The Gospel According to Jesus' Enemies

John chapter 19, and we're gonna read verses 1 to 22. Then pilot took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again saying, hail, king of the Jews, and they slapped him in the face.

Once more, pilot came out and said to the Jews gathered there, look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I found I find no basis for a charge against him. When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, pilot said to them, here is the man. As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted crucify, crucify. But pilot answered, you take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.

The Jewish leaders insisted We have a law, and according to that law, he must die because he claimed to be the son of god. When pilot heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace. Where do you come from? He asked Jesus. But Jesus gave him no answer.

Do you refuse to speak to me? Pilate said? Don't you realize I have the power either to free you or to crucify you. Jesus answered, you would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore, the 1 who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.

From then on, pilot tried to set Jesus free. But the Jewish leaders kept shouting. If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar, And pilot heard this. He brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat at a place known as the stone pavement.

Which in Aramaic is Gabbatha. It was the day of preparation of the Passover. It was about noon. Here is your king. Pilate said to the Jews, but they shouted.

Take him away. Take him away. Crucify him. Shall I crucify your king? Pila tasked.

We have no king, but Caesar. The chief priests answered. Finally, pilot handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus, carrying his own cross. He went out to the place of the skull which in Aramaic is called Golgotha.

There, they crucified him and with him 2 others. 1 on each side, and Jesus in the middle. Pilots had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews. Many of the Jews read this sign for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city.

And the sign was written in Aramic, Latin, and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to pilot. Do not write the king of the Jews, but that this man claimed to be the king of the Jews. Pillet answered what I have written. I have written.

Good evening. My name is Garrett. I'm, 1 of the members here at, a course of church. We've had a real theme today, a real sort of kingly theme if you're in the this morning's service, talking about Jesus is kingdom coming. And, you see that theme throughout the songs chosen tonight and, throughout this passage as well.

But before before we open it up, let's pray, let's ask ask for god's help. Heaveney father, we do thank you for the fact that we can read your words. We thank you that as as questions we can come and we can meet so freely like this as we think about brothers and sisters in, in Cuba, and beyond father god, our our hearts go out to them. And we pray now father that, that you would be glorified here this evening. That, that the lord Jesus Christ would be proclaimed and hearts would be warmed by what they see as they look upon as we look upon the lord Jesus Christ.

So we pray these things in Jesus' name, our man. In inverse, 22 here, pilot answered what I have written I have written. What I have written I have written. It's a it's a rather sort of mysterious response that pilot gives to the chief priests. The they're sort of saying, don't write that.

Don't write that. Instead, write the claim to be the king of the Jews, and pilot's answer what I have written, I have written. As I walked into to work on Friday, the the staffroom was genuinely a buzz with conversation. Until I opened the door, and everyone getting really quiet. As soon as that happens, you start to panic.

And he said, what they're talking about me? They're talking about me. And genuinely, someone said, well, someone's gotta ask him. And my heart's racing. My heart's racing, and this was Friday.

And then picked up another voice, and they said, who did you vote for? Who did you vote for? A loaded question if ever there was 1. And if you know the context of my school, a really, really loaded question, a super, super loaded question. And I I sort of wish that I'd responded with something along the lines of what I've written.

I have written. Some of you will like my vote. Some of you, I'm sure, won't like my vote, but I'm not changing my mind. What I have written I have written. For lots of us, I think choosing who to vote for, in in this week gone by, was not a fun experience.

A phrase that I've heard lots and lots of is a phrase along the lines of I just feel like I'm choosing the least of the worst options. As a phrase, this sort of gone around lots and lots. The least of the worst options. Tonight, I want to invite you to take part in another There's no conservative party, no labor party, no monster raving, loony party, none of that. Tonight, we're not voting for a a prime minister.

Instead, tonight's vote, each of us gets a vote. We vote for a king. And as we consider, we're to put our writing, we're to etch our cross. We're going to look through the eyes of Christ's enemies to see his kingly credentials. We're going through a series at the moment.

The gospel, according to Christ's enemies, unintended statements of saving truth. Here in this passage in John 'nineteen, it is littered with unintended statements of saving truth. We're gonna look through, pilot, especially. We're gonna consider what pilot has said, what pilot does. As he considers this candidate for kingship.

And as we consider where we're going to put our r cross We we will look at a pilot in in 3 ways. We're gonna look at him introducing the candidate for kingship We're gonna look to look at pilot speech about the king. And finally, we're gonna look at pilot's vote for kingship. So firstly, the candidate for kingship. So if we look at this 1, John 19, verse 1.

Remember, this comes under the heading, the candidate for kingship. Then pilot took Jesus and had him flogged. Candidate it for kingship. Then pilot took Jesus and had him flogged. On the sixth of May, last year, around 20000000 of us Brits are estimated to have watched the the king being crowned.

Are estimated to have watched the king being crowned. I imagine that figure would have spiked up. Had it been that as he got out of his royal cabin, Royal coach, that the Royal guard took him and had him flocked. That's not what happened. We we gathered around our TV sets.

We we watched him, and, and all of the Pomp and the bravado of the day. I mean, I've I've been reading this week about some of the things that he wore, some of the the the coach itself, the the 2 door handles alone had 24 diamonds just on the the handles and a hundred and 30 sapphires. As the coach pulled up outside, Westminster King Charles was not flogged. He was a school. It wasn't he?

He was escorted into the Abbey through the Great West Store, and as you're watching him, as the cameras are are watching him, you're seeing face after face of world leaders. World leaders who've come to gather to see a king being crowned. About 2002 hundreds, people were were there and the streets themselves were were teeming with with thousands upon thousands of people who come to line the streets to catch a glimpse of the king. The provider went on and on and on 1 1 of my favorite things that I'd read was that, the King Charles was offered a a coronation spoon. Did anyone notice that when you watched it?

A Coronation spoon is is a a bit of oil in the spoon that, apparently, comes from Jerusalem, the isle, it's a holy isle, and he's anointed with this isle. A corinthian spoon. That's a king. That's what you want is as a coronation ceremony. You want someone who's got a a solid gold crown on their heads.

The the crown that came Charles wore was is a 2.2 kilogram crown. Imagine having 2 big bags of rice on your head throughout the ceremony and then having to to wave on the balcony. That's what we're used to when we're we're hearing about kingship, when we're hearing about a coronation. That's That's accounted it for kingship. Then pilot took Jesus and had him flogged.

That's not a king. Flogged. Like, king. A king doesn't get flogged. You can't even have the picture in your head of what might have happened.

On the coronation had King Charles even even if someone had attempted to flog him. They wouldn't have got anywhere near it because that's not what happens with kings. But this this flogging, an individual was often taken the hands tied behind their back. Again, that's not a king. They were bent over, often attached to a pole, and then soldiers gathered around them to administer punishments with wooden poles and in these wooden poles were either bits of metal, bits of animal bone, bits of brass, and they would whip and whip the victims back and the and couldn't do anything about it because their hands are tied behind their back, and they are tied to a pole.

This is the candidate for kingship that I am hoping that you vote for. The arteries would be seen by by anyone who's able to able to see this. Often, victims would die at this point. Lesser mortals. It it was commented by 1 commentator.

Lesser mortals would reach this point, and that would be death. A king flogged doesn't look like a king. Scarpy a king. And I can't put up my cross next to him. There's 2 that the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on his head.

They closed him at a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying hail king of the Jews. And they slapped him in the face. Yeah. You see, King Charles had the weight of 2.2 kilograms on his head with that crown. And Jesus, this candidate for kingship, had the weight of a soldier pulling down a crown of thorns pulling it down, the weight of the force of a soldier, pulling this crown down so that the thorns etched themselves into his head, into his face.

And so that blood is is streaming down his face, the royal red is is a royal blood for this king, this candidate. This can't be a king. This but it but then they then they give him a purple robe, and they put this purple robe on him. And surely, it's it's sticking to his back. If you've ever cut yourself and and you catch any material on it, it's painful.

It's painful if you if you have a little cut. But Jesus' his back is open, and they put a they put a purple robe on him. Now he looks like a king. He's got his crown. He's got his purple robe.

He he's even got people worshiping him. You see King Charles heard the nation on that day saying God save our gracious king. King Charles heard people affirm who he was on that day. Jesus in verse 3 has the soldiers going up to him again and again, saying hail King of the Jews. They're affirming who Jesus is.

He's the king of the Jews. He looks like a king. And now they they they're saying that he's a king, They're worshiping him, but it's all intended for mockery. Every purpose of the soldiers and of pilot in sending Jesus out to the soldiers to be flogged is to mock Jesus. Is to mock him.

And hopefully, Pilate's hoping that when he brings Jesus back, that the Jews will see this this horrible picture of a man, that they'll see the sight of this man as he's as he's half the man that he was the last time they saw him, and they'll take pity and they'll say yes. Our bloodlust is satisfied. We we've had enough. That will do. That will do.

They intend it for mockery. But you see, these in intended statements are are gospel truths. Jesus has been coronated here. Jesus has given his crown here. Jesus chooses this crown.

Jesus chooses this robe. Jesus chooses this path. It's a it's a it's a hard truth to get your mind around that Jesus would would choose this, that this candidate would choose this. I think I think particularly for the the crown of thorns on his heads. I think how how how do we apply this?

As we look on this picture of this this really horrible picture of someone that as Christians, we we we're told to love. We sort of want to look away when a picture like this is presented of Christ. And I think of the the crown of thorns on his head as it's being smashed in in through his skull. I think I think particularly for me, a family that that I know of, they have a a serious, serious thorn in the flesh at the moment. They don't have a a crown of thorns that they wear, but they have a serious suffering that they are going through.

A serious trial. Perhaps for some for some of you that that trial is is yet to come. And perhaps to some of you, you are walking through that trial, and you are facing the the beating of it. Perhaps it's it's health related. And you've got the the thorn in the flesh, so to speak.

But you see, as Christians, and and this family that that I'm particularly thinking of here. This family who who love the lord Jesus Christ. They have this suffering that they are going through, but they are looking to the lord Jesus Christ who suffered who suffered. This family who often will, through these moments, will feel alone, will feel like there's no 1 else with them. Will know that the lord Jesus Christ walked these steps.

That he was truly alone, truly alone to the point that he was forsaken by god the father. And that we will never be forsaken by god, the father. So for for some of us, If if we do have a a thorn in the flesh, if there is a suffering, a trial that we are going through. We we look to the 1. We look to the lord Jesus Christ who had that crown of thorns on his head.

Who suffered in our place, and whose kingdom will 1 day come. So we've looked at the candidate for kingship. Next, we're gonna look at the speech pilot speech. And verse 4. And once more, pilot came out and said to the Jews gathered their Look.

I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him. When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns in the purple robe, pilate said to them, here is the man. Did you catch that? Look, I'm bringing him out to to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him. That's bonkers.

You can't absolutely batter someone. To the point that they are almost dead and then have this statement. You can't then say, I bring this man out to you the man that you see in front of you wearing this crown of thorns, this purple robe, and I say to you, look I find no basis for a charge against him. That's what pilot says. He's an absolute coward.

He is a coward. He is so terrified of the Jews. Terrified of what the Jews might do if they don't get their way. He is terrified, so he won't go with his convictions. In in in your workplace with your with your families, particularly, do you have the courage of your convictions?

Do you say I love the lord Jesus Christ? Or do you side with with pilot? Do you hide it? Perhaps? Do you say I find no basis for a charge against him whilst you've done this to him?

Once you spat on him, once you've mocked him. How could it possibly be that bringing him out to the crowd would somehow or another substantiate his conviction. Presumably, the answer lies in the fact that as he brings him out, it's almost this scene, this pathetic pitiful scene, presumably, he's hoping, you know, well, a look Do you think this is really a king? Do you think this this man here is really a king? Can we let the whole thing go?

I find no basis for a charge against him. And then he says, the end of this 5. Pallet said to them, here is the man. Sure is the man. Pilot has absolutely no idea what he's saying here.

This hue is the man could be translated and is translated in in other versions as behold. The man. We don't say the word behold, likely, do we? We don't say We don't say often, really. I don't I don't go up to someone and have something on my phone and say, behold.

The the score in Wimbledon today. That's not behold is is is reserved, isn't it? It's a reserved word. Behold. If you're beholding something, it is, in my mind, it's behold.

Wow. It's something that If if I wasn't to save that, I wouldn't be able to take it all in. I I I've got pictures of gorgeous views in my mind stood on top, perhaps of of a great mountain behold. That's what Pallet's saying here. Behold the man.

Behold the man. Behold the embodiment of humanity There was never a man like this ever. This is not behold. Amen. This is behold.

The man. Behold. The man. This is the man that humanity has been crying out for ever since Genesis 3. This is the man.

This is the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. This is the man before whom men hid their faces and the sheep before it's Sheera. So this man opened not his mouth. Do you grasp a little bit of this tonight to this is not some pathetic piece of humanity? This is not someone who can do nothing for himself.

This is the man. This is the man. This is the lord Jesus Christ. This is the candidate that we're looking at. This is the king of the universe.

This is god himself. Become man. This isn't me. This isn't a pathetic welshman. That we're looking at.

This isn't Novakzokovic that we're looking at. This isn't Turkey's Starmer that we're looking at. This is the man. This is Jesus. Behold the man This is the 1 who in a moment or 2 from this is able to say, I could call 12 legions of angels.

And the whole thing would be finished in a moment. But instead, Jesus goes down this road. Why does he go down this road? Why does he suffer? He goes down the road for you.

For me, He suffers for us for the for the sheep who so easily go astray That's why he goes down this road, and here stands the man. Behold the man. In a moment, we're gonna end our service By singing, behold, our god. Behold. Our god.

How do we behold the man? But how do we do that? It's it's a I I've been thinking about that a fair bit past couple of weeks. How do we behold Christ? And, it's it's been said in in poetry.

We become what we behold. And that's true. Isn't it? Children looking up to their fathers. Children looking up to their mothers, they become like them.

They they have the same mannerisms. They have the same laughs of as them because they're beholding. Their family. They're beholding their father. They're beholding their mother.

They they even say about couples, don't they? That couples end up looking like 1 another. It's a good thing for some of us. Couples end up looking like some like 1 another. My my mum always used to tell me that That was true of dogs as well, that dogs would end up looking like their owner all the other way around.

It's true as well if, if someone goes off to a region, someone goes off on a on a missions trip, perhaps, or someone just goes off on a holiday. And they come back and you think, come up from Australia. Drop the accent. Well, why have you why have you picked up because they've beheld They've beheld that thing. We become what we behold.

That's that's a massively important statement. We become what we behold. What what do you behold? It's worth thinking about. What are you becoming like?

What are you investing in that is making you more like something else? Is it the lord Jesus Christ? Are you beholding the lord Jesus Christ? For some of us us younger ones here tonight, I must say the 1 of the the best pieces of advice that I was given the and and this regards as a as a youth member was choose someone, choose someone who beholds Christ, choose someone who looks like Christ, who behaves like Jesus, who is an example to you, choose someone who looks like Christ, who behaves like Christ. And as you imitate as you imitate them, they are imitating Christ and you are becoming more like Christ.

And some of us older ones here, you are being beheld Especially mothers and fathers, for I I often say this to Rachel. And it would it would shock you some of the well, I hope it wouldn't actually, but it would perhaps surprise you some of the names that I say. Cause I say to Rachel often, I would love to be more like that man. That man's gentleness. That man, the way that he behaves with his children is is I I see Christ in the way that he he acts like that.

I want to become more like that. For some of us here, we are beholding you. It is your it is your duty to point us to Christ. How are you pointing us to Christ? How are you on a on a Sunday morning engaging with some of the the youth, some of the younger people.

What questions are you asking them? Is it a question purely about their intro. How is the how's your football game? How is your karate competition? How is piano?

Or are you asking them? How's your Bible reading? Are you interested? Are you invested in our young people? Are you wanting them to behold Christ?

Behold the man So we've looked at the speech. And finally, we're gonna look at the vote, pilot's vote. On on Thursday this week, lots of us went down to various polling stations after trying to find our photo IDs And you you walk into the polling station, don't you? And you end up you haven't got clear what you're doing. If if you're anything like me, end up sort of giving them everything you've got, they go, not that.

I I just need the photo ID. And then the end about asking for the the polling card as well, because they did the number on it. You're you just haven't you also feel like you're in trouble when you're there a little bit. You feel like you're being judged. And certainly I do.

And they end up sort of going to this little booth, that for me, I don't know if anyone else went there, the the 1 Castle Hill, it was absolutely pathetic. You've got this, you meant this met the purpose of it, you're not meant to be able to sort of see what the other person's doing. There's no point in having them. Absolutely no point in having them. You just got sort of you see?

That that's all it was. That's all that's the only thing that separated you, that little step And these these 4 older people here, they're doing nothing about it if you want to have a little luck. They're doing nothing. That that's sort of what lots of us did on Thursday, but then you get into that silly little booth And you've got your your your voting card, and the only thing that's sitting there in that booth is a pencil. And what's standing between you and your vote is your handwriting.

Now it's it's been said, and I would argue this has true that you can tell a lot about someone from their handwriting. And I tell you this, I've got a lot of psychopaths in my class. They are terrifying. The way that they write, you can you can honestly, I would say from day 1, if I was if I met just Just the handwriting, but not the children, I would have a very, very good idea of the class that I'm gonna inherit. I really, really, really believe that.

And there's lots of research into, I've getting nods from different primary school teachers here. There's lots of research about our handwriting and about what it it says about us. What our handwriting, declares about who we are. Well, this Thursday, our handwriting said something about us. It said, where our where our vote was.

But you see, Paul, in, in colossians 3, in colossians 2, it's worth turning there. Keep a finger in John 19. Paul in colossians 2. Versus 13 to 15. Paul says this.

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us. He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them by the cross. You see, our handwriting can tell an awful lot about us.

And Paul here, he's using that theme. We've got the we've got the phrase in our in our NIV transactions. We've got having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness. The word there could be translated as handwriting. Having canceled the charge of our handwriting.

Having canceled the charge of our handwriting. The Greek word translated as record as death literally means handwriting. Paul Paul goes on to say having canceled our legal charge, having canceled our handwriting What's he going to do? What's it say in this? He goes on to nail our handwriting to the cross.

Nail the things that say a lot about me. The things that say a lot about me, my handwriting says a lot about me. Jesus takes my handwriting, takes the things that I have done, things that say a lot about me, things that my class teacher wouldn't have wanted. And what does Jesus do? Jesus nails these things to the cross.

It takes my handwriting, my the things that I have done and he nails them to the cross. Pilot brought out a battered and bruised man to the crowds saying behold your king. And then pilot orders there to be handwriting above his head. Pilots had no idea, no idea of the gospel truths in his words. When pilot ordered that it was written, Jesus Christ, king of the Jews.

Jesus Christ, king of the Jews. And John adds the detail, doesn't he, doesn't He he he doesn't leave it at that, but it's it's written that many of the Jews first 20 read this sign for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city. And the sign was written in Aramic, Latin, and Greek. All of the significant languages of that part of the world. Every significant language are seeing Jesus' procession.

You see, the the person who who's crucified would have to take their cross with this sign above them and would have to first proceed through the streets of the city every single street so that everyone had chance to see the crime that he's committed, and if there was any evidence that could acquit them, there was 1 last chance. So this this was this was the model. Jesus was walking through these streets with the crime that he's committed. Jesus Christ, the king of the Jews. And everyone is seeing this because it's written in 3 languages.

It's written in Greek, it's written in Latin, and it's written in Arabic. Everyone is able to look at this baton bat beaten figure and think. King? That's not a king. It's pathetic.

Who would want this man as their king? Who would worship someone who was crucified. That's pathetic. Well, you can't deal with life by yourself. You need religion.

That's pathetic. You think Jesus is your king? You see Jesus march through the streets, and all who can see him see the sign. Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews. As has been true many times throughout the series, Looking at the gospel truths according to Christ's enemies, pilot once again has no idea of the truth of this sign.

Everyone can see it. Everyone can see it. Jesus Christ is king. Whatever the language they use, Pilot makes sure that that's not a barrier. Whatever language they use.

This is the equivalent of of Jesus being marched through the streets and it being on all of the billboards, being on your phone when you when you go into social media. And seeing Jesus Christ, king of the Jews. For us, it would be in English. For others, it would be in in lots and lots of other languages. Yes.

He greased and Jesus Christ is king. Yes, he greece and vrenin. Yes, hristos, Esrei. All the world. All the world are to behold the man.

That's what Pallet's done? Thank you, pilot. Thank you, pilot. Jesus Christ is king. It might be labor that's in government, but Jesus is king.

Jesus crisis king not only over 1 people, not only over 1 language. He's the universal king. This is true in the UK today. Jesus Christ is king. This is true in Russia today.

Jesus Christ is king. This is true in Cuba today. Jesus Christ is king. This is true in Belarus today. Jesus Christ is king.

We were hearing this is true in Zambia. Jesus Christ is king. This this we'll be hearing this is true in Poland Jesus Christ is king. Jesus Christ is king. We hear in this morning your kingdom come.

Jesus, this world is yours. And everything in it. We heard about how this world is a mess. Lots of us perhaps wanted a new government. Will they fix everything?

No. Will this will we still be in a mess? Yes. And we heard this line our kings and kingdoms can never rise above frail humanity. Our kings and kingdoms can never rise above frail humanity.

They always end up failing. They always end up failing. You see, we need a king who was born in human likeness who was born as a man, but is able to rise above frail humanity. And how does Jesus rise above frail humanity? Well, he's he's raised up, isn't he?

He's raised up on the cross. That's how Jesus rises above frail humanity. Jesus is raised up on a cross. He's not offered. A gorgeous crown.

He's offered a crown of thorns, a purple robe, He's not offered a coronation spoon. He's offered a mixture of gal a bitterness that is that is poked towards him on a reed. That's what Jesus is offered. And he says no to it. He says no to this because he wants he wants to taste the fullness of death He wants to taste the fullness of death because he wants to take that away from me.

Why does he take it away from me? Because my sin has been nailed. My handwriting has been nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more. Because Jesus has risen above my frail humanity. And he is king.

He is lord. He is lord of all. If he's the universal king, if he is king of Cuba, if he's king of Russia, if he's king of Wales, If he's king of all these places, he has to be king of my heart as well. There can't be an inward wrestle within me. There can't be Jesus, you can be king on Sundays, but I actually the way that I'm gonna do my vote, Jesus, actually, I'm gonna add a column You can be king this day, and I'm king the rest of the day.

You can be king when I'm around these people, and I'm king when I'm around these people. Or perhaps some some of us maybe maybe split it up, Jesus are being king over my finances. You can be king over my family. I'll be king over the way I spend my time. You can be king over the way that I I do my food shop.

I'll I'll eat a little healthier. No. No. If Jesus is king, If with me tonight, you're gonna put your cross next to Christ on that ballot paper. Then Jesus has to be king of all.

In the same way that we we want to say, the lord Jesus Christ, your kingdom come. Be king of a Cuba, please. Would we know you as king over Cuba? In the same way we're able to say that? Perhaps some of us have to examine our hearts.

Have we examined every area of our heart? Is priced able to be king over all of the areas of our heart? Do we give him all of the areas, or if we got our own little regimes that that that we want to keep? That we want to follow. You see when you vote this evening to put a cross next to Jesus' name, is to say Jesus, you are my king.

You are lord over all of my life. Jesus is king over my relationships. Jesus is king over my health. Jesus is king over my family. Jesus is king over my concerns.

Jesus is king over my job. Jesus is king over my embarrassment. Jesus is king over my pride. Jesus is king over my finances. Jesus is king over my time.

Jesus is king of all of all things. To put a cross next to Jesus' name here is to say Jesus' you are king of all of my life. To put across here is to get it wrong is to get it wrong sometimes, but to come back to the 1 who has nailed our sin to the cross. You see, we've looked at the gospel according to Christ's enemy pilot tonight. Pilate had no idea of the gospel truths that were declared.

When he ordered for the soldiers to crown Jesus as king. Pila had no idea of the weight of the truth when he said, behold the man. Pilate when he had Jesus march through the streets with the gospel attached to the cross He had no idea of the glorious truth that was held there. In a real sense when pilot said what I have written I have written Pala had no idea what you're saying. But what about you?

Where will you cast your vote this evening? Where will you put your cross next to? You see, You can put your cross next to your name. You can be king of your life. You can choose who's king of your life.

Or you can put your cross next to Christ's name. But you can't do both. And to say, oh, I'm not sure yet. To say, oh, I need to, I perhaps need to to think about this. A little bit more is to not put your cross next to Christ's name.

And by not putting your cross next to Christ's name. I'm afraid I I I I urge you to reconsider because there is is nothing better. There is nothing better than to live your life knowing that Jesus is king. King of all. And yes, yes, I mess up, and I mess up often.

But Jesus rose above my frail humanity. So I say to you tonight, on my ballot card what I have written, I have written, and I have written a cross next to Christ's name. In a moment, we're going to to sing, behold our god. But for a few moments, let's let's let's take a moment of quiet to to think and reflect, and then I'll pray and we'll we'll sing. Lord, Jesus, you are the 1 and only king.

You are the king. Please be king of our lives. And by your Holy Spirit, would you help us help us to behold you to look on you as king. Oh, man.