Suffered under Pontius Pilate

Mark 15:2-15
Gerrit Buddingh’ | Sunday, September 12, 2021
Copyright © 2021, Gerrit Buddingh’

Last week, Rev. Broderick preached on rejecting Jesus in favor of a bad alternative—the issue being, “Why on earth would you do that?” Today I am preaching on a closely related topic: “Suffered under Pontius Pilate,” or “Rejecting Jesus, the King of Kings.”

The phrase “suffered under Pontius Pilate” is a familiar one. We know it from the Apostles’ Creed. It points to the historicity of the Christian faith, for our God is a God of providence, which means he ordains whatsoever comes to pass in history. Thus, history matters, which is why the name of the Roman prefect governing the small Roman province of Judea from AD 26 to 36 is part of our foundational confession.

The creed also states that Jesus is uniquely the Son of God, for he was incarnated, he was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a human being, namely, the virgin Mary. Both are historical events. He then lived a completely moral and upright life on earth in order to appear as the innocent Lamb of God before Pilate in court, with the purpose of being condemned to death on behalf of all his people. This is also a historical event.

Our text takes us one step closer to Jesus’ death on the cross of Calvary. He has already been arrested and tried by his enemies among the Jewish religious authorities. The justices of the Sanhedrin sentence Jesus as worthy of death because of his alleged blasphemy. But having no authority to execute anyone, they now turn Jesus over to the Roman governor for a secular trial with the goal of having Jesus executed by the Romans.

This is where the narrative of today’s text begins. We should keep in mind that, from God’s point of view, Jesus is being tried and crucified not for anything Jesus had done wrong, but on behalf of his elect people in order to atone for their sins. We should always keep in mind that his death means our salvation. Unless his blood had been shed, we would each have to perish horribly and eternally for our sins.

But Jesus is now risen from the dead and seated on the throne of heaven at God the Father’s right hand, from whence he will come as the King of kings and Lord of lords. He will come to judge all humanity, separating his redeemed people from the rest of condemned humanity.

So why does the Apostles’ Creed name only Pilate? Why didn’t its authors say, “betrayed by Judas Iscariot” or, “denied by Simon Peter and the other apostles,” or, “condemned by Caiaphas, the high priest and the Jewish Sanhedrin,” or, “rejected by all the Jewish people”? Instead, it says, “suffered under Pontius Pilate.”

Again, why should this backwater, petty Roman governor be elevated to such importance? The simple reason is that Pilate is the presiding judge of the court that formally condemns Jesus to death. In that role, Pilate functions not merely as a local prefect of Rome, but also as the public image of the man who representing all humanity has gone down in history as the one who tried Jesus, three times declared him innocent, and yet crucified the Lord and King of the universe. Pilate represents all people who reject Jesus as King and Lord.

Now, as we look at what Pilate and others in Jerusalem did to Jesus on that day, we should ask ourselves: “Have I too rejected Jesus as my King?” If so, may God grant you repentance unto life and grace to submit to Jesus as your Lord, to submit to him this day. For to refuse him as your Sovereign only reveals and magnifies the sin and depravity of your own soul and the justice of your condemnation by King Jesus on the last day.

So we will examine, first, “What Is a King?”; second, “The King Rejected by the Religious Leaders”; third, “The King Rejected by Pilate”; fourth, “The King Rejected by the People.” And in doing so, I want you to ask yourself what have you done with King Jesus? For everyone in our text rejects him as Messiah, as King, as Savior, and as Lord. Make sure that this is not true of you.

1. What Is a King?

We each have some degree of familiarity with the modern monarchies of Europe: the queen of England and the kings of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands. But they are not the kind of king the Bible is speaking about. They are constitutional monarchies whose wings of power have been greatly clipped. They are largely ceremonial heads of state.

The Bible, however, is talking about the old-fashioned kings who rule their realm with absolute authority. A modern dictator is closer to that idea. Now, it goes without saying that every kingdom must have a king. And biblically speaking, the king is automatically the overlord, the suzerain, a ruler having absolute power over the people of his realm.

Not counting the words like “a” and “and” and “the,” the most common word in the Bible by far is the word “lord.” And the sixth most common word is the word “king.” Keep in mind that neither word exists in any meaningful way in a modern democracy, or in a socialist society, or in a republic, perhaps except for the word “landlord,” which references someone who owns and rents land to others, and the phrase “my lord,” which is how barristers in the United Kingdom address the judges in their courtrooms. And the word “lord” is also used for peers of the realm, whether they are actually members of the House of Lords or not. They are lords in name only. Essentially, it is a courtesy title, for even the Beatles are lords, as well as Elton John.

Not so in the Bible. In a biblical kingdom, kings are liege kings, men to whom their subjects pledge and swear their allegiance and submission and are committed fully to their service. Thus, “Jesus is Lord,” as stated in Romans 10:9, 1 Corinthians 12:3, and Philippians 2:11 is a statement and pledge of total allegiance and submission to Jesus Christ’s person and governance as your king with complete control over your life. So Jesus is the great King over his realm, and he governs it as its absolute sovereign Lord. Altogether mighty and altogether glorious, he tolerates no rivals.

If a king is evil and corrupt, such as Satan, his kingdom will be evil and corrupt. But if the king is altogether wise, holy, righteous, good, just, honorable, truthful, merciful, and kind, his kingdom will be a kingdom of peace and joy.  This certainly describes the kingdom of God.

Ultimately, there are only two kingdoms: the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of Satan. And we belong to one or the other. There is no third kingdom. Every kingdom has a territory over which the king as the lord of all exercises his authority. The king by right owns all and disperses titles, lands, and privileges as he sees fit. This is why the Scriptures declare in Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”

You cannot just come and go across the border of Christ’s kingdom. Citizenship in Christ’s kingdom is not a right but a privilege, and is the result of God the Father’s choice, Jesus’ purchase, and the Holy Spirit’s irresistible invitation. Christ the King has undertaken the obligation to provide and care for and protect all his citizens. Thus, the benefits and privileges of God’s kingdom are accessible only to those he acknowledges. He provides salvation from sin and Satan, a new identity, and a new citizenship in his kingdom, abundant grace, and a new heart to live a new life for his glory. In this way, God’s people’s obedience and welfare and character are a reflection of himself as their King.

Every citizen of the kingdom owes his king and lord his total allegiance. So either Jesus is your king and lord, or Satan is. For the Christian, Jesus Christ is his Lord, the one to whom he is pledged complete allegiance and total submission. Thus, the Christian is wholly committed to Christ’s service, and his service only. This is why Jesus said the priority of each of his kingdom people is to seek first his kingdom rule in their lives and that they must live in a way that pleases him, seeking his righteousness (Matt. 6:33).

Furthermore, King Jesus governs his subjects according to a royal covenant, also called a suzerainty treaty, that he unilaterally drew up. This royal covenant contains a code of ethics handed down by Jesus as our King, namely the Ten Commandments, which spell out the standards and rules of acceptable conduct and lifestyles that he as our King expects of us, that he expects us to obey once we are admitted into his kingdom. These laws cannot be changed by us, nor are they subject to cultural change or popular referendum by the people or by debate. Simply put, the word of King Jesus is the law of his kingdom. Rebellion against this law is a rebellion against Jesus as Lord.

And he enforces his covenant stipulations through a set of covenant sanctions, both blessings and curses. Covenant blessings are the rights, privileges, and benefits King Jesus lavishes on his faithful subjects. In Jeremiah 11:4–5 the Lord says, “‘Obey me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God. Then I will fulfill the oath I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey’—the land you possess today.”

Then there are the covenant sanctions, disciplines, for disloyalty and violations of Christ’s covenant stipulations. These are backed up, of course, by the power and might of God himself. Jeremiah 11:3, 7–8 the Lord says, “Cursed is the man who does not obey the terms of this covenant. . . . From the time I brought your forefathers up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again, saying, ‘Obey me.’ But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.”

So Jesus is not just a paper Lord or King. He is the Supreme Overlord and King, which raises the question: Is he your Lord? Is he your King? Or do you want nothing to do with his ruling over your life?

2. Jesus Rejected by the Religious Leaders

For centuries, the Jewish people had awaited the coming of the promised Messiah. We learn from the gospel writings of Matthew and Luke that the Jewish religious authorities, when asked by the wise men from the East, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?” chose to ignore Jesus, while King Herod tried to kill him as a threat to Herod’s throne, power, and dynasty. None of them wanted anything to do with this promised King, even though Jesus was a direct descendant of King David and otherwise fits all the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah.

Thirty years later, a new set of Jewish high priests and religious leaders adopt Herod’s view for themselves. They see Jesus as a threat to their position and power. From the start of Jesus’ public ministry, they reject him as their Messianic king and plot to kill him.

Now the intrigue thickens. It is time for the Passover feast. Since the Passover recalls the time when God raised up Moses to be Israel’s great deliverer from slavery in Egypt, it is naturally a time of great patriotic and Messianic anticipation on the part of the Jewish population. Could their Messianic king be among them at this very moment?

In the language of verse 1 of our text, it is suggested that the events of this day begin very early in the morning, certainly around sunrise. The chief priests and the antagonists to Jesus have pulled an all-nighter in their legally improper conspiracy to do away with Jesus as a false, Messianic pretender. In the early dawn, they hold a hastily called hearing of the Sanhedrin for just one purpose: to add a sense of legitimacy to the illegal decision they have made during the night.

The accusations that they were making against Jesus were without factual or legal support. Surprisingly, Jesus did not respond to these false claims made against him. He made no defense of himself. The prophet Isaiah, writing in Isaiah 53:7, prophesied this about the Messiah when he said that the Messiah would be “oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth” in his own defense, that he would be brought “like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is [dumb and quiet],” so he would not open his mouth. Twice in Isaiah 53 the prophet prophesies that Messiah would remain mum.

At daybreak, the chief priests and those of the Sanhedrin present conclude their show trial, and the high priest presses Jesus on whether he claims to be the Christ, the Messiah, the Chosen One by God to redeem his people Israel, the Son of the Blessed One. He is paraphrasing Isaiah 42:1 and 61:1–3. And Jesus confesses to the truth of their accusations and cleverly says, “I am, . . . and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:62–64). This is clearly a claim to deity.

The high priest goes apoplectic at Jesus’ audacious assertion, tears his clothes, and declares, “Why do we need any more witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy! What is your verdict?” “Guilty!” In the minds of these religious leaders, who are acting as judges in this matter, this proves that Jesus is a blasphemer. Either you accept him as King, or you reject him as King and Lord. And they unanimously condemn Jesus as deserving death.

But they had a slight problem. The nation of Israel was at that time under the Roman domination. While Jewish leaders were allowed a great deal of freedom to try cases and pronounce sentences, they were not allowed to hand down and carry out the death sentence. That right belonged to the Roman governor alone. So having rejected Jesus’ kingship and deity, they bind Jesus and lead him away for a secular trial before Pilate.

These Jewish authorities know, however, that Pilate will never intervene in ruling on a religious matter such as blasphemy. So they change the charges against Jesus to treason. They now make Jesus out to be a king. Luke 23:2 says, “And they began to accuse him, saying, ‘We found this fellow perverting our nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king’” (KJV).

These cunningly wicked leaders knew that this would get Pilate’s attention and help them to accomplish their malicious agenda in seeing Jesus crucified. While claiming to uphold the Bible, these religious leaders reject its teaching about Jesus. They want a secular king who will overthrow the Roman rule and make them number one in the world. And they want no part of this suffering servant of Isaiah 53. They want no part of Jesus as king.

They have a good thing going. They hold power over the people. They are making vast amounts of money through the buying and selling that goes on at the temple. They are powerful. They believe that they are right with God based on who they are and how they are living. They believe their religion as they interpret it, and they believe that is enough. They think they can save themselves. They do not buy this total depravity as applied to themselves. They like election but wrongly assume they are among the elect. They like the current sacrificial system because they can profit financially from it. They also like it because, while knowing they don’t perfectly keep the moral law, they view the animal sacrifices as their ticket out of jail, a way to be right with God without repentance or obedient faith.

Biblical Christianity, on the other hand, is always based on faith in Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ alone. Religion seeks to approach God on the basis of what man can do. Biblical Christianity seeks to approach God on the basis of what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. (GJB) And there is a vast difference between the two.

The Bible is crystal clear on this issue. No one is saved by works, not even religious works (Eph. 2:8–9; Rom. 3:20). It is also crystal clear that salvation is based on faith in Christ alone and on what he accomplished on the cross (John 1:12; 3:15–16, 36; 6:40 and many other verses).

But the religious leaders reject Jesus. And about them, Jesus had said this in Luke 19:11–14:

While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’ But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’”

So, then, have you believed in and embraced the gospel message of Christ’s death and resurrection? Are you trusting in Jesus Christ alone for your soul’s salvation? Have you received him as Lord of your life? Or are you rejecting him as Lord and King?

3. The King Rejected by Pilate

We see that the whole Jewish council rose and led Jesus away to Pilate. They began accusing him, saying, “We found this man subverting this nation,” meaning sedition. “He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar,” which would be rebellion, “and claims to be a Messiah,” a king. They had only found Jesus guilty of blasphemy, but they changed the charge to make it a crime against Rome. For they know that no Roman governor could or would tolerate any competition to Caesar or to Roman control.

Pilate immediately asks Jesus about the charge: “Are you the king of the Jews?” Pilate is saying, in essence, “I am getting some impression by the charges being brought against you and from the scuttlebutt around Jerusalem that you are some kind of king. Now, I am sure you know we Romans take a dim view of self-appointed kings operating within our jurisdiction. We are zealous to uphold the rights of Caesar as the overlord. So do you really claim to be king of the Jews?”

And the answer Jesus gives to Pilate is somewhat different than the one he gave to the Jewish leaders. Then he told them simply, “I am,” a clear claim to deity that made them crazy with anger. Now, when Pilate asks Jesus if he is the king of the Jews, Jesus responds by saying, “You said so.” It is a serious issue. Any king who is not recognized by Caesar would provoke a serious political crisis and should be killed. This is why King Herod tried to kill Jesus as an infant, and Pilate has a similar concern to protect his own office. And the Jewish authorities accusing Jesus know that. Before going deeper into this meeting between Jesus and Pilate, let’s consider for a moment who Pilate is, this man who will condemn the Lord of glory.

Little is known about his early life and career before his appointment as the governor of Palestine. But secular sources say that he was a Spaniard who had a military career. He married the granddaughter of Caesar Augustus, which is probably how he secured his appointment as procurator of Palestine, in which capacity he will serve for about eleven years.

Ancient historical accounts of his life paint him as being incompetent, anti-Semitic, heavy-handed, and cruel. He will later be sacked and banished by the emperor Caligula. After being disposed as governor, Pilate will be exiled to northern Europe, where tradition says that he commits suicide. When he loses his power, his position, and his pride, he has nothing more to live for, all because he would not own Jesus as King.

Let’s then look a little closer at Pilate’s encounter with Jesus. Verse 3 tells us that the Sanhedrin makes all sorts of accusations against Jesus. Jesus again does not answer them. He refuses to defend himself against their lies and behaves again just as Isaiah said.

In Luke 23:15, we learn that Pilate is convinced of Jesus’ innocence. But while Pilate thinks Jesus is not guilty of the charge of being a political king, he cannot make the tough call. He tries to hand Jesus off to King Herod on jurisdictional grounds. Herod questions Jesus, and Jesus refuses to answer. Herod, in frustration, sends Jesus back to Pilate.

John tells us that Pilate then takes Jesus into his palace, into the chambers, if you will, to question him privately, outside of the hearing of the Jewish prosecutors. And in this setting, Jesus answers Pilate’s questions, basically telling Pilate, “Governor, it is true that I am a king. But my kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my subjects would rise up right now and free me from this mob. But that is not the kind of king I am. In other words, neither Caesar nor you have anything to fear from me presently in terms of your political power. My kingdom is different.”

But Pilate does not pursue what kind of king Jesus is. Politically cornered, he caves to the Jews’ demands and orders Jesus taken away to be crucified. He ignores what he knows to be true. He ignores the clear warning from his wife. He ignores the fact that the Jews are clearly lying and just want Jesus dead for their own purposes. He ignores the truth because he fears losing his position as governor. He is more concerned with keeping the Jews happy than he is in exonerating an innocent man. Thus, he finds that Jesus is an earthly king, and has that charge mockingly placed on the titulus above Jesus’ head on the cross. Pilate selfishly places his position, his prosperity, his pride, and his person before his soul. Pilate might have been saved, but he simply had too much pride to bow down to Jesus as king and trust him for salvation. He rejects Jesus because self has no room for Jesus as its king.

And I am afraid there are many people like Pilate in our world today, perhaps some here this morning, who are like that. True, no one sitting here possesses the position or the power that Pilate enjoyed. But each of us is confronted with the truth of who Jesus Christ is, that he is both Savior and Lord. You know that Jesus claims to be the only way to heaven (John 14:6). You know the truth. But perhaps you are too proud or too cowardly to commit your life to following Jesus because of what it may cost you.

Don’t be like those who hang on to their sins and continue living their empty lives even though doing so will bring tragic consequences eternally. All who reject Jesus do so because they refuse him as Savior, as Lord, as King—the King who will tell them how they should then live.

Some reject Jesus because they are afraid of what others might say of them. Some reject Jesus because they love their sin more than they love the truth. At the end of the day, all who reject Jesus do so essentially for the same reasons Pilate rejected him. They reject him because deep down, they hate God, and God’s sovereignty and rule over them. They reject Jesus because they are rebellious toward who he is as King. They reject him because the cost of following him is too high.

It takes humility and courage to come under the kingship of Jesus. It takes humility to admit that you are a sinner. It takes courage to admit that you are helpless to save yourself. It takes humility to admit that you need the Lord Jesus Christ to govern your life. It takes humility to bow before him and call on him for salvation. It takes humility to be identified with Jesus as your Lord. It takes humility to stand with Jesus against the world and live for him. It takes humility to be different in a world that demands everyone live the same way. And it takes great courage to live for God in a world controlled by the devil.

There are plenty of folks who claim to love Jesus, but they are just like Pilate. They live to please themselves. They are self-centered and self-indulgent. They are people who will walk away from the truth and drop off into a Christless eternity. In Matthew 7:21–23, Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness!’”

In other words, it is not enough to say, “Jesus is Lord,” if he is not your Lord. To such people Jesus is saying, “Go to hell, if you will not have me actually rule over you as your Lord and King.”

4. The People Reject Jesus as King

The crowd gathered outside the Praetorium, where this trial takes place, clearly do not want Jesus as king. They choose Barabbas.  Jesus is not the kind of Messianic king they are looking for. He would govern their moral lives and deal their sin as God, and they do not want that. Barabbas, on the other hand, is more like what they think a Messiah should be—an insurrectionist against the secular government that they hate.

In their unbelief, they reject Jesus because there is no room for him as God the King. Many in our world are just like the crowd, which shouts, “Crucify! Crucify!” They choose the world over having Jesus as Lord.

But the majority is not always right. Here the majority rejects Jesus. The majority condemns Jesus to death. The majority stands against Jesus. And then the majority is wrong. The majority in our day still opposes Jesus. Only an elect remnant submits and comes under his rule.

The world as a whole rejects Jesus as Lord through sheer unbelief. The world ignores the word of God. It ignores God’s free offer of salvation. It ignores the changed lives of godly Christians. The lost multitude chooses its sin over God’s salvation. The lost multitude chooses hell over heaven. It is this refusal to trust and obey King Jesus that condemns the lost sinner.

But just because the vast majority refuses to come to Jesus does not mean that you have to tag along with them. You can go against the crowd. You can receive Jesus as the King of kings and Lord of lords, as your Savior, and submit to him as your Lord and be saved, if you have the courage and faith to be different.

The title “King of kings” is applied to God the Father in 1 Timothy 6:15 and twice to Jesus in Revelation 17:14 and 19:16. The phrase “Lord of lords” is used by itself in the Scripture twice referring to God the Father (Deut. 10:17; Ps. 136:3). But in Revelation 19:16, it is Jesus who is given the full title: “King of kings and Lord of lords.” And Revelation 17:14 switches it to be “Lord of lords and King of kings.” The title indicates someone who has absolute power to exercise absolute dominion over all his realm. In Mark 13:26 Jesus says he will return to earth and “at that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.”

So when Jesus is called King of kings and Lord of lords, it means in the end that all other rulers will be conquered and abolished, and that he alone will reign supreme over all creation for all eternity.

In Isaiah 40:23–24 we are told that the Lord brings princes to nothing and reduces earth’s rulers to nothing. The mere breath of the Lord will sweep them away like stubble. Daniel’s vision of the Son of Man in Daniel 7:13–14 is of one who is called “the Ancient of Days,” whose everlasting dominion is over all people, all nations, and all languages. The writer of Hebrews speaks of the Lord Jesus: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word” (Heb. 1:3). The next verse speaks of Jesus being much superior to all the angels. Clearly, his rule over all creation is absolute.

Paul makes the point that Jesus was humbled in his earthly ministry, and that his humiliation will result in his exaltation (Phil. 2:5–11). Paul discusses the extent to which Jesus went to atone for sinners, for their salvation. Jesus’ perfect obedience is the reason that God saves his people. And the Father then highly exalts him and bestows on him a name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee would bow, willingly or not willingly, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess Jesus as Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Finally, in the book of Revelation, we see the kingship of Jesus made fully manifest. In chapter 11, we hear the voices in heaven proclaiming that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of the Christ, and that he will reign forever and ever. In Revelation 17:12, 14, the Lamb conquers all those who rage against him. And John stresses that Christ conquers because he is the King of kings and Lord of lords. Finally, in Revelation 19:11–16, we read of Jesus’ triumphant coming to strike the nations and tread the winepress of the wrath of God, having the authority to do so exactly because he is King of kings and Lord of lords.

Fundamentally, this idea of Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords means there is no higher authority. He reigns over all things with absolute, unchallenged authority and power. God raised him from the dead and placed him over all things, “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And [God] put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all” (Eph. 1:21–23, ESV).

Again, in Revelation 17:14 we read, “They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is the Lord of lords and King of kings—and those with him are called, chosen, and faithful.” We see that promise again in Revelation 19:16: “On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of kings and Lord of lords.” And in Deuteronomy 10:17 we read, “For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.”

In summary, Jesus and Jesus alone is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is the Lord God Almighty. John 1:9–14 reads, “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own [the Jews], but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only [Son], who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Conclusion

In conclusion, I ask: Will you come and willingly bow your knee to Jesus as Lord and King, declaring your submission and loyalty to him? Don’t reject him. He has sent me as his herald this morning to invite you to come. And it is in your self-interest to accept his call and enlist in his service and march under his flag. So I exhort you, come today while he calls. Come, and be saved.