Ecce Homo - St. John 19

An Excerpt from my sermon for the 23rd Sunday After Trinity, 2006; John 18 & 19. I had been arguing that Jesus is represented in chapters 18 & 19 as in complete control of the events. His portrayal as the King backs up that argument:

Finally, we have the symbolism of the two presentations of Jesus to the Jews. We have just read of Jesus, presented to the Jews attired with crown and robe, and the words, “Behold the Man.” In this attire, the Roman soldiers had been calling him king of the Jews. Later, without the crown and robe, quite torn up from his beating, he is presented to them again, this time Pilate says, “behold your king!” Thus twice Jesus is portrayed as the king of the Jews, which we know he was. But these events help to emphasise that Jesus, being the King, was ultimately in control of what was happening. He had come as King of all to be the promised King of Israel, and he would take that throne after he had accomplished his death. The cross was his path to the throne and he took that path with determination.

But all this business of the King of the Jews purposefully taking this road to the cross and death is very ironic, is it not? The whole world should have been worshipping at his feet, instead of this. But, do not those words “behold the man” and “behold your king” bring back to our minds the words of the man who first presented Jesus to the Jews and through them the world? “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The King uses his authority to become the Lamb. He is to be both. We behold him so, with the disciples, at the cross. There he has finally become what John said he would become and he has done what needed to be done to be sure that he did so. He is both king and lamb at the same time.

This is powerfully symbolised by the placard on the cross. As Jesus hangs on the cross, he dies as the lamb, but he is named on the placard the king of the Jews, in 3 languages, for all the world to read. He was both at the same time, and he remains so. He continues today as the King on the right hand of God, but he appears as a lamb that was slain. This is his glory! That someone like him should exist for us is the glory of the grace of God.