“Here is your king!” And there he was: Jesus of Nazareth; dressed in a purple robe, a crown of thorns on his head, blood streaking down his face and his back. His body was broken. And Pontius Pilate said, “Here is your king.” Some king is what Pilate meant. He can’t even defend himself.

Of course, it’s easy to say that when the image of Jesus as king is this beat up, broken man. But what if things had been different that day? What if Jesus appeared in all his power and glory? Would Pilate have chosen different words? I wonder if Pilate will remember what he said so long ago when Jesus does return at the end of time.

But what about right now, does Jesus look like a king to you? When you step out into the world and face ridicule, hatred and rejection Jesus probably doesn’t seem very kingly. When you’re plagued with doubts about your faith, about forgiveness, about God and everything, Jesus’ glory seems pretty dim.

The situation is urgent because there appears to be competing truths out there. One says that God and all he has revealed is true. Another says that since we cannot see God or test for God he cannot be true. And caught right in the middle is Jesus. Just who are you Jesus?

And with one foot in God’s world, and another foot in our world, Jesus says to us, “I am your king.”

You are a king, then!

Yes, a king of truth. And in a world where truth is so often in short supply, he's just the king you and I need.