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Series B – Third Wednesday in Lent – Wednesday, March 10, 2021 | Pr. Chris Rosebrough

Welcome to the Teaching Ministry of Kongsvinger Lutheran Church. Kongsvinger is a beacon for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is located on the plains of Northwestern Minnesota. We proclaim Christ and Him crucified for our sins and salvation by grace through faith alone, and now, here’s a message from Pastor Chris Rosebrough:

Time Stamp	Transcript
0:28	our text tonight is taken from the
0:30	gospel of john chapter
0:31	19
0:35	so pilate delivered Jesus over to them
0:37	to be crucified
0:39	so they took Jesus and he went out
0:41	bearing his own cross
0:42	to the place called the place of the
0:45	skull which in aramaic is called
0:47	golgotha
0:48	there they crucified him with him two
0:51	others
0:52	one on either side and Jesus between
0:54	them
0:55	pilate also wrote an inscription and put
0:57	it on the cross
0:58	it read Jesus of nazareth king of the
1:02	jews
1:02	many of the jews read this inscription
1:04	for the place where Jesus was crucified
1:07	was near the city
1:08	and it was written in aramaic in latin
1:11	and in greek
1:12	so the chief priests of the jews said to
1:14	pilate do not
1:15	write the king of the jews but rather
1:17	this man said
1:18	i am the king of the jews pilate
1:21	answered
1:22	what i have written i have written in
1:25	the name of Jesus
1:27	amen all right now normally in human
1:30	terms
1:31	coronations are a big deal
1:35	now we americans i’ve noted in the past
1:37	we don’t really get along too well with
1:39	monarchies
1:40	at least monarchs over us we got rid of
1:43	them
1:43	and we’re now self-governed if you would
1:47	and
1:47	boy are we doing a splendid job at that
1:51	anyway all of that being said i would
1:54	have to make allusions to history
1:56	that is a little unfamiliar for uh we
1:59	americans
2:00	and i would note i i’ve watched the
2:02	netflix series the crown
2:04	and i noted well the coronation of queen
2:07	elizabeth
2:08	and that was a fascinating thing and
2:09	i’ll note also in my lifetime
2:12	so far we have not seen a new monarch in
2:15	the united kingdom
2:16	arise but when we think about
2:18	coronations and things like that that’s
2:20	a splendid affair
2:22	i i sometimes think of the coronation of
2:24	napoleon
2:25	have you seen it depicted in artwork you
2:27	would think the fellow thought he was a
2:29	deity on earth
2:30	that’s kind of the way that all went
2:32	down but you’re going to note here
2:34	we in the united states we don’t have
2:36	coronations we have inaugurations
2:38	and usually if a president
2:42	is um less than virtuous things
2:45	start off well and they don’t generally
2:48	end well
2:49	right you know how it goes you know they
2:51	they maybe
2:52	fight a war win a war or something like
2:54	that but then
2:55	you learn about how certain things
2:57	weren’t ethically done
2:59	and then by the end they kind of slink
3:02	out of office
3:03	and the last thing they do
3:07	out come the presidential pardons right
3:10	that’s always the last thing because
3:12	everybody’s scandalized by the list the
3:14	people who are getting off
3:16	the people who are not going to be
3:18	prosecuted the people who
3:19	the president has given his well you
3:22	can’t
3:23	prosecute this person they’re going to
3:25	be able to get away with murder
3:27	and sometimes literally so you get the
3:30	idea
3:31	things kind of go differently along
3:34	those lines but you’ll note that human
3:35	beings who start off
3:37	well don’t always end well when it comes
3:39	to being
3:40	in charge and so we’ll note here
3:43	something is
3:43	different about Jesus the order in which
3:47	he does
3:47	things and the coronation that he’s
3:49	chosen for himself
3:51	and will note that even the official
3:53	roman governor
3:54	recognizes properly who Jesus
3:58	is but Jesus isn’t like the monarchs
4:01	of our world so our text it says that
4:04	pilate delivered Jesus over to be
4:06	crucified
4:08	and we’ll note that when we get towards
4:10	the end of our meditation tonight
4:12	that we’ll take a look at some of the
4:13	details finer details of Christ’s
4:16	coronation itself the one that he chose
4:18	and it he was bearing his cross to the
4:21	place called the skull
4:23	and there pilate ordered
4:26	something to be written above Christ’s
4:29	cross
4:29	written in three languages and the
4:32	inscription said
4:33	Jesus of nazareth the king of the jews
4:39	wow was he right i mean we know that
4:42	Jesus
4:42	is the heir to the davidic kingdom he
4:46	is the son of david if the davidic king
4:48	kingdom had continued on
4:50	Jesus would have been inaugurated
4:53	coronated in the king but here we have
4:56	the official roman governor
4:58	occupation uh force if you would they
5:01	recognize properly who Jesus is that’s
5:03	the charge
5:04	he’s being charged with being a
5:06	competing king
5:08	but well the jews they were pretty upset
5:10	about this and said no
5:11	no say that he said that he was the king
5:14	not that he is
5:17	and see that’s kind of the thing here
5:19	you’ll note that
5:22	while pilate gets it right but it’s not
5:25	like he gets credit for it
5:26	and those who recognize what is being
5:29	said
5:29	they want to like quiet it up
5:33	and so i think about that psalm psalm
5:36	2 which we read together today why do
5:39	the nations
5:40	rage why do the peoples plot
5:45	in vain and the thing is is that we do
5:47	this too so don’t think this isn’t
5:48	talking about
5:49	us because all of the different ways in
5:51	which we plot
5:53	and scheme to not bend the need to king
5:56	Jesus in what he has expressly stated is
6:00	his will
6:00	for us in all of those ways we do things
6:03	we’re doing this
6:04	in vanity the kings though the kings of
6:07	the earth
6:08	they set themselves and the rulers they
6:10	take counsel together
6:12	against yahweh and against his messiah
6:16	saying let us burst their bonds apart
6:18	let us
6:19	cast their cords from us and i would
6:22	note that this seems to be happening
6:24	in spades nowadays you know how dare
6:27	god tell me that i was born a man that
6:30	i’m a man i want to be something
6:32	different
6:34	right okay yeah we see how this works
6:37	but note then and these are terrifying
6:40	words he who sits in the heavens
6:43	laughs and it’s not because he has a
6:45	sense of humor i don’t care what rick
6:46	warren has preached in the past
6:48	on that sentence it was not in context
6:51	he who sits in the heavens
6:52	laughs and the reason why is because the
6:54	lord holds them in derision
6:56	he will speak to them in his wrath and
6:58	he will terrify them in his fury
7:01	saying as for me i have set my king
7:04	on zion my holy hill and i will tell of
7:07	the decree
7:08	the lord said to me you are my son today
7:11	i have begotten you
7:12	ask of me and i will make the nations
7:15	your heritage
7:16	and the ends of the earth your
7:18	possession all of it
7:19	from australia to the united states the
7:22	united kingdom
7:23	india down into africa all the way over
7:25	to china all of it
7:27	god the father is going to hand it all
7:29	over to god the son
7:30	and he will have possession of it and it
7:34	says this
7:34	of Christ that he will break them with
7:36	the rod
7:37	of iron and dash them in pieces like a
7:40	potter’s vessel
7:41	well so much for care bear Jesus that
7:43	doesn’t sound very
7:45	uh inclusive tolerant or loving by any
7:48	of the world’s standards but this
7:49	is the thing and so you’ll note when we
7:52	confess in the creed
7:54	we confess that Jesus is going to return
7:57	in what
7:58	glory glory to judge the living
8:01	and the dead this then invokes for us
8:05	images of power images of wrath
8:09	images of judgment and all of that is
8:13	correct you’ll note that Christ
8:14	returning in glory
8:15	isn’t the gospel now granted for all who
8:18	are in Christ
8:19	it will be well like the liberation
8:22	forces arriving and finally setting us
8:25	free from the tyranny of the devil
8:26	that’s what it will be like
8:28	but that’s not the good news so when we
8:31	see
8:31	king Jesus flexing his power and you’ll
8:35	note that his conquering comes
8:37	at the end of the world
8:40	which doesn’t make any sense at least
8:42	not by any human standards
8:44	that when he does come this is to exact
8:48	justice this is to judge and so these
8:51	words are written in warning
8:53	to me written in warning to you again it
8:56	is a call for us
8:57	to repent it is a call for us to
9:00	recognize
9:01	that we are powerless to keep
9:05	king Jesus from taking dominion over
9:08	his creation and he’s already
9:12	enthroned at the right hand of the
9:14	father
9:16	so the psalmist writes therefore o kings
9:19	therefore oh lay people mere citizens
9:23	be wise be warned
9:28	serve the lord with fear rejoice
9:32	with trembling kiss the son lest he be
9:35	angry and you perish in the way
9:37	his wrath is quickly kindled but the
9:39	psalm ends
9:41	not with justice not with something to
9:44	cause us to fear
9:46	blessed are all who take refuge in him
9:50	and that’s what we have done we’ve taken
9:52	refuge in
9:53	king Jesus this kind of backwards king
9:56	one that it would be easy to think of
9:58	him in lowly terms
10:00	and not see truly who he is and i would
10:03	remind
10:04	everybody that in revelation 19 we get a
10:07	fuller picture of what
10:08	Christ’s dashing of the potsherds looks
10:12	like
10:12	in revelation 19 verse 11 it says then i
10:14	saw the heaven opened
10:16	behold a white horse and one sitting on
10:19	it is called
10:19	faithful and true and in righteousness
10:22	he judges
10:23	and makes war and yeah Jesus goes to war
10:27	war with all those who persist in sin
10:29	and unbelief
10:30	his eyes are like a flame of fire and on
10:32	his head are many diadems
10:34	and he has a name written that no one
10:36	knows except for himself
10:38	he’s clothed in a robe dipped in blood
10:41	and the name by which he is called is
10:42	the word
10:43	of god same language same title that we
10:47	found in john chapter 1.
10:49	and the armies of heaven arrayed in fine
10:52	linden
10:52	linen white and pure they were following
10:55	him
10:56	on white horses and from his mouth comes
10:58	a sharp
10:59	sword with which to strike down the
11:01	nations
11:02	and he will rule them with a rod of iron
11:05	he will tread the winepress of the fury
11:08	of the wrath of god
11:09	the almighty and on his robe and on his
11:11	thigh
11:12	he has a name written king of kings
11:16	and lord of lords kind of awesome
11:20	right he even has his own branding his
11:22	own merch
11:24	it’s even better than nike king of kings
11:26	lord of lords that’s
11:29	who he is but these images again because
11:32	of our sinfulness because of all the
11:33	ways in which we
11:34	daily do not keep his commandments daily
11:38	do not hear his word
11:39	daily our prayers falter daily
11:43	our love for god and our love for
11:45	neighbor also
11:47	is weak and anemic at best
11:50	we hear images like this and you get
11:53	that little knot in your stomach that
11:54	little catch in your throat and you’re
11:56	thinking yeah this doesn’t sound
11:58	very good and so i would remind you
12:03	that it was for sure pilate who called
12:05	it
12:06	but it was pilate who presided over
12:09	Christ’s coronation and his coronation
12:11	is one that
12:12	does bring us some kind of comfort some
12:15	kind of peace
12:16	because rather than being crowned in
12:19	glory
12:20	he returns in glory instead
12:23	is crowned in weakness
12:26	his first act is to go to the cross
12:31	and to die which is completely backwards
12:34	usually
12:34	kings end their reign with their death
12:38	but Christ begins his reign with his
12:40	death
12:41	and rather than waiting to pardon people
12:45	at the end Christ front loads all the
12:48	pardons
12:49	at the beginning he’s very different
12:51	than any of the rulers of the earth
12:53	in john 19 starting at verse 1 says
12:56	pilate took Jesus
12:58	and he flogged him Christ bleeding
13:02	suffering for the enemies
13:05	of god for his enemies has begun
13:08	the soldiers then twisted a crown of
13:11	thorns
13:12	put it on his head and arrayed him in a
13:14	purple robe
13:16	and they came up to him saying hail king
13:18	of the jews
13:20	and they struck him with their hands
13:25	this is Christ’s coronation
13:29	being king of kings and lord of lords he
13:31	could have chosen
13:33	any coronation for himself
13:36	and this is the one he chose
13:39	he chose to be flogged he chose to be
13:42	beaten
13:43	he chose to be mocked he chose to bleed
13:46	and to die
13:47	for his enemies so that we can be
13:49	pardoned
13:50	and although they said to him hail king
13:54	of the jews
13:55	mockingly the words they spoke were true
13:59	because that is indeed who Jesus is so
14:03	pilate
14:03	brought him out and said see i am
14:05	bringing him out to you
14:06	so that you may know that i find no
14:09	guilt in him the verdict was innocent
14:11	so Jesus came out wearing the crown of
14:14	thorns
14:15	and the purple robe and pilate said to
14:18	them
14:19	behold the man
14:25	by earthly standards it’s just
14:30	horrifying this is a mocking
14:34	that is so blasphemous and yet at the
14:37	same time what we meant for evil
14:40	Christ has worked for good pilate was
14:42	right behold the man
14:43	indeed behold our king but the chief
14:46	priests and the officers when they saw
14:48	him they cried out crucify him
14:50	crucify him pilate said to them take him
14:52	yourself and crucify him i find no guilt
14:55	in him
14:55	the jews answered him we have a law and
14:58	according to that law
14:59	he ought to die because he made himself
15:02	the son of god
15:03	but he didn’t he is the son of god
15:06	even the psalmist in psalm 2 says you
15:09	are my son today i have begotten you
15:12	so when pilate heard this he was even
15:14	more afraid
15:15	he entered the headquarters again and
15:17	said to Jesus where are you from
15:19	and Jesus gave him no answer so pilate
15:21	said to him do you not speak to me do
15:23	you not know that i have authority to
15:25	release you
15:26	an authority to crucify you and here’s
15:29	the important part Jesus answered
15:31	you would have no authority over me
15:32	unless it had been given to you from
15:34	above
15:36	everything that is happening to Jesus is
15:39	going
15:40	according to plan and so that next time
15:44	you see
15:46	the next time you see Jesus in artwork
15:49	depicted standing with a royal robe and
15:52	a crown of thorns before
15:54	everybody and pilate saying behold the
15:56	man
15:57	see this for what it is the coronation
16:00	that Christ has chosen for himself
16:03	and this is important because again when
16:05	we think of kings we think of glory
16:09	but Christ has chosen his coronation in
16:12	shame the shame that you and i deserve
16:15	because of our sin
16:16	so that we can be clothed in his
16:19	glorious righteousness when he returns
16:23	in glory
16:24	so that we can be pardoned have peace
16:27	with god
16:28	and not be broken to pieces like his
16:31	enemies on the day that he returns
16:34	so today is not the day of Christ’s
16:36	glory
16:37	because Christ has chosen to hold that
16:40	day
16:40	to some day in the predetermined future
16:44	but he hasn’t arrived yet so today is
16:47	not the day of
16:48	the glory of king Jesus today again
16:51	is the day of salvation the day of mercy
16:54	the day of peace the day of the lowly
16:57	king
16:58	who’s crowned in thorns
17:01	bleeding dying so that you and i can
17:03	live today
17:05	is a day we think of Christ not in the
17:07	glory that he will be but in the
17:09	gloriousness of his humbleness
17:14	it’s a good thing it is a good thing
17:18	so when we think about Christ being
17:20	declared king
17:22	there’s a lot of different layers to it
17:25	but they don’t contradict each other
17:27	they hold together paradoxically
17:29	and we do confess that he will return in
17:32	glory and because he was the lowly king
17:34	who was beaten flogged crucified died
17:37	buried and risen we also
17:40	will rise and be with him when he
17:43	returns
17:44	in the name of Jesus amen

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