Gospel Passages That Touch on Political Issues VII

Today's text is John 18:33-37. Pilate interviewed Jesus, who had been brought before him by the Jewish religious leaders under a charge of "evildoing" (verse 30). Somehow Pilate got hold of the idea that Jesus claimed to be a king and asked him directly whether he was the King of the Jews. Jesus replied, after an effort to find out Pilate's source for this question, that he has a kingdom but of a different kind than the kingdoms Pilate knows. Jesus' kingdom does not operate according to the rules of this world and its political organizations. In fact, it does not even come from this world. He affirmed that he is a king, but a king quite outside Pilate's experience. He is the king of truth.