonday’s sun is glowing.
When by my grief I am opprest,
On Thee my weary soul shall rest
Serenely as on pillows.
Thou art my Anchor when by woe
My bark is driven to and fro
On trouble’s surging billows.

6. And when Thy glory I shall see
And taste Thy kingdom’s pleasure,
Thy blood my royal robe shall be,
My joy beyond all measure.
When I appear before Thy throne,
Thy righteousness shall be my crown,-
With these I need not hide me.
And there, in garments richly wrought
As Thine own bride, I shall be brought
To stand in joy beside Thee.

The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #142
Text: Is. 53: 7
Author: Paul Gerhardt, 1648, cento
Translated by: composite
Titled: Ein Laemmlein geht
Tune: An Wasserfluessen Babylon
1st Published in: “Deutsch Kirchenamt”
Town: Strassburg, 1525

“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” John 17:20-21 (Read John 17:20-26)

Not only did Jesus pray for His disciples who traveled with Him and heard His words and doctrine. On the eve of His sufferings and death, He prayed for those who would (in the days and years following Christ’s death and resurrection) come to believe in Him through the word of these first believers and disciples — the word recorded for us in the pages of the Bible.

Jesus prayed that those who would yet come to believe in Him through the preaching and teaching of God’s Word would also be one in the Father and the Son, and, so also, one with each other.

John also speaks of this in his first epistle when he writes: “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3).

Through the hearing of God’s Word, the Holy Spirit graciously calls God’s elect to faith in God the Son as Savior and Redeemer and grants to them the forgiveness that Christ won for all upon the cross, thus bringing them into fellowship with God the Father, with Christ Jesus His Son, and with all other believers of all time who trust in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation.

Jesus even gives to them to partake of the glory that He received from the Father so that those who trust in Jesus are changed into His image and carry on the work that Jesus started by suffering and dying for the sins of the world (cf. 2 Cor. 3:18; 5:15-17; Rom. 8:29; Eph. 4:11-16, 20-24; Mat. 28:16-20; Acts 1:8). In fact, the closer we walk with our Lord Jesus by continuing in His Word and holding fast to Him by faith, the closer and more perfect in one we become with Christ and all others who trust in Him.

Many seek unity among Christians and churches without regard for the doctrine of God’s Word. True unity, on the other hand, is given to us as we hear and believe all that God’s Word teaches!

Jesus prayed that all whom the Father has given Him may one day be with Him in heaven and behold Jesus’ glory which the Father has given Him, for the Father loved the Son even before the creation of the world. Thus, Jesus prays for our eternal salvation and glorification with Him in heaven.

The apostle John writes in his first epistle: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

Jesus concluded His prayer with some remarkable words to consider: “O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee: but I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent Me. And I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:25-26).

The world of humanity has not known God the Father. Contrary to what many think and even though people may speak of God and use His name, they do not know God (cf. Rom. 3:10ff.). But Jesus knows God the Father, and His disciples know that Jesus was sent into the world by the Father to be our Savior. Jesus has and continues to declare the Father’s name among us so that we too might know Him and His great love for us, which is ours in His Son, Christ Jesus!

Dear Lord Jesus, keep us trusting in You and Your cross for the forgiveness of our sins and draw us ever closer to You so that we may be one with You, the Father, and with all who trust in Your holy name. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]