Sunday before Advent (Christ the King). Year B 21st November 2021.
Lectionary Readings: Daniel 7 v9-10, 13-14; Psalm 93; Revelation 1 v4b-8; John 18 v33-37.
Added extras.
John’s version of the encounter between Jesus and Pilate is more detailed than those of Mark, Matthew and Luke. (Mark 15 v1-5; Matthew 27 v11-14; Luke 23 v1-5). Why? What does John want us to understand by his added references to ‘kingdom’ and ‘truth’.
The true identity of Jesus is a major theme of John’s gospel. John’s gospel, the last to be written, was written at the end of the first century. John’s understanding of Jesus and of his relationship with God and the Holy Spirit is a development of the thinking found in the other gospels and in Paul’s writings. In today’s passage, I think that John tries to convey another step in his evolving understanding of Jesus. Only John has Jesus saying “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18 v36).
A foot-note in my Bible says, ‘In the Gospel of John, “world” sometimes refers to the people who live in this world and to the evil forces that control their lives’. So in the context of today’s reading, I assume that John is thinking of an on-going battle between two kingdoms for the allegiance of human beings. Jesus speaks of a realm where God is King and not Caesar.
Note that Jesus says ‘my kingdom’ and not ‘my Father’s kingdom’. John seems to have developed the traditional Jewish understanding of God as King (as in Psalm 93) to suggest that Jesus is now King. I wonder if John had Daniel’s vision in mind when he wrote these verses? (Daniel 7v13,14).
John wants us to understand that Jesus is telling the truth about being ‘born into this world to tell about the truth’, (John 18 v17b) and that Pilate is not really interested in the matters of ‘truth’. John is implying that Pilate was only interested in doing his duty to Rome, by keeping the (Roman) peace and snuffing out any hint of rebellion or talk of a rival to Caesar.
John starts his gospel by telling us that Jesus (The Word) was with God in the beginning, was party to the creation of all that is, and became ‘flesh’ in order to reconcile us with God.
Later in the gospel, Jesus says, when promising the help of the Holy Spirit to his disciples, “I am one with the Father”. (John 14 v20). Jesus goes on tosay, “If anyone loves me, they will obey me. Then my Father will love them, and we will come to them and live in them”. (John 14 v23).
A summary I think of John’s understanding of a disciple’s relationship with God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
The hymn writer, Jarrod Cooper, speaks of our relationship with God in the following words;
(Singing the Faith Hymn no: 331 v1)
King of kings, majesty, God of heaven living in me.
Gentle Saviour, closest Friend, Strong Deliverer, Beginning and End,
all within me falls at your throne.
Your majesty, I can but bow; I lay my all before you now.
In royal robes I don’t deserve, I live to serve your majesty.
Bible quotations are taken from the Contemporary English Version.