“Art thou the King of the Jews?” (John 18:33–38)

“Art thou the King of the Jews?” (18:33–38)

All three of the gospel writers record the question asking Jesus if He was King of the Jews. Pilate, the Roman governor, would surely be interested in the claims of any king. At Passover, Messianic hopes were always present, and a Jewish pretender could easily incite the people to riot or rebel against Rome. No doubt Pilate felt himself on safe ground when he questioned Christ’s kingship.

But he was not prepared for His answer. "Thou sayest" that is to say, 'It is as you say' (Matt. 27:11). But Jesus asked him a question of His own. "Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?" (John 18:34). Jesus was asking this man if he was saying this on his own, or did others tell him to say this about Jesus What was our Lord really asking? What sort of king are you talking about? King of the Romans, or king of the Jews? A king who is political or a king who is spiritual? Jesus was not dodging the question but was forcing Pilate to clarify it. It was not Jesus on trial after all! It was Pilate!

If Pilate had a Roman king in mind, then Jesus could be a rebel. If the governor was thinking of a Jewish kind of king, political matters might be put aside. It is striking that Pilate called Jesus “king” at least four times during his trial and even used the title for the placard he hung on the cross (John 18:39; 19:3, 14–15, 19).

Pilate's reply to Jesus—“Am I a Jew?”—shows what the Romans thought of the Jews. Of course, his tone carried a certain note of scorn and sarcasm. Jesus wasn’t in prison because Pilate had arrested Him, but because He had been arrested by His own nation’s leaders! And where there's smoke there must be fire. So Pilate was asking what have You done?

And Jesus graciously agreed to explain Himself and His kingdom. Yes, He acknowledged that He is a king, but His kingdom (reign) does not come from the authority of this world. The Jews were under Roman rule, and Pilate was under the authority of the emperor. But Jesus’ authority came from God. His kingdom is spiritual, in the hearts of His followers, and He does not depend on worldly or fleshly means to promote His cause. If His kingdom were of this world, then His followers would have assembled an army and fought to release Him.

Jesus did not say that He had no kingdom in this world or that He would never reign on earth. He does have a kingdom in this world, wherever there are people who have trusted Him and submitted to His sovereignty. He will come back one day and set up a kingdom of righteousness on earth (Daniel 7:13-28). Pilate’s concern was the source of this kingdom. From where did Jesus derive His authority?

Jesus told us who He is and what kind of kingdom He had (John 18:37). Pilate probably did not grasp the significance of these profound words, but we can see some of the meaning Jesus had in mind. He was "born," which points to His humanity, but He “came into the world," which points to His deity. The fact that Jesus came “into the world” means that He had existed before His birth at Bethlehem, and this is an important and repeated truth in John’s gospel (John 1:9–10; 3:17, 19; 9:39; 10:36; 12:46; 16:28; 17:18).

Jesus didn't just tell Pilate of His origin; He told him of His ministry, to bear witness to the truth. He had a kingdom spiritually of truth and won people to His cause, not by force but by conviction and persuasion. He spoke the truth of God’s Word, and all who were His people would respond to His call (cf. John 8:47; 10:27). Rome’s weapon was the sword, but our Lord’s weapon was the truth of God, the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17).

Pilate’s attitude when he asked his now-celebrated question, "What is truth?" is unclear. It is uncertain whether Pilate was jesting or joking. Perhaps he was serious. For centuries, Roman and Greek philosophers had talked and argued about this very question and had reached no settled conclusions. As he asked the question, Pilate may have been sneering or sighing; we do not know, so it would be unwise to pass judgment.

At least he had the courage to stand up and render his verdict in the face of the crowd: “I find no fault in Him at all.” But he did not receive the answer he wanted, for the chief priests and elders only began to accuse Jesus all the more (see Matt. 27:12–14)! Jesus did not answer His accusers (1 Peter 2:21–23). Pilate was amazed by His silence. Could not this King defend Himself? If He didn't speak, how could anyone get any evidence? Pilate was in a quandary.

But the chief priests and elders had solved his problem when they said that Jesus had stirred up the people even in Galilee (Luke 23:5). Galilee! Herod was responsible for that, so why not send the prisoner to him? He was in Jerusalem for the feast too. Between John 18:38 and 39, you have the events as recorded in Luke 23:6–12. Pilate's move didn't solve his problem. Herod sent Jesus back! The only result was that the breach between the two rulers was healed. Pilate still had to deal with Jesus and the Jews.​