We have no king but Caesar.

Just five years ago the great film, "The Passion of the Christ" was released, playing for nearly six months in local theaters and grossing nearly $700 million and setting records for DVD sales. It is a truly powerful movie, and one for which Mel Gibson was vilified and mocked in Hollywood circles for its orthodox view of the crucifixion of our Lord. To say that the movie is unloved by the Hollywood crowd is an understatement. Despite its commercial success, it has never been shown on network television because it is considered too controversial.

One of the great things about this movie is that it immerses us in the events of Holy Week as it uses the actual languages of the age, Latin, Greek and Hebrew, with English subtitles so that we can understand what is being said. There is one major exception to this. There is one scene, during the trial of Jesus before Pilate, where the Jewish crowd cries out something for which we, the English-speaking, are not given subtitles. Responding to charges made even before its release to the effect that his film would be seen as anti-Semitic, Mr. Gibson removed the subtitles in this one scene. What does the crowd shout that is deemed so scandalous? The three verses which are not given subtitles are: And when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of this Man's blood; see to that yourselves." And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children!" (Matthew 27:24-25)

This scene was troubling to many. Unquestionably, the New Testament portrays the Jews as playing a key role in the death of Christ. The Jewish leaders decide that Jesus is a threat and have Him arrested. It is a Jewish crowd, incited by "the chief priests and the elders," that chooses to spare the life of Barabbas, a murderer, and to condemn Jesus, the Son of God. It is a Jewish crowd mocks Him as He dies on the cross. After the resurrection, on the day of Pentecost, Peter sums it up: Men of Israel... you nailed [Jesus] to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death... Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ – this Jesus whom you crucified. (Acts 2:22, 23, 36)

But despite all of this, the trial of Jesus is not about anti-Semitism. Part of the problem we all face in evaluating the biblical story of God and the Jews is that it is a theological story, told to show us through God's interaction with the Jewish people important truths about God and ourselves. But one cannot draw the right conclusions from biblical history apart from biblical theology.

To begin with, let us consider the story of Israel we find in the Old Testament, being the Jewish Scriptures, and a source that can hardly be considered to be anti-Semitic. We find God's dealings with a people with whom He makes a unique and specific covenant. God promises that if they will be faithful to the terms of the covenant made through Moses, then they will be blessed, they will prosper in the promised land as God's people, protected and free from all their enemies and that he will be their God forever. On the other hand, if, as a nation, they ignore God and His covenant, then they will receive His curse instead; they will be driven from the land, and their enemies will prevail over them. As Moses predicts, the nation proves faithless, worships false Gods, does not keep his laws, and Israel forfeits the blessings of God and encounters loss, conquest, and exile as judgments from God. Scripture makes it clear however that there is always a remnant. There are always individual Jews who personally take God and His covenant very seriously and thus stand personally in God's favor – even though things may be going badly for the nation as a whole. Moses and the prophets also make it clear that one day God will forgive the nation for its rebellion and circumcise the hearts of all the people, restoring them to be people who love and obey Him. God promises Abraham that the children of the covenant will outnumber the grains of sand on the beach.

So a key observation is that biblically speaking, the Jews as a nation were no worse than the Gentile nations in their sinfulness. What Gentile nation had done any better than the Jews in striving to be godly? If anything, the failure of the Jews to grasp the true nature of Jesus as he stood before Pilate is a warning that national salvation is a pipe dream. God had lavished hundreds of years, countless blessings, sent many prophets and performed many miracles for his chosen people and they rejected his Son.

Would any nation have done any better? If God had chosen to reveal Himself to the Celtic peoples instead of the Jews, I think the story would have been the same. For all of humanity suffers from the same spiritual disease. The story of the Jews' failure is the story of humanity's failure; that is the whole point.

Additionally, a distinction must be made between individual salvation and national faithfulness. Any individual Jew could and did find favor with God through personal faith, even while the nation as a whole forfeited the promise of national blessings through corporate unfaithfulness.

When we turn to the pages of the New Testament, we find a story entirely in harmony with that told in the Old Testament. When the promised Messiah comes, the Jewish nation as a whole does not recognize Him, even while a remnant within the nation does. This spiritual blindness of Israel depicted in the New Testament is no different from that of the Old in this regard. So we need to be very careful how we interpret the implications of the crowd's words. In context, Pilate obviously is trying to figure out how to get out of a potentially volatile situation. He says to the crowd in essence, "Well, I refuse to be responsible for this." And the crowd, in order to convince him to give them Barabbas, says in its ignorance, "That's okay with us; we will take the responsibility." Of course St. Matthew understands the tragic irony of this; once again, the Jewish people are rejecting the God who has held out His hands to them in so many ways. It is a tragedy of the highest order; and it says much about the spiritual state of the people, that they would so fail to recognize their Deliverer that they would voluntarily claim responsibility for His death. These verses have too often been misused as cover for anti-Semitism.

But let us remember that Jesus Himself said at the time: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:24). If God were to take the Jewish crowd at its word, then He might very well hold the Jewish people corporately responsible for the death of Christ. But that is not what Christ prays for either Jew or Gentile at the crucifixion. Each individual in the crowd, of course, each Jew, just as each Gentile, is still answerable to the Father for his or her blindness and faithlessness. But Jesus understands the uniqueness of this sin, the magnitude of what is happening, even if the crowd does not. They have chosen to kill the Son of God, and they have ignorantly called down the blame for that uniquely blasphemous act upon themselves and their posterity. Gentile Christians have often made the mistake of thinking that the Bible highlights these obvious failings of the Jews because somehow they are worse than we Gentiles are. I submit that such is a profound mistake. Jews are no worse or no better than anyone else. The true significance of the story of the Jews is that God has no people who are his, purely by inheritance, God only has people who are his by faith. Another way of saying this is that God has no grandchildren, no people who are his by birthright alone; rather, God only has children by adoption and grace.

The Gospel is offered by grace alone, and by faith alone. However, the kingdom is ours to accept or reject through our God given free will. The true message is that each of us has a choice. Jesus had a choice. Jesus repeatedly demonstrates that He is completely obedient to the will of His Father. In the passion, we see that Jesus has given himself completely over to the will of the Father and because of that there is no question that he will be crucified. But it is Jesus choice to be faithful to His mission.

Just as Jesus had a choice, so all men in every age also have a choice. Beginning with Adam, all men have a choice. In the story of the passion, all the key figures have choices. Judas has the choice to betray or not betray Jesus. Peter has the choice to deny Jesus or remain faithful. The Jewish officials have the choice to accept Jesus as Messiah or to turn Jesus over to the Roman authorities, the crowd has the choice to accept Jesus or to turn their backs on Jesus, and Pilate has the choice to release or to condemn an obviously innocent man. That's what the scripture today is all about. Pilate is a tortured man. Even as a pagan, Pilate knows at some level what is right and true: Pilate knows that Jesus is an innocent man – yet he also knows the reality of his situation: if he sets Jesus free he will face the wrath of the Jewish officials, he may have a riot from the people, he may lose his job – even his life – if the Emperor is displeased.

It is under these circumstances that Pilate yields to the pressure. In verse 16 we read "Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified." Of course, this was the God's plan for Jesus from the beginning of the world: His death for the redemption and salvation of mankind, but with this decision the die was cast and Jesus was handed over to a Roman execution squad – soldiers who were experts at causing pain and torture before finally executing those placed in their hands with great cruelty. We know from Matthew's Gospel that Pilate tried to wash his hands of Jesus' death in that he tried to avoid the responsibility for having Jesus crucified: (Matt 27:24) When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!" But in truth, the responsibility for Jesus' death was not just Pilate's. It was Judas', it was Peter's, it was the Jewish officials, it was the crowds, and it was the soldiers.

The responsibility doesn't end there, though: for the responsibility is ours as well: yours, mine, every human who has ever lived, every human being who has ever sinned, all of us – all need a savior. In truth, I'm as guilty for crucifying Jesus as Pilate was, and so are you. For it was not the authority of Pilate as the Roman governor that nailed Jesus to the cross. Nor was it the Jewish officials and their empty practice of religion that nailed Jesus to the cross. It was not the crowd in Jerusalem that made it necessary for Jesus to be killed. It was not the law against blasphemy or treason that Jesus was paying for.

No, it was God's Law, his perfect demand for justice which said that the punishment for sin is death that nailed Jesus to the cross, and it was my violation of that law – and your violation of that law – that made it necessary that Jesus go to the cross. It was necessary so that we might truly understand the real cost of sin. That cost is death. The cost of sin is not just physical death, but death in all our relationships, death in our culture, and even spiritual death in our relationship with God. You see, Jesus was not under the authority of any human law, for He was without sin.

Furthermore, Jesus was not bound by the rules of this world, for his ruler was not Pilate, it was not the Roman emperor; it was not the Jewish authorities. Jesus only served one king, and that was God Almighty. You'll notice that this is a theme in our scripture today: who the real king is. In fact, this section of scripture contains a running debate about kingdom and authority. Who is the real king in this story, who has the authority to make decisions, who does Jesus answer to? Who is really on trial, Jesus or the human race? Look at the scripture and take note of this theme of Kingdom Authority: First, in verse 9 Pilate takes Jesus back inside the palace and asks him, "Where do you come from." In other words, "Where does your authority come from? Jesus refuses to answer. He will not play by the world's rules. Jesus remained silent, but the world cannot stand to have its authority questioned, so Pilate throws his weight around, trying to trump Jesus by flaunting his power: "Do you refuse to speak to me? Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?" Can you imagine what Pilate would have said if he had realize who he was talking to? He presumed to think that he had the power to kill or release Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, through whom the world itself was made, who could heal lepers, quiet the raging sea and raise the dead. Pilate thought that HE had the power to take life away from Jesus. Men are supposed to cower in fear of death. But Jesus replies: You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above."

Jesus was saying that only because God saw fit to use Pilate and his Roman authority bring about the sacrifice of his son – only for this reason, did Pilate have any authority over Him. But aside from that God-given authority Pilate would be unable to lift a finger against Jesus. Note that after this exchange Pilate's whole tone changes. Pilate's reaction is very telling. Instead of convicting Him on the spot for rebellion against Rome, in verse 12 we read these words "From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free." Apparently, Pilate realized that Jesus was not an earthly king: he was not trying to challenge Roman earthly rule. Jesus had even made this clear in the previous chapter when he told Pilate in 18:36, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

Pilate's kingdom was one of earthly force, Jesus' kingdom was one of heavenly power. Pilate's kingdom was enforced through raw power, Jesus' kingdom was won over by love. Pilate's kingdom maintained power by the sword, Jesus' kingdom maintained power by the sovereign authority of God. Pilate's subjects served by fear and compulsion, Jesus' subjects would serve out of devotion and love.

Pilate gave the crowd a choice: in effect, he gave them a choice of which king they would serve: Jesus or Caesar. He turned to the Jews and tried to give Jesus back to them to serve as their king, their long awaited Messiah. But the Jewish officials who were there that day would have nothing to do with it – they did not want to serve a heavenly king, they wanted the power and the perks that come from serving an earthly king. They said: "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar." Pilate pointed to Jesus and said, "Here is your king!" But, the crowds shouted: "We have no king but Caesar." The people decided. They could have served Jesus as a king, but they chose the king of this world instead. "We have no king but Caesar."

The crowd could have served Jesus, but they chose Caesar instead. So, Jesus was taken away to be crucified. Ironically, Pilate, the pagan, got the last word, and he was one of the few people who got it right in the end. In verse 19 we read that Pontius Pilate had a notice prepared and then had it fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. I have always wondered if Pilate realized what he was writing. Was he admitting that Jesus was a king? Was he just mocking the Jews? Scripture does not make this clear. But we are given this clue: in verse 21: The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews. Verse 22: Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written." So, Jesus died with the truth proclaimed above his head: JESUS OF NAZARETH, KING OF THE JEWS. That's what happened, now what does it have to do with us here today? Simple: we also have a choice. We have the same choice to make today that the officials of Jesus' day had to make.

This world, through its various rulers, through its ongoing rebellion, constantly asks us to choose a king: Jesus, or Caesar. And, the thing is, in life's tug of way for our soul, we can only have one choice. It's like a young woman with two suitors. In the end she must pick one of them, because she cannot marry both. We can only have one king, so we finally have to decide between Jesus and Caesar. As Jesus said in Luke 16:13 "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other." We all have two choices before us, and it's either one or the other. Jesus, or Caesar. Naturally, we would like to think that the choice is a no-brainer. We are here at church. We would shudder at the thought of choosing a king other than Jesus. We believe we want to serve Jesus but so often we are not yet ready to quit serving the gods of this world. And, truth be told, the reason that we don't want to quit serving Caesar is that he offers so much to us, in this world. Consider the chief priests: why didn't they want to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord? They had too much to lose. Money, power, prestige, ease, fame, control over their own lives and the pride of believing they were autonomous. Actually, they had the same choices we have. If they had admitted that Jesus was the king they would no longer claim to have the power over these things. From an EARTHLY standpoint, they had everything to lose by admitting that Jesus was king. So, they rejected Jesus in order to hold on to their earthly accomplishments. A lot of people in our world, including many who are nominally in the church, are the same. They count the cost and realize that if they truly make Jesus Lord they will have too much to lose. On the other hand, this world, the current Caesar, will always take you just like you are; he will tell you that you're fine the way you are, he will promise you everything at no cost. But not Jesus: the first step to coming to Jesus is to admit that you're a sinner in need of a savior. That takes a lot of pride-swallowing for most people: first to admit that they are not perfect, second to admit that it will take bowing down to God to have those sins removed. Third, that God sets the standards and the agenda and not us. Serving a lord means that we will strive to do what he tells us to do. From an earthly standpoint we have much to lose if we start doing the things that God would have us do instead of the things that the world has to offer.

Here's the irony, though. When we refuse to give up the things of the world for Jesus, we are really making a fool's choice. For everything in this world is transient and temporary. Thus in Luke 9:24-25, Jesus says: What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose his own soul? It is truly sad, that many people will give up Jesus because they love this world too much, only to find out one day that they have nothing in the end, not even their own soul.

The chief priests claimed to serve God, but decided to follow Caesar, and within their lifetimes the temple would be destroyed, and the Jews carried off into slavery. One cannot have two masters. Caesar will not allow you to serve both him and God, and so it is no surprise that God will not allow you to serve both him and Caesar: it's either one or the other.

Too many Christians think that they can serve two masters. Many churches are doing all that they can to look like the world, thinking that if they are more like the world somehow they will prosper. History and reason tell us otherwise. In Joshua 24:15 the prophet gives Old Testament Israel a hard choice as it contends for the Promised Land: "Choose this day whom you will serve." Joshua says "Choose wisely, for you can only have one king." Joshua answers his own challenge : "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." The question is the same for us: "Whom will you choose?" Will it be Jesus, or will it be Caesar. If by your life, your actions, your time, your heart you show that you are serving the world, and measure every aspect of your life by its standards, the world is your king and you have chosen the world over Jesus. If you choose Jesus, there will be times when by the world's standards you will be judged an outcast, a failure, the obstacle to progress, you will be ridiculed as a sexist homophobe, an ignorant moron, even possibly declared to be the enemy of Caesar. It is at that moment that we – not Jesus – are each on trial. When given the choice as to whom we will serve, do we answer "We have no king but Caesar" or do we answer "Jesus is Lord"?

We have no king but Caesar.