King
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King

Humanity tends to regard royalty in finite terms, as ruling over nations and politics—so, naturally, the people of Jesus’ day expected the same. As Alistair Begg teaches, though, our long-expected King controls not just the territorial but also the spiritual and eternal. Since all things were created by Him, we, His subjects, recognize by faith our allegiance to Him and His plan, even in a changing world. We rejoice in knowing there is no place where Jesus is not King.


The Son of Man Is Given Dominion

13“I saw in the night visions,

and obehold, with the clouds of heaven

there came one like a son of man,

and he came to the cAncient of Days

and was presented before him.

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

1When Jesus had spoken these words, nhe went out with his disciples across othe brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 2Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew pthe place, for qJesus often met there with his disciples. 3rSo Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4Then Jesus, sknowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, t“Whom do you seek?” 5They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.”1 Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6uWhen Jesus2 said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7So he asked them again, t“Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” 9vThis was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.” 10Then Simon Peter, whaving a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant3 and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) 11So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; xshall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

Jesus Faces Annas and Caiaphas

12So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews4 arrested Jesus and bound him. 13First they yled him to zAnnas, for he was the father-in-law of aCaiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews bthat it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.

Peter Denies Jesus

15cSimon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, 16dbut Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. 17eThe servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man's disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” 18Now the servants5 and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. fPeter also was with them, standing and warming himself.

The High Priest Questions Jesus

19gThe high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 20Jesus answered him, “I have spoken hopenly ito the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. jI have said nothing in secret. 21Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.” 22When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, k“Is that how you answer the high priest?” 23Jesus answered him, “If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?” 24lAnnas then sent him bound to lCaiaphas the high priest.

Peter Denies Jesus Again

25mNow Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” 26One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of nthe man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you oin the garden with him?” 27Peter again denied it, and pat once a rooster crowed.

Jesus Before Pilate

28qThen they led Jesus rfrom the house of Caiaphas to sthe governor's headquarters.6 It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters, tso that they would not be defiled, ubut could eat the Passover. 29vSo Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” 31Pilate said to them, w“Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” 32xThis was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken yto show by what kind of death he was going to die.

My Kingdom Is Not of This World

33zSo Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, a“Are you the King of the Jews?” 34Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36Jesus answered, b“My kingdom cis not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, dmy servants would have been fighting, that eI might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, f“You say that I am a king. gFor this purpose I was born and for this purpose hI have come into the world—ito bear witness to the truth. jEveryone who is kof the truth llistens to my voice.” 38Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

After he had said this, mhe went back outside to the Jews and told them, n“I find no guilt in him. 39oBut you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40They cried out again, p“Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.7

The Two Witnesses

1Then I was given ma measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2but do not measure nthe court outside the temple; leave that out, for oit is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for pforty-two months. 3And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for p1,260 days, qclothed in sackcloth.”

4These are rthe two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5And if anyone would harm them, sfire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, tthis is how he is doomed to be killed. 6They have the power uto shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and vto strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. 7And when they have finished their testimony, wthe beast that rises from xthe bottomless pit1 ywill make war on them and conquer them and kill them, 8and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically2 is called zSodom and aEgypt, where their Lord was crucified. 9For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and brefuse to let them be placed in a tomb, 10and cthose who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and dexchange presents, because these two prophets ehad been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. 11But after the three and a half days fa breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, g“Come up here!” And hthey went up to heaven iin a cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13And at that hour there was ja great earthquake, and ka tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and lgave glory to mthe God of heaven.

14nThe second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come.

The Seventh Trumpet

15Then othe seventh angel blew his trumpet, and pthere were loud voices in heaven, saying, q“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of rhis Christ, and she shall reign forever and ever.” 16And the twenty-four elders twho sit on their thrones before God ufell on their faces and worshiped God, 17saying,

“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,

vwho is and who was,

for you have taken your great power

and wbegun to reign.

18The nations raged,

but xyour wrath came,

and ythe time for the dead to be judged,

and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,

and zthose who fear your name,

both small and great,

and afor destroying the destroyers of the earth.”

19Then bGod's temple in heaven was opened, and cthe ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings,3 peals of thunder, an earthquake, and dheavy hail.

Copyright © 2024, Alistair Begg. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.

Alistair Begg
Alistair Begg is Senior Pastor at Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Bible teacher on Truth For Life, which is heard on the radio and online around the world.