It is as you say

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

IT IS AS YOU SAY

Matt 27:11-14

11 Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. 12 When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?" 14 But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge — to the great amazement of the governor.

NIV

It  is interesting that Matthew does not record the entire conversation as the other Gospels do. In John Jesus goes on to tell Pilate that his kingdom is not of this world.

John 18:36-37

36 Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."  37 "You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." 

NIV

Certainly the chief priests and elders knew Pilate would not care  about a charge of blasphemy for that was a religious thing of the Jews. So they had to trump up a charge that he was claiming to raise up a kingdom, and become the new king who would fight against the Roman rule. This Pilate would not stand for and for the act of insurrection against Rome, Pilate would then crucify Jesus. But using the other accounts we see that Jesus explained fully that he was no threat to Rome, in fact his kingdom was not of this world, that is was from another place. He did not say that his kingdom was not here in the world, but that it was not established of or by the world. His kingdom was established in heaven and he did bring it here to the world. We can therefore live in his kingdom now. In fact we are told we are citizens of the kingdom of God and thus foreigners or aliens to the world.

1 Peter 2:11-12

11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

NIV  

Certainly we live in the world, but we are aliens and strangers to the world. Our true nature is in the kingdom of God. Jesus is our king, he is our sovereign Lord. He told Pilate that he came to tell the truth and whoever is on his side listens to him. John records that Pilate then asked Jesus, “What is the truth?” which indicated Pilate might well have wanted to listen to Jesus explain more about his kingdom. This should be the desire of our heart, to know the truth. If we truly understood that we are aliens of this world, strangers to it, and our rightful place of residence is in the kingdom of God then that should govern how we life our lives. That should govern choices or decisions we make each and every day as well as our long term plans or ambitions. If we are planning for a future for the here and now, or for some years in the future in the world than maybe we do not understand the truth. Our future is in the kingdom of God. This should drive our passions, our ambitions, our choices. Surely we need certain material things of this world. It is without question we are to toil the ground, so to speak, all the days of our lives for our sustenance. God told Adam that was because of sin, he would have to toil all the days of his life and we are the descendants of Adam. Yet God has also told us that if we put his kingdom first and foremost in our lives, setting all else aside, he would supply all our needs. The big problem is we want more than our needs, we want our wants. Which kingdom do we want to live in?  He is the King of kings, Lord of lords. When Pilate asked him if he were a king, he told him, “It is as you say”. When we acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Savior and he responds, “It is as you say”. When we say we want to be a part of his kingdom, that we are seeking his kingdom first and foremost. When we say we are aliens and strangers to the world, He responds, “It is as you say”. When we say, we confess with our mouth and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead, he responds, “It is as you say”. So we should then be very careful what we say about our lives, what we believe in our heart about our lives, our ambitions, our goals, our plans, for Jesus will say, “It is as you say”.