Sunday, November 25, 2018 I preached at Wilmore Anglican Church from John 18. This is what I shared.
33 Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ As I sat with this scripture, I recognized myself in Pilate. This passage begins with Pilate entering the headquarters and summoning Jesus. He asks Him: “Are you the King of the Jews?”
I know this is a play on words, but what struck me as I listened was that Pilate entered the headquarters. I, too, approach Jesus from my “head” quarters. We live mostly In our heads, don’t we? We relate from our own reasoning, according to our own complex, fiercely defended perceptions. Pilate summoned Jesus from there. And because of the humility of Jesus, He came. Understand Jesus was in complete control of the situation. The King of Heaven, Whose throne was established from of old, allowed Himself to be summoned by an unbelieving government official. The temporary summoning the eternal, the least summoning the greatest, what kind of King is this? His humility undoes me.
I wonder how much I do the same. From my head quarters, I have a problem I can’t figure out. My reasoning, my intellect falling short, I summon Jesus to come and fix it. True intimacy with God will grow respect, awe and humility that One so great, would stoop so low. If it doesn’t, we might need to pause and consider why not. Let’s not be cavalier with our relationship with God. He is so kind and humble and He overlooks for love thousands of offense, but let’s not take that for granted or presume upon His grace. He is the King of all and the created does not summon the Uncreated. Let’s ask, invite, welcome, but we dare not summon. Noticing the nuances of our heart is important.
But, Jesus didn’t look like much of a king that day. He certainly didn’t match Pilates idea of a king. Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king?” meaning an earthly king; a king by his definition.
34 Jesus answered, ‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’ We all have a complex structure of habits, attitudes, and perceptions; patterns of reaction and responses to the world we have built over time called the false self that imprisons and limits us. Pilate operating from behind his false self was confronted by Jesus. I love this about Jesus: When you are face to face with Jesus, He is present to you regardless of the circumstances. He had been captured and was on His way to a grueling death, and yet He saw Pilate. He loved Pilate. I believe Pilate had His full attention. He wanted to know Pilate and for Pilate to know Him. He is ever searching for the lost. That’s beautiful to me. Very kingly. He didn’t get off mission once. In other words, Jesus was asking, “Where are you, Pilate? What do you believe about Me? Is there an authentic desire to know Who I am or just vain curiosity spawned by second-hand sources?” He was calling to Pilate. My mentor used to say: “Be a first hander with God, Jo.” Don’t have a second-hand relationship. Jesus wants the same. He wants a personal, first-hand relationship with Pilate and with us.
35 Pilate replied, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?’ Notice how Pilate deflected the question. “I am not a Jew am I?” Your own nation and chief priests (your kingdom and rulers) have betrayed you, they have handed you over to me. You don’t have rule of your own kingdom! What have you done? How have you lost control? (Do you hear the confusion coming from his “head” quarters?)
It’s easier to say what you’re not than to consider what you are when challenged. And it’s easier to put the focus back on Jesus than to allow Him to penetrate our false self. (I know this by personal experience. I’m pretty good at deflection!) Jesus was lovingly, challenging Pilate to consider his own heart. Pilate was not ready to be probed perhaps. He deflected and his lack of self awareness, hindered his opportunity for God awareness. There is a connection, you know, between self awareness and God awareness.
Have you had days like that with Jesus, when He didn’t look like much of a king? I have. I’ve in essence asked Jesus the same thing at times. “Are You the King?” or “Aren’t You the King?” Implying that if He is really a King, why didn’t He answer my prayer? Or why did He allow such a hurtful thing to happen to me? Why haven’t you (fill in the blank) if you’re the King?
In 2005 Joel and I were to adopt a little boy. He was half Native American and half African American. We wanted him so. He was to be born the end of July. Just before his due date, I was taking a group of 30 people to the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, for a week of specialized training. It was a big deal for us and had taken a lot of planning, coordination and work to put it together. I was excited about it, but even more so, from there, I was traveling to Tulsa, OK to be with the birth mom for delivery. We had the nursery ready, the clothes bought, everything was set. I couldn’t wait. The day before we were to leave for the trip, I got a call that he had been stillborn. I was devastated. “What! How could this be? Where was the King?” I felt like I had to lead the trip and follow through with all that we had planned for the group. So the next morning, per schedule, I got in my truck, loaded with bags and people and headed to Kansas City in a caravan. I was numb. It’s a blessing to lead a praying community, but when suffering comes, how much more so. I know I was carried on the prayers of everyone there. The next morning in Kansas City, I got up early and went to the prayer room. It was the first time I was really able to even face what had just happened. As I stood in the atmosphere of prayer and worship created by our bothers and sisters there, I asked the basic question Pilate asked, but it came out more like: “Why did you let this happen? Aren’t you the King? You could have made him live, what’s going on?”
I immediately “heard” in my spirit these words: “Jo, I wanted him to be wanted. I chose your heart to want him with Me. I wanted him to be wanted.”
36 Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ As Jesus answered Pilate, I felt He answered me. He says, “My kingdom is not from here.” I do things you know not of.
My expectations were confronted that day. Not that they were wrong or bad, they just weren’t what the King wanted to do in my heart, dare I say, wanted to give me that day. He was doing something of His heart and Kingdom and it superseded mine. There is a Kingdom behind, beyond, uncreated and unending that operates on higher principles and truths that although fully functioning and working does not manifest as we would like or think it should. His Kingdom is not my idea of a kingdom. He is not mans idea of a king. I sensed Him saying, “It’s a different Kingdom, Jo. You must trust Me as I trusted My Father.”
We always have a choice. Will we yield to Him, His ways, His Kingdom or hold onto our own? Beloved, we must quit trying to make His Kingdom fit our definition of what a kingdom looks like or what a king should be. Until we let go of wanting it to fit our understanding, we won’t be able to receive His Kingdom or Kingship as it is. Be reminded: We are of a different Kingdom-not one forcefully taken or defended. His Kingdom needs no defense. Truth will triumph. He is King.
All the sudden, that day, I realized “I’m in a different Kingdom.” There was a monumental clash somewhere deep within me, as I realized there is something much bigger going on here, than I know; a Kingdom at work much beyond the kingdom in my own little headquarters. I received His heart that day for the unborn. I yielded my own wants to His. I think He wanted to share it with me. He chose to allow me to suffer the loss, to gain the love. In a truly remarkable way, I felt blessed that day. That makes no sense from the head quarters, but it’s true. That the King of the world wants the unborn so badly, He puts desire for one of them, in a clueless woman’s heart, so He can reveal His love for ALL of them to her and through her. He’s an amazing King.
Well, I went to Tulsa after the training week. And instead of getting to hold our little boy, I found myself at a cemetery office ordering and purchasing his marker. I went to his unmarked grave and wept. And a few months later, I went back and marked him before God and all lesser powers, for all time. His marker reads:
Josiah David
WANTED AND LOVED SON
of
Joel and Jo McKenzie
And I shouted it to earth and heaven that day with great faith in the heart of our King for all the unborn. I have learned intercession means so much more than I originally imagined. In His Kingdom, this “not from here Kingdom,” our heartaches can become our gifts to a hurting world. In surrender, He gifted me with His heart of desire for the unborn. His huge heart of wanting them to be wanted, of loving them regardless of the means of their conception, the reality of their earthly rejection, or the brevity of their life. They matter to Him! He gave that to me. I can say with conviction to each one of you, He wants you. No matter your background, no matter your circumstances, no matter your history, the heart of our King says “I want you. I desire you. I love you.” I proclaim over all the unborn babies not given the light of day, no matter the reason – the King of Glory wants you. So much so that He searches for those of His kingdom who will stand in the gap and in the face of temporary suffering embrace the eternal celebration awaiting in the Kingdom of God when He comes in His victory.
I’ll take that Kingdom! I think we see in this passage, His desire for the unborn Pilate. He wants him too. His heart for the unborn is His heart for the unborn again. How He desires more children! That’s our KING!
What hardship have you suffered? What are you enduring now? What might God be birthing in you? Can we see Jesus, King of glory at work now bringing His Kingdom, His heart, His will to earth as in heaven in us?
37 Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’ What strikes me here, after Pilate again asks, “So you are a King?” is this: “For this I was born.”
Jesus was born to be King! He came into the world to be King of heaven and earth. He was born to bring His already true, established, unchangeable, non-contestable Kingship to earth. He was born to save the world from a would-be king whose way is force, deception, oppression, torture and abuse of power. The prince of the power of the air is not king although he wants people to think so. No Ruler, Dictator, Prime Minister, Chief or President is king. I am not king and neither are you. No kingdom will stand against His Kingdom. Revelation 11 tells us that at the seventh trumpet blast “the kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah, and He will reign forever and ever.” We have a King, a glorious King. A King Whose Kingdom is secure and will manifest in righteousness in the world. His True followers hear His voice and follow His lead. We will not fight as the world fights. We will not rant and rave, scream and defend as the world does. We will surrender and lay down our lives and let the truth of His Kingship be revealed to us, that it might be released through us.
We need to be reminded that our God and Savior is King. THE KING over and above all lesser kings. Let the world hear, Christ, The King! Christ, The King! Christ, The King! The One Who has conquered all sin, all evil, all wickedness, all iniquities, even our last enemy death, by the laying down of His life, the complete shedding of His blood, and by the sinless self giving of Himself in love is King. He took the way of surrender, obedience, humility. He embraced pain, loss, betrayal, injustice and seeming defeat to do so, but make no mistake; be not deceived, this Suffering Servant, our Sacrificial Lamb has conquered, and due to His unsearchable patience and not wanting anyone to perish, He has restrained His hand but He is coming again and will bring to earth the full manifestation of His Kingship. Every eye will see Him. Every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess Him. Jesus King of kings and Lord of lords! I don’t know about You but that thrills me! Pay attention, beloved, our King is coming soon!
Amen.