Jesus, King of your heart and mine! (Matthew 27:1–30)

[Stephan Choe]

September 25, 2026

Key Verse 11: “Meanwhile, Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You say so.’”

Many people believe that Jesus was crucified as a victim of the Jewish authorities. However, this is only partially true, for the Bible tells us that Jesus willingly walked the path to the cross because He loved us. He loved you and me deeply and died voluntarily as our atoning sacrifice.

Therefore, we should accept His sacrificial death not only with the mind but also with our hearts. I would like to explain to you that Jesus died voluntarily out of love for us.

1. Jesus is handed over to Pilate (1–10)

Jesus was arrested at midnight and interrogated by the High Council. In the early morning hours, He was handed over to the governor, Pilate. This transfer was necessary because the High Council lacked the authority to pass or carry out a death sentence; only the Roman governor possessed that right.

When Judas saw that Jesus had been condemned to death by the High Council, he was filled with remorse. He returned the thirty pieces of silver to the high priests, saying, "I have done wrong, for I have betrayed an innocent man to his death."

But they answered him, "What is that to us? That is your affair!" Then Judas threw the money into the temple, ran away, and hanged himself.

He had followed Jesus as one of the Twelve. Yet he did not believe in Jesus as the Christ or the Son of God; instead, he viewed Jesus merely as a good teacher. He recognized his sin but could not forgive himself. Tormented by the accusations of his conscience and the devil, he hanged himself.

Any remorse for sin is good. Yet remorse without faith in Jesus Christ cannot help us. Whoever recognizes their sin but does not believe in God’s forgiveness in Christ suffers under the accusations of their conscience and the devil. When we have sinned, we must not only admit our wrongdoing but also believe in the forgiveness found in Jesus Christ. In this way, we can experience forgiveness and freedom. We therefore need both repentance and faith in Jesus Christ to lead a free and blessed life.

God had planned in advance the arrest, death, resurrection, ascension, and return of Jesus. He used Judas’s betrayal to carry out His plan for the redemption of the world. With God, there is neither misfortune nor failure; He causes all things to work together for our good (Romans 8:28). Praise be to God!

2. Jesus’ Testimony Before Pilate (11–30)

The Jewish leaders had condemned Jesus to death as a blasphemer because He had claimed to be the Christ and the Son of God. However, they knew that Pilate would not listen to them regarding a religious matter.

Therefore, they accused Jesus of being a leader of insurgents who claimed to be the political King of the Jews and incited the people not to pay taxes to the Romans (Luke 23:2).

Yet their accusation was only a half-truth. While it is true that Jesus presented Himself as King, He did not do so in a political sense; rather, He did so as the Messiah.

Pilate, too, was a shrewd man of power. He had held various military positions before becoming the governor (procurator) of Judea. By this time, he had already been serving as governor for four or five years and was therefore familiar with the Jewish people and their customs. He undoubtedly possessed sufficient information about Jesus. Consequently, he saw through the Jewish leaders’ intentions when they brought charges against Jesus. He intended to question Jesus briefly and then explain to the Jews that he had found no guilt in Him.

Thus, Pilate began to question Jesus, asking, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

Jesus answered, “You say so.”

According to the Gospel of John, Jesus replied, “You say so; I am a King. I was born and came into the world to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.”

Here we can recognize who Jesus is—he who answered Pilate’s question, “Are you the King of the Jews?” with “Yes”:    

First: Jesus is the truth.  

Jesus always spoke the truth and never falsehood. Here, for example, He declares the truth that He is the King of the Jews. "King of the Jews" means the Christ. Jesus is the truth. Truth remains unchanged, regardless of the passage of time; likewise, Jesus remains the same forever. And Jesus proclaims the truth to us. This truth can grant us eternal life and the true meaning of life. An earthly king cannot be a true king, for he does not remain the same forever, nor does he always speak the truth. Nor can he convey a truth that could lead us to an eternal, meaningful life. A human king can never be the truth itself. But Jesus is the truth, as He says in the Gospel of John: "I am the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6).

He tells us the truth. He proclaims the truth that leads us to an eternal, meaningful life. He is the truth itself because He is God and reveals God to us—the God who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He came into the world to reveal God to us and to proclaim the truth. He came to show us the way to forgiveness and eternal life. When we accept Him as the Christ and the Son of God, we recognize the truth, and the truth will set us free from sin, death, and hell (John 8:32).  

Secondly, Jesus is the King.  

Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Yes."

What kind of king is Jesus?  

To understand Jesus' answer correctly, we must grasp how kingship began in Israel.

After the Israelites had been liberated through the Exodus from Egypt and had reached Canaan, they did not appoint a political king, for they knew that God was their King. Thus, initially, there was no king in Israel, but rather judges—such as Deborah, Gideon, and Samson. These judges acted as saviors of the nation during times of crisis and as arbiters for the people during times of peace. However, the Israelites desired a political king, just like the neighboring countries. They asked the prophet Samuel to appoint a king. They did not want to rely on the invisible God, but rather on a visible, human king. Their motive displeased the prophet. Nevertheless, God granted their wish and had Saul appointed as the first king of Israel. Before this, God had warned the people through Samuel that a human king could not be a good king but would instead be power-hungry and selfish.

That is how kingship began in Israel.

Indeed, Saul was a selfish and sinful king; he persecuted David for ten years, even though David was innocent. Through his time of suffering, David learned that God alone is the true King. When he became king himself, he did not forget that God—and not he himself—was the true King. Consequently, he repeatedly sought God's guidance and ruled according to His will. This enabled him to be a good king and to serve the people faithfully.

The kings who succeeded David in Israel and Judah, however, were for the most part evil. As a result, Israel and Judah eventually fell, one after the other.

Yet people and nations who acknowledge God as their King and live in His presence are blessed. Consider the example of Joseph in the Book of Genesis. He was sold into slavery in Egypt by his own brothers and had to serve as a slave in the household of one of Pharaoh’s officials. At one point, the official’s wife tried to seduce him into sleeping with her. Yet Joseph knew that God was the true King; therefore, he did not sin against God. Due to false accusations made by the official’s wife, he ended up in prison. Nevertheless, he continued to live before God and acted in a way that pleased Him.

God was indeed the King. God freed Joseph from prison and had him appointed by Pharaoh as the chief administrator of Egypt.   We, too, may sometimes be humbled—just like Joseph—when we live sincerely before God. In the eyes of others, this may appear foolish. But God lives. He will exalt us in His own time—certainly no later than the day of His return.  

Pilate considered himself the most powerful man in Palestine. According to the Gospel of John, he said to Jesus, "Do you not know that I have the power to release you and the power to have you crucified?" (John 19:10).

He was a ruler without faith. To him, it did not matter whether his verdict aligned with the truth or not. He did not believe that truth always triumphs; rather, he believed that power always prevails. Consequently, power was far more important to him than truth. He claimed authority over Jesus’s life, yet in reality, he was a slave to his own selfishness.

Yet we should remember Jesus’ words: “The truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

Jesus Christ is our true King. He is the truth itself. His reign is perfect. He teaches us the truth that leads to life. Jesus gave His life for the truth, yet He rose from the dead. He sits at the right hand of God and reigns over the whole world. He will return in His own time. He proclaims to us the truth that can free us from sin and grant us eternal life. We ought to accept Jesus and His word as the truth. Then we have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life, and we know God as our Father.  

Thirdly: He is the King of your heart and mine.  

Jesus is King. He draws us to Himself—not through His power, but through His love. After Jesus had acknowledged Himself as King, He did not defend Himself, even though the Jewish leaders accused Him with slander. When Pilate said to Him, "Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?" (13), He remained silent.

Why did Jesus not defend Himself? Because He loved you and me, He voluntarily chose to die as God’s sacrificial Lamb for our sins. God’s Word in John 3:16 explains this,

"For God so loved the world (that is, us) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."

Jesus loved us so much that He voluntarily sacrificed His life for us. He did not think of Himself, but only of you and me. He wanted us to receive forgiveness, to have intimate fellowship with God, and to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. That is why the Apostle John says,

"See what love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God—and that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1).

What profound love! Jesus loves us so deeply that He sacrificed His life for us—even though we were actually His enemies. He loved us even before we knew Him. He loved us when we still hated Him. He came into this world specifically to take our sins upon Himself and to die for us on the cross! That is truly great love. Once we have recognized and accepted His love, He loves us even more. He wants to lead you and me to His heavenly home. Naturally, He wishes to accompany, protect, and guide us along this path. Jesus’s love is profound. He is the King of our hearts. The love of Christ is the heart of the Gospel.

I would like to tell you about a Russian soldier named Ivan Moiseyev, who experienced the deep love of Jesus and loved Him with all his heart. It was 1970 in the former Soviet Union. The Communists repeatedly summoned Ivan and tried to persuade him to renounce his faith in God.

One day, he was walking along a snow-covered sidewalk, singing and praying. He was on his way to an interrogation. It was a cold but sunny midday. Suddenly, he saw a bright star slowly falling from the sky. It drew closer like a comet, growing larger and larger. When Ivan looked up, he beheld an angel above him—radiant and mighty. Ivan’s heart was filled with joy—and, at the same time, with fear. Through the angel, the Lord spoke: "Ivan, go. Do not be afraid. I am with you." Ivan could not utter a word, yet joy burned like fire in his heart.

Then he appeared before the head of the political indoctrination committee—the man who had interrogated him time and again. The official asked Ivan,

"When will you finally find the right answers?" Ivan replied, "God does not permit me to give the answers you desire. He is the Creator of the entire universe. He loves humanity deeply and sent His Son..."

The interrogator then said, "I am very sorry, Mr. Moiseyev, that you refuse to be reasonable. I order you to stand outside this evening until you reconsider this nonsense about God and angels. Since the temperature is expected to drop below minus 13 degrees, I hope you will rethink this nonsense about God and angels."

At first, Ivan felt uneasy. But when he remembered the words of the Lord spoken through the angel—"Do not be afraid, I am with you!"—he knew at once that the Lord’s message was meant for that very evening. Clad only in a thin summer uniform, Ivan was forced to stand outside as punishment. The icy wind brought tears to his eyes. At first, he was afraid. Then he thought of the Lord’s angel, who had said,

"Do not be afraid, I am with you!"

Suddenly, he knew that the Lord was with him. He prayed ceaselessly. It was half-past eleven at night. Three officers in heavy winter coats arrived and asked if he had come to his senses. Ivan replied,

"No, comrades. I will never deny God."

For twelve nights, Ivan stood outside on the street in front of his barracks. Miraculously, he held out. In the end, he was murdered by Communists.

The Lord Jesus Christ loved Ivan with all His heart and died for him. And Ivan welcomed that love into his heart and loved the Lord with all his heart.

 Heart Health Check  

Health-conscious people visit their family doctor once a year for a check-up.

We, too, need to take stock of our spiritual lives from time to time.

First, we should examine our minds to see whether we acknowledge Jesus as King.

Then, we should examine our hearts. We ought to ask ourselves whether we have personally embraced His burning love and can say, "Jesus, I, too, love You deeply!"

Is Jesus the King of your heart and mine?

Anyone who has not yet accepted Jesus as the King of their heart should do so now. God bless you!

Amen!