Christ The King

A.W. Tozer once said,

What comes into your mind when you think about God

is the most important thing about you.

The way you think about God, the image that you have in your mind,

will shape the way you make decisions,

determine your values,

will impact your interactions with others and the choices that you make.

What comes into your mind when you think about God

is the most important thing about you.

I'm reminded of a story of a mum who had twin boys.

They were five, six years old.

She was cooking some pancakes and they were arguing quite fiercely who was going to have the first one.

So she came up with an idea and she said,

What do you think Jesus would do in this situation?

She said, I reckon that Jesus, if he were right here right now,

would say,

You can go first.

You can have the first pancake.

I can wait.

Suddenly all went quiet between these two boys.

Until one eventually piped up.

Ryan,

you can be Jesus.

We have this idea in our minds that being a king is all about,

you know, you wield the power.

You're in charge.

You know, that game, king for the day.

What would you do with all that power?

If that's the first thing that comes into our head

when we think of God as king,

well, through the lens of Jesus,

we need to rethink that image.

And over these next few minutes,

there's so, so much we could pull out of this conversation.

But as we think of Jesus

before Pilate,

or is it Pilate before Jesus?

And we think of the exchanges that go between them.

And by the way,

it's fascinatingly ironic, isn't it?

How it's a religious leader

who,

because of his religiosity,

refuses to go into a Gentile home

because it's the Passover.

Because if he does so,

he wouldn't have time to undergo

all the processes of purification

that religion would tell him he would have to do.

But Jesus is sent into that place.

The very one who actually would save us all.

Who goes right into the palace

of Pilate

and is on trial.

And as this conversation takes place,

as it plays out,

as I say,

there are so many things

that we could draw attention to.

But I want to focus on just one,

just one thing

that Jesus says to Pilate,

which I would suggest to you

perhaps offers us

one of the most profound things

about the kingship of Jesus.

And it's when

Pilate says

to Jesus,

are you the king

of the Jews?

And Jesus asked,

is that your own idea?

Or did others talk to you

about me?

Is that your idea?

It homes in

on the personal.

This is close up and personal.

You see,

when we think of a king,

we probably think of somebody

who has power

over vast numbers of people.

Jesus has power

over everything.

But in this conversation,

he brings it

right up and personal.

Close up and personal.

Is that your own idea?

I want you to try

and think yourself

into Pilate's position there

and imagine

that Jesus says that

in response to you.

Is this your idea?

What do you think?

What have you got to say?

It's just you and me.

I don't know about you,

but in my own experience,

I find that when

the power of the gospel

message really lands,

when I've found

things about it

that have really

kind of pushed me

forward in my faith

and made me do things

I never thought

actually of a dream

possible,

it's been when

that penny has dropped.

But God actually

just might be

interested in me.

Me?

Me?

Now,

I'm reluctant to cite

my own experience

as an example

because there's the danger

that it could

detract away

from what I really

want to be the emphasis

this morning

because it's about

you,

not me.

You and me

because it's every

single one of us.

Is that your own idea,

Jesus asked,

or did others

talk to you

about me?

The fact is

is that

those few words

reveal something

so vital

about how the

kingship of Jesus

needs to be properly

understood.

That he is not a

detached king

that is only known

by the masses,

but he's the king

that wants you

to know him

and you to know

that you are known

by him.

And when

we look at

these words

that Jesus

says to Pilate,

it opens up

something that we

see of a pattern

in the

many conversations

that we see

happen in the

Gospels

between Jesus

and individuals.

When suddenly

it gets very

close up

and personal,

time and time

and time again

we find this.

Think of when

Jesus is at

Caesarea Philippi

with his

disciples

and they're

talking,

there's rumours

going around

about who

is Jesus.

And Jesus

says,

well, who are

people saying

that I am?

And the

disciples say,

well, some say

you're a prophet,

some say

that you're

John the Baptist,

some say

you're Elijah,

come back.

But Jesus

then homes

right up again.

Yeah, but what

about you?

Who do you

say?

I am.

When I think

of the story

of when

Jesus heals

a blind man

and asks

a question

that seems

almost insultingly

obvious to ask,

but Jesus

says to him

before he

heals him,

what do

you want

me to do

for you?

or when

there are

5,000 people

gathered

and they're

hungry

and the

disciples

are exhausted

and Jesus

turns to

his disciples

with 5,000

others there

and says,

you

give them

something to

eat.

I can't

help feeling

this is

something of

a recurring

pattern in

the stories

of Jesus

that Jesus

speaks to

somebody and

they're kind

of thinking

you're

serious,

you're talking

to me.

I think

of the

woman who

had been

hemorrhaging

for 12

years

and there's

loads of

people

crowding

around

Jesus

and everyone's

trying to

get up

close to

him,

everyone

wants a

piece of

the action,

she feels

that she's

not worthy

to approach

him so she

approaches him

from behind

with this

sense in her

head,

if only I

can just

touch the

hem of

his garment

I shall

be healed.

She does

precisely

that.

Then

immediately

Jesus

turns around

and says

who touched

me?

And then

looks her

in the eye

and says

go,

your faith

has made

you well.

This

theme

repeats

itself over

and over

and over

and over

and over.

Jesus

is the

king

who is

interested

in

you.

God

is the

king.

But of

course

when we

think of

a king

we can't

help but

think of

large numbers

of people

because that's

what a king

is,

they're

appointed

over

large numbers.

So what

about then

the theme

of large

numbers?

And let's

be honest,

it does

occur in

the Gospels.

And here's

a really

fascinating thing

which often

gets overlooked

and we

need to

understand

properly

that even

when in

the Gospels

large numbers

of people

are mentioned

there's

something very

specific about

the way in

which they

are mentioned.

It was

back in

the 1970s

that a

Korean

professor of

theology

called

An Byung

Moo,

he lived

from 1922

to 1996,

An Byung

Moo

noticed a

pattern

in the

Gospels

and out

of it

he developed

something that

came to be

known as

Minyung

theology.

Minyung in

Korean means

people.

But it's all

to do with

the reoccurrence

of a particular

word that

happens in

the Gospels.

And the

Greek New

Testament word

is oklos

which is

translated into

people or

crowd.

But the

pattern that

we noticed

was that

this term

which is

recurring

oklos

meaning the

people

occurs in

such a way

that it would

seem that

these people

are not

just some

anonymous

herd of

people.

They're not

just the

backdrop.

They're the

very focus

of Jesus'

ministry.

Mark

Mark 7 · chapter mention

chapter 7

chapter 8

and chapter 5

we're told

Jesus teaches

the oklos

the people.

Mark

Mark 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6

Jesus has

mercy on

the oklos

the people.

Chapters 1

and 6

Jesus heals

the sick

among the

oklos

the people.

Chapter 8

Jesus feeds

the oklos

the people.

Chapter 3

Jesus preaches

to the oklos

from the boat

the people.

We're told

in chapter 4

that Jesus

proclaims

to the oklos

the people

the kingdom

of God

in parables

and then in

Matthew chapter 5

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

the Sermon on the

Mount is addressed

to, there's that

word again

oklos

to the people.

Jesus

in chapter 8

calls people

together with

his disciples

and then

we're told

when Jesus

sits

and describes

the oklos

the people

he describes

them as

his true

family

and say

that they

are

his mother

and his

brothers

and his

sisters.

In other words

that word

because it

occurs

and reoccurs

and reoccurs

the people

it means

that when

we come

across

large numbers

in the

gospels

they're not

there just

to denote

some kind

of anonymous

nameless

backdrop

that's

subordinate

to the more

important

characters

that assume

centre stage

no the very

opposite

this is the

very focus

of Jesus'

ministry

such that

when Jesus

does come

into conversation

with an

individual

that which

is implicit

when he is

talking to

the crowds

becomes

explicit

and that's

what's going

on here

as he comes

face to face

with Pilate

because it's

the message

that he would

say to

absolutely

every single

person

throughout

history

you're

included

in this

you need

to know

the king

who speaks

to the

individual

close up

and personal

and he's

as interested

in you

as he is

anybody

else

you're not

just a

number

you're not

just a

category

Jesus loved

and died

for you

as though

you were

the only

person in

the world

you're not

but it's

as though

you were

now

we need

to understand

this properly

because don't

think for one

moment

that this is

just a load

of cosy

stuff

because the

king who

comes up

close and

personal

it doesn't

always follow

that what

he's going

to have to

say to us

are going

to be the

words that

we're going

to want to

hear

because

elsewhere in

this passage

where he's

speaking with

Pilate

he says

my kingdom

is not

of this

world

he says

the reason

I was

born

and came

into the

world

is to

testify

to the

truth

you see

when we

hear the

truth

sometimes

that can

be profoundly

challenging

and the

things that

he may

want to

say to

us

that are

close up

and personal

may not

always be

the things

that we

particularly

want him

to say

to us

you see

God loves

you so

much that

he will

meet you

where you

are

literally

where you

are

but he

loves you

so much

that he

cares enough

about you

not to

leave you

where you

are

and that

may involve

some tough

talking at

times

and again

we see

this in

the gospels

we see

it when

Zacchaeus

the corrupt

tax collector

who have

swindled

people out

of more

than they

were meant

to be

taken

and Jesus

looks up

at him

again

once to

one

says

you

I'm

coming

to your

house

this

day

or that

amazing

conversation

between

Jesus

and the

Samaritan

woman

again

Jewish

Lord

prohibited

from having

that

conversation

but there

he goes

up to

her

by the

well

he'd never

met her

before

and yet

says to

her

you

have

had

five

husbands

already

and the

man you

are now

living

with

is not

your

husband

or the

rich

young

ruler

who

comes

to

Jesus

saying

what

must I

do

to

inherit

internal

life

and he

goes through

the law

all the

different

things

that he's

done

and

he seems

like he's

lived a

pretty good

life

but Jesus

knowing that

he is

rich

says to

him

there's

one more

thing

you can

do

let go

of all

of your

riches

and follow

me

sometimes

those words

of truth

when truth

can be so

powerfully

unsettling

when truth

meets the

patterns of

this world

with which

we are

familiar

they shake

its very

foundations

and it

should not

surprise us

that Jesus

was crucified

because truth

and love

entered everything

else that we

accept as

versions of

the truth

but which

are not

the voice

of the king

can become

so deeply

challenging

because when

love and

truth that

belong together

land in our

own lives

in that way

that are

close up

and personal

we will be

shaken

we will

be disturbed

the big

thing is

you're not

just a

number

you're not

a category

he wants

to speak

to you

as much

as anybody

else

and as we

draw this

to a close

now as we

come to pray

together

I'm going to

ask perhaps

if the music

team would

like to

resume

I'm going

to read

to you

a piece

as we

come to

pray

and it's

a piece

that you

may have

come across

before

it was

written a few

years ago

now and

it's called

the father's

love letter

somebody

took

went through

scripture

and

picked out

many verses

of scripture

and put

them together

to read

one piece

of communication

and when we

read them

together like

this we

get the

pattern

of what

God is

saying to

us

in the

life of

Jesus

now there

is the

danger

when we

talk in

this kind

of way

that things

can collapse

into sloppy

sentimentalism

that would

be true

if we

took leave

of scripture

scripture

but the

words I'm

about to

read to

you

every single

one of

these

phrases

sentences

is either

a direct

quotation

from scripture

or it's

directly derived

from scripture

and in

between each

of the

sentences

there's a

reference to

where it

comes from

I'm not

going to

read those

out

but I'm

going to

place copies

of what I'm

about to

read out

there and

you can

take one

and take

one home

afterwards

well as I

read these

words

you might

find it

helpful to

close your

eyes or

to keep

them open

but hear

these words

as not

just to

somebody

else

but to

you

from the

King

our

Father

my

child

you may

not know

me

but I

know

everything

about

you

I

know

when

you

sit

down

and

when

you

rise

up

I'm

familiar

with all

your

ways

even

the

very

hairs

on

your

head

are

numbered

for

you

were

made

in

my

image

in

me

you

live

and

move

and

have

your

being

for

you

are

my

offspring

I

knew

you

even

before

you

were

conceived

I

chose

you

when

I

planned

creation

you

were

not

a

mistake

for

all

the

days

are

written

in

my

book

I

determine

the

exact

time

of

your

birth

and

where

you

would

live

you

are

fearfully

and

wonderfully

made

I

knit

you

together

in

your

mother's

womb

and

brought

you

forth

on

the

day

you

were

born

I

have

been

misrepresented

by

those

who

don't

know

me

I

am

not

distant

and

angry

but

am

the

complete

expression

of

love

and

it

is

my

desire

to

lavish

my

love

on

you

because

you

are

my

child

and I

am

your

father

I

offer

you

more

than

your

earthly

father

ever

could

for

I

am

the

perfect

father

every

good

gift

that

you

receive

comes

from

my

hand

for

I

am

your

provider

and I

meet

all

your

needs

my

plan

for

your

future

has

always

been

filled

with

hope

because

I

love

you

with

an

everlasting

love

my

thoughts

towards

you

are

countless

as

the

sand

on the

seashore

and I

rejoice

over you

with singing

I will

never stop

doing good

to you

for you

are my

treasured

possession

I desire

to establish

you with

all my

heart

and all

my soul

and I

want to

show you

great

and marvellous

things

if you

seek me

with all

your heart

you will

find me

delight in

me and

I will

give you

the desires

of your

heart

for

for it

is

I

who

gave

you

those

desires

I

am

able

to

do

more

for

you

than

you

could

possibly

imagine

for I

am your

greatest

encourager

I'm

also the

father

who

comforts

you

in all

your

troubles

when you

are

broken

hearted

I

am

close

to

you

as

a

shepherd

carries

a

lamb

I

have

carried

you

close

to

my

heart

one

day

I

will

wipe

away

every

tear

from

your

eyes

and

I'll

take

away

all

the

pain

you

have

ever

suffered

on

this

earth

I'm

your

father

and

I

love

you

easier

than

as

I

love

my

son

Jesus

for

in

Jesus

my

son

for

you

is

revealed

he

is

the

exact

representation

of

my

being

he

came

to

demonstrate

that

I

am

for

you

not

against

you

and

to

tell

you

that

I

am

not

counting

your

sins

Jesus

died

so

that

you

and

I

could

be

reconciled

his

death

was

the

ultimate

expression

of

my

love

for

you

I

gave

up

everything

I

loved

that

I

may

gain

your

love

if

you

receive

the

gift

of

my

son

Jesus

you

receive

me

and

nothing

will

ever

separate

you

from

my

love

again

come

home

and

I'll

throw

the

biggest

party

heaven

has

ever

seen

I

have

always

been

your

father

and

will

always

be

your

my

question

is

will

you

be

my

child

I

am

waiting

for

you

love

your

dad

almighty

God

Lord

thank

you

thank

you

that though

you are

the

Lord

of

the

whole

universe

the

author

of

creation

and

salvation

you're

close up

and

personal

help

us

to

know

that

rule

in our

hearts

as that

king

as the

perfect

king

now

and

always

amen