Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”  “You have said so,” Jesus replied.

When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?”  But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.

Matthew 27:11 – 14

The time had come for the Roman rulers of Judea and the leaders of the Jews to come together to confront Jesus.  It was a hastily arranged meeting, not the typical Roman trial. The Jews obviously told Pilate that Jesus claimed to be the “king of the Jews.”  I have no idea what they meant.  The Jews did not have a king for many, many years, and were at the time subservient to Rome.  Furthermore, we have no record that Jesus ever claimed to be a secular king.

So, to satisfy the Jews, Pilate asked Jesus in the presence of the Jewish accusers, “Are you the king of the Jews?”  What could Jesus say?  He did not come to earth to be an earthly “King.”  So, he simply shrugged of the absurd question.  Pilate then asked, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?”  Jesus did not even try to explain that he came to establish the Kingdom of God, not a political kingdom.  Pilate had no way of understanding that.  So, Jesus said nothing.  What could he say?

I recall Jesus words, “My kingdom is not of this world.”  John 18:36  He spoke often and in great detail about that kingdom.  He had no intention of re-establishing the Kingdom of Israel.

As Isaiah prophesied, “It is too small a thing for you to… restore the tribes of Jacob…I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” 49:6

Two thousand years have passed since this scene.  The Kingdom of God is spreading around the world without regard to secular kingdoms at all.  This is a new thing!  Rejoice and be glad.