TO HIM BE GLORY AND POWER FOR EVER AND EVER

XXXIV SUNDAY - CHRIST THE KING - John 18:33-37

In a short time, Jesus went through two trials. Before the Sanhedrin, Jesus is accused of blasphemy for pretending to be the Son of God (Mt 26:63). Then, before Pilate, he was accused of pretending to be the King of the Jews. In both the religious and the political trials, Jesus is condemned for presenting himself as the Messiah.

According to Jewish expectations, the Messiah should be a Prophet, a Priest and a King. He should play a religious and a political role. Through him, people should find salvation and liberation. The Messiah was expected to establish the kingdom of God, bringing in a time of peace. However, the elite class considered Jesus an impostor that was putting the whole nation in danger. To them, the only way to avoid that danger was to get rid of him. Thus, before Caiaphas, he was condemned as a false prophet who deserved to die. Then, they took him to Pilate, the Roman governor, for him to sentence Jesus to death for the crime of high treason.

In the Roman courts, the accused should be questioned and had the right to defend himself. In this Sunday’s gospel, John presents the dialogue that took place between Pilate and Jesus. Without delay, Pilate went straight to the point: “Are you the kings of the Jews?” The question sounds laughable. What kind of claims did he have to be a king? A carpenter from Nazareth, who had become a travelling preacher, surrounded by a small group of unarmed people would not present any kind of threat to the Roman army or even to the Jewish authorities. And, with a great deal of freedom, Jesus hinted at that, when he answered: “Do you ask this of your own accord, or have others spoken to you about me?” Pilate distances himself from the Jewish quarrels or even from Jewish culture and traditions. He is not a Jew. Again, Pilate speaks in a straightforward manner: Your people brought you here. “What have you done?” And Jesus gave a clear answer. Indeed, he is king, but his kingdom is not of this world. He has no army or personal guard. He does not live in a palace surrounded by the noble, the rich and the powerful. He has no claim to any territory and he does not demand taxes from people to sustain his empire. Jesus is very clear: “My kingdom is not of this kind.” He is not a threat to Caesar, to Pilate himself or any kind of ruler in this world. But he is King and he comes to establish the Kingdom of God. The searchers of truth come to him since he bears witness to the truth. It is with them that he is going to set up the Kingdom of God, where there will be justice, freedom and peace. “All who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.”

Jesus Christ is “the faithful witness, the First-Born from the dead, the Ruler of the kings of the earth. He loves us and has washed away our sins with his blood, and made us a line of kings, priests to serve his God and Father; to him, then, be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.” (Rev 1:5-6)