You Are a King?

Read

John 18:33 "Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, 'Are you the king of the Jews?'"

Think

Jesus was asked over 180 questions during his time on earth, yet he directly answered only a few. One of them came from a Roman Governor—"So you are a king?" Pilate wasn’t seeking truth; he was assessing a threat. A real king wouldn’t be standing there, beaten and bound. A king would fight back, demand justice, or call an army to his defense. But Jesus did none of those things.

Pilate’s question still lingers today. We may not stand in a courtroom, but we ask the same thing in different ways. Is Jesus really King? When life spirals out of control, when suffering doesn’t make sense, when injustice seems unchecked, we wonder: if he’s truly King, why does it feel like the world is winning? Why does he let pain continue? Why does he sometimes feel silent?

Jesus’ response wasn’t about proving his authority—it was about shifting our perspective. My kingdom is not of this world. That’s hard to grasp when so much of life feels dependent on what we see, touch, and control. But Jesus’ kingdom isn’t built on power plays or temporary victories. He didn’t come to take a throne; he came to take a cross. The moment that looked like defeat was actually the greatest victory—a kingdom won not by force, but by grace and mercy.

If Jesus is King, then my security isn’t in my circumstances, my success, or my control. It’s in him. When everything around me feels unstable, I have a choice—will I trust what I see, or will I trust the King whose reign extends beyond what I understand?

Pilate saw a man on trial. But standing before him was truth itself. The real question isn’t, “Is Jesus a king” It’s “Will I let him be King over my life?”

Apply

Surrender control. If Jesus is truly King, that means we don’t have to be. Choose one specific worry or situation and intentionally surrender it to him today, praying, “Jesus, I trust you with this.”

Pray

Lord, I acknowledge you as King, even when life feels uncertain and out of control. Help me to trust in your reign, not in my own understanding or the shifting circumstances around me. I surrender my worries and my will to you today, knowing that your kingdom is greater than anything I can see. In Jesus’ name. Amen.