[Jesus'] cross made him our King, and he gives us all the blessings his struggle achieved.

Jesus stood quietly at first. Pilate wanted to know if Jesus was a threat to Roman imperial power. He was accused of being a king and therefore a traitor. Jesus affirmed that he was a king but not one that posed a threat to Rome: "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36).

If we imagine the scene, it is clear that these two men were on different pages. First, we see Pilate. Emperor Tiberus appointed him as the fifth procurator of Judea, and with the appointment came full power over the province including control of the army of occupation, perhaps as many as five thousand men. He was flanked by Roman soldiers, dressed perhaps in his toga, and wearing the symbols of his office. He stood erect with the aura of authority and asked the questions.

And Jesus? He still wore his simple clothes—those the soldiers later would cast lots over to settle ownership of them. The night before, Jesus had prayed in the garden, and his sweat was "like drops of blood falling to the ground" (Luke 22:44). The guards had struck him during the ordeal in Jewish custody. His simple peasant clothes smelled of sweat and were stained with body fluids. I see him looking like he had been in a fight—puffy face and eyes—ready to answer Pilate's questions.

Who would you choose? For us, whose eyes of faith have been opened, the question is easy to answer. We know Jesus. The Holy Spirit has enlightened us so we know that his suffering and death followed the exchange with Pilate. We also know that his death was the sacrifice our sins deserved and that he gave himself for us so we might have forgiveness, life, and salvation. Those blessings could not flow from the world of Pilate or imperial Roman largess. They can be found no where else than in this apparently helpless, accused traitor. His cross made him our King, and he gives us all the blessings his struggle achieved. They are gifts of his grace.

Yet, so often in this world, we see things that look a lot more like Pilate than Jesus. In the world the focus is more on fast cars, celebrities, money, and impressive homes than forgiveness, life, and salvation. The grandeur of the world easily draws attention away from Jesus. This humble Jesus, the one we see before Pilate, seems irrelevant and unimportant to those who have no faith. What advantage could he provide in your goals to add to your portfolio or climb the ladder to the world's upper rungs? The apostle Paul suggested that the message of the cross is only so much foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Corinthians 1:18). His words ring true each time we think of attendance figures in our churches or when we try to witness to our friends and neighbors.