WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:09.200 I want you to think of a time that you had to tell the truth. You had no choice. 00:00:10.939 --> 00:00:20.080 Think about the consequences of telling that truth. And I guess sometimes it's nothing 00:00:20.079 --> 00:00:29.939 short of a nuclear fallout in your life. Maybe it was a work-based issue. Maybe a domestic 00:00:29.939 --> 00:00:36.239 situation, something like you have put your loved one's favourite jumper in the tumble 00:00:36.239 --> 00:00:47.379 dryer on the wrong setting, and now it only fits the dog. Maybe it was your most beautiful 00:00:47.380 --> 00:00:56.340 white starched cotton shirt that just happened to get put in with that red sock. Whatever 00:00:56.340 --> 00:01:04.620 that was, whatever that was, you know what the consequences were. It's confession time. 00:01:05.820 --> 00:01:12.900 It's about telling the truth. From the King James Version in 1 John 1.8, it says, 00:01:12.900 --> 00:01:21.880 if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. The truth, and that's 00:01:21.880 --> 00:01:28.219 what we're talking about this morning in this morning's reading. It's about the truth. Isn't 00:01:28.219 --> 00:01:33.180 it interesting how in this reading that they'd already come, and they decided what they wanted 00:01:33.180 --> 00:01:39.620 to happen to Jesus. They were just handing it over to the Romans as a form of convenience. 00:01:39.620 --> 00:01:46.100 We can't do it, but you can, but we've already decided. Where is the truth? 00:01:48.040 --> 00:01:56.320 In the film Liar, Liar, Jim Carrey, if you remember, if you've seen the film, plays a lawyer. He's not 00:01:56.320 --> 00:02:04.780 really that used to telling the truth, and his son is desperate that he should. So his son makes a wish, 00:02:04.780 --> 00:02:15.500 and his son's wish is granted to stop his father lying for a whole day, to tell the truth, and nothing 00:02:15.500 --> 00:02:23.060 but the truth. Truth is at the heart of our reading this morning, and very apt as we prepare ourselves. 00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:29.680 Why does this reading come? Because we're about to enter into Advent. Pilate asks, what is the truth? 00:02:29.680 --> 00:02:38.400 I recall a police colleague telling me once that his seven-year-old son answered the front door, 00:02:38.920 --> 00:02:45.760 and there was a man, a neighbor, who said, can I speak to your dad, please? Whereupon the seven-year-old 00:02:45.760 --> 00:02:55.520 spun round, shouted down the hallway, dad, it's that man you hate. There is no reversing, is there? The truth 00:02:55.520 --> 00:03:04.740 is the truth. No hiding when we need to tell it. Today, the church worldwide celebrates this festival of Christ 00:03:04.740 --> 00:03:12.379 the King. Christ the King of our life. In our reading this morning, let's picture this encounter between Jesus 00:03:12.379 --> 00:03:22.879 and Pilate. Jesus, our King and Saviour, standing, facing Pilate in this organized encounter. 00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:32.820 Then I guess Pilate really doesn't want to be there. Pilate, like many leaders, think they're powerful. 00:03:33.219 --> 00:03:39.939 This Roman governor, who perhaps hadn't found the best career advancement by being shipped to this 00:03:39.939 --> 00:03:47.900 backwater of the Roman Empire to actually oversee or subdue a religious-based regime. Why does this 00:03:47.900 --> 00:03:54.760 reading come today? Because Advent is so important. If we're not getting prepared for the welcoming Jesus 00:03:54.759 --> 00:04:01.179 into our lives, this is about telling the truth. In amongst us, we put up the Christmas decorations, 00:04:01.179 --> 00:04:09.780 as we get ready, we get ready in our own hearts as well. As we get this huge opportunity to talk to 00:04:09.780 --> 00:04:18.240 people about Jesus, because that's what it's all about. Perhaps it focuses on the reason why he came, 00:04:18.240 --> 00:04:26.960 which is the truth. I am the way, the truth, and the life, says the Lord. There is something about 00:04:26.960 --> 00:04:35.460 dangerous, unselfish actions that appeal to us. We all love a hero. We all applaud heroic actions. 00:04:35.920 --> 00:04:44.199 Here we have it. Jesus standing there, risking everything to be brave, to stand for the truth. 00:04:44.199 --> 00:04:50.579 Where do we stand when we need to speak truth into situations? 00:04:52.259 --> 00:05:02.620 Here we have Pilate asks him, are you the king of the Jews? Knowing that Pilate has been well briefed, 00:05:02.839 --> 00:05:10.019 Jesus doing the natural rabbinic thing, which you have to do within that setting, you have to respond 00:05:10.019 --> 00:05:17.099 with another question. So Jesus naturally comes back. Is that your own idea? Or did some others 00:05:17.099 --> 00:05:26.039 talk to you about me? Am I a Jew? Replies Pilate. This is a great play on verbal ping pong, isn't it? 00:05:26.620 --> 00:05:33.979 Backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards, finding, digging, getting to the truth. It was your people 00:05:33.980 --> 00:05:42.879 and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it that you have done? Pilate is desperate 00:05:42.879 --> 00:05:50.240 to get the truth of this situation. Not what he's been told. He wants it from the person who stood 00:05:50.240 --> 00:05:58.500 in front of him. Jesus knows that the cross is looming, that this is a conversation not to save his life, 00:05:58.500 --> 00:06:07.420 but to give it away in order that we can have it. Life in all its fullness. Life everlasting. 00:06:07.860 --> 00:06:15.019 What an amazing conversation we are witnessing here. I think at this point, Pilate already knows 00:06:15.019 --> 00:06:21.800 of Jesus. I think he has probably been already waiting to meet him. I think he's heard about him. 00:06:21.800 --> 00:06:28.220 I think he's intrigued. Like a lot of people that we are meeting, that we will meet over this Advent 00:06:28.220 --> 00:06:36.879 season. They are intrigued about Jesus. Tell me more. Tell me more about him. I want to know. 00:06:37.199 --> 00:06:43.120 Pilate's there. Pilate's in that situation. Pilate knows what it is to be part of an empire. He knows 00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:49.379 what it is to be part of a kingdom. And those costs that come with the position. Maybe I'm reading too 00:06:49.379 --> 00:06:56.019 much in. But I think Pilate sees far more in Jesus than a Jewish inconvenience. 00:06:57.899 --> 00:07:07.120 And then Jesus talks of his kingdom. Talks of his kingdom. You are a king then, said Pilate. 00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:13.279 And then this powerful response. You are right. You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, 00:07:13.360 --> 00:07:19.079 for this very reason I was born. And for this I came into the world to testify, 00:07:19.379 --> 00:07:30.719 testify to the truth. That's what Christmas is all about. That's why I came. To testify to the truth. 00:07:32.680 --> 00:07:42.600 Everyone on the side of truth listens to me. At this point I paused and I thought, am I listening? 00:07:42.600 --> 00:07:50.120 Am I listening to the truth that Jesus is speaking to me? Or am I being bombarded by other voices, 00:07:50.820 --> 00:07:59.640 other situations that is not truth? That is just misguiding me? Guiding me away? This is the very 00:07:59.640 --> 00:08:05.879 reason the Jewish leaders want him out of the way. Because he speaks the truth and people were 00:08:05.879 --> 00:08:12.500 listening. That is why it was, that's why we'll hand you over. That's why we want you out the way. 00:08:14.719 --> 00:08:21.019 Did Pilate catch a glimpse of this truth? Did he capture something of God in human form as he gazed, 00:08:21.019 --> 00:08:26.800 as he no doubt did, staring straight into Jesus' eyes? Because if you stare into somebody's eyes, 00:08:26.920 --> 00:08:34.039 believe me, you will know whether they are telling the truth or not. And imagine the meeting of 00:08:34.039 --> 00:08:42.399 eyes in this conversation. And Pilate, I believe, got a glimpse of who Jesus really was and is. Even so, 00:08:42.519 --> 00:08:49.360 later when Jesus makes this brave and radical statement later in chapter 19, you would have 00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:58.500 no power over me if it were not given you from above. Let's set it straight. This is the truth. 00:08:58.500 --> 00:09:05.580 No wonder this reading comes before we enter into Advent and this time of expectation and anticipation 00:09:05.580 --> 00:09:17.399 of telling the world about Jesus, the truth, Emmanuel, God with us. Not historically, God with us. 00:09:18.600 --> 00:09:26.679 A saviour, a king, a servant king, a king of love, a king of hope, a saviour, a prince of peace. 00:09:26.679 --> 00:09:34.620 You remember a few years ago, this canvas behind us, we were invited to come up and say those things 00:09:34.620 --> 00:09:44.759 that Jesus was to us. A Jesus, a friend by my side, always there, a defender, a lifeline, a brother, 00:09:44.759 --> 00:09:55.159 a prince, all those things. Here in this conversation, Pilate is looking into the eyes of Jesus. Did he get a 00:09:55.159 --> 00:10:03.659 glimpse of that? I think he did. No wonder Pilate could find no fault in him. Dare I say it? I think 00:10:03.659 --> 00:10:11.579 Pilate saw a king stood before him. He saw something in his character. He saw something that was brave 00:10:11.579 --> 00:10:18.579 and courageous about this task that he had to do to go to the cross to save us once and for all from 00:10:18.580 --> 00:10:24.860 our sins. The lamb that is sacrificed, the truth, it's all in this book. 00:10:27.080 --> 00:10:36.920 So many people ignore the truth that's been given to us and the truth stood in front of Pilate and I 00:10:36.920 --> 00:10:41.700 believe that he glimpsed it. In fact, he even hung it above his name on the cross. 00:10:41.700 --> 00:10:50.300 Maybe that wasn't just to antagonize the Jewish culture. Maybe that was a statement from him himself. 00:10:55.000 --> 00:11:02.759 Where do we stand in the everyday with Jesus as our king and our saviour on this day as Christ the king? 00:11:02.759 --> 00:11:14.259 Jesus' king. Jesus' kingship in the crib, on the cross, in the empty tomb, in our giving, in our sharing, 00:11:14.600 --> 00:11:22.279 in our loving, in our understanding, in everything that we are, in our worship, in our questions, 00:11:23.159 --> 00:11:28.179 as people ask us about our faith this Christmas and this Advent time. 00:11:28.179 --> 00:11:34.799 In the truth of our discipleship. Where do we hold to truth? 00:11:36.719 --> 00:11:44.359 Today on this special day of Christ the king, as we are reminded as we, before, just before we enter 00:11:44.359 --> 00:11:53.799 into Advent, we worship not of a king in a palace or on a shining white charger, but a king, my saviour, 00:11:53.799 --> 00:12:04.199 this is where it gets personal. Because we can say the words, but maybe for the first time we say, 00:12:05.000 --> 00:12:15.919 my Jesus, my saviour, my lord, my king, you are my all in all. May we never miss this opportunity 00:12:15.919 --> 00:12:24.979 to exalt the name of Jesus, to stand up before those who think that they have power over us, 00:12:25.519 --> 00:12:33.899 but to proclaim Jesus, who has power over everything, and in everything, and through everything. 00:12:37.579 --> 00:12:44.620 We say, as we pray in the name of Jesus, maybe let's make these kingdom truths known. 00:12:44.620 --> 00:12:51.500 Maybe this morning through our reading gives us a fresh sense of bravery and courage to stand, 00:12:52.179 --> 00:12:59.519 to look into people's eyes and say, Jesus is my king, Jesus is my savior, Jesus is my all in all, 00:12:59.679 --> 00:13:09.200 Jesus is the answer, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. King Jesus, Jesus is Lord of my life 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:14.480 and of yours. Can I pray with you? 00:13:19.040 --> 00:13:23.280 Perhaps you've never proclaimed Jesus in that way in your life, 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:28.759 and we're going to take that opportunity now on this morning of Christ the King, 00:13:30.179 --> 00:13:36.639 that we will say afresh maybe in our own lives, maybe affirm afresh in our own lives as we get ready 00:13:36.639 --> 00:13:43.819 for this season of Advent, this season of opportunity that we have been given to make Jesus known. 00:13:43.820 --> 00:13:52.480 Shall we pray together, friends, and empower ourselves afresh in the name of the Holy Spirit? 00:13:54.100 --> 00:14:03.440 King Jesus, King Jesus, you are my savior and my king and my all in all. 00:14:03.440 --> 00:14:14.720 Lord, I thank you. 00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:19.640 I thank you for your courage in standing for truth. 00:14:20.380 --> 00:14:28.120 Holy Spirit, would you come and help me and help us all as your people to hold to that truth, 00:14:28.120 --> 00:14:39.299 to stand and to witness to you in situations where untruth is rife and lies are abundant. 00:14:41.419 --> 00:14:49.539 And I pray that it is this Advent season that more and more people would come to know you through us. 00:14:50.440 --> 00:14:54.299 We ask this in the name of Jesus. 00:14:55.899 --> 00:14:56.500 Amen. 00:14:58.120 --> 00:15:27.120 Amen.