After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber. — John 18:38-40

This is the ultimate irony. Jewish religious leaders have presented Jesus as guilty of being a King even though they don't believe he is actually a King. Then, the Roman governor interrogates him and finds him innocent of being a King who is mounting any form of insurrection. And just when you thought Pilate wasn't going to play into their hands, he recoils to a Jewish custom. The religious leaders can choose on this day to release one of two men. Either a guilty man, Jesus Barabbas. Or an innocent man, Jesus of Nazareth.

And by their cries, they convict Jesus of being the King of the Jews.

It's the ultimate irony. They sentence an innocent man to a criminal's death. And yet, it's true. He is the King. Sentence and convicted by his own people, the spiritual leaders of Israel.

And yet, the most interesting thing is going to happen in just a few verses. Pilate is going to have an inscription hung above Jesus's head on the Cross.

Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” — John 19:19-22

In every language and every time, King Jesus reigns. There is no government or religious leader that can outmaneuver him. And his reign and rule will always transcend time and circumstance. So worship the King. The Savior and Lord who gave his life for you on a criminal's cross.

ASK THIS:

How does His willingness to endure a criminal's death for our sake inspire gratitude and a desire for a deeper relationship with Him?

How can you respond to His sacrificial love in your own life, both in your relationship with God and in your interactions with others?

DO THIS: Worship the King by playing the song below.

PRAY THIS: Lord, I humbly come before you, grateful for the revelation of Your eternal kingship and sacrificial love. Help me to choose You above all else and to live my life in worship and obedience to Your reign. Amen.

PLAY THIS: Death Was Arrested.