THE Rev. Jeremy Thompson, vicar at St John’s Lee, comments on John 18 v 33-37:

WITHOUT wishing to be rude to her Majesty the Queen, we like our monarchs tame these days. We want a monarch but one that plays the game under our rules. This wasn’t always the case.

The kings – and queens – who have ruled this Kingdom of Northumbria down the years had very different ideas. Despotic, tyrannical, and absolute, are just some of the words we might use to describe their leadership style; men skilled with the sword who drew to themselves power and riches.

This was the kind of king Pontius Pilate knew – the Emperors of Rome came from the same root-stock. And here standing before him is a ragged young man whose followers have deserted him, that the chief priests are saying has claimed to be “the King of the Jews”. The very idea is preposterous! But he better make sure and so he asks the question.

Jesus’ does not deny the accusation. Yes, he is a King, but his kingdom is not from this world. But his kingdom is very definitely for this world.

Jesus is quite clear; his kingdom is a very real, earthly, here-and-now affair. A kingdom founded on truth. But what is truth? Pilate asked the question then and we might ask it again today. For Pilate, and those who were kings in his day, truth was what came out of a scabbard! In our day some would argue that hard scientific fact is the only truth. But the ragged young man, about to die, He is the truth. The truth that is willing to die for you and me. May His Kingdom come.