Many years ago the B.B.C. produced a play cycle for radio by Dorothy L. Sayers about the life of Jesus. It was called “Man Born to be King”.Not only did it move me then, all those years ago-not only has it always moved me when we have enacted or I have ‘directed’ it in many young peoples getaways, but even the memory of it moves me still. It brought to life the New Testament story. It broadcast the story of Jesus with such realism that I could never keep my eyes dry.
I am surprised that throughout my Christian life the story of Jesus has never faded – its impact never lessened with the passage of time.The reality of the man who was born to be King has always gripped me.Books,plays (well, that one) sermons, some of them hostile and critical, have never dimmed for me the reality of Him.
Forgive me repeating this but Jesus is a person un-inventable.In him everything we human beings try to avoid is placarded;everything we find ‘unheroic’ is present.Never a superman.Never a super star Never predictable. A king who rides on a donkey.A monarch who washes his men’s dirty feet. Holiness embracing prostitutes.Courage cringing before unspeakable horror, yet going on.A He-man weeping in public – the power of heaven’s hosts seen to be vulnerable.The ruler of all – crushed.In all history, which he split in two, no one approaches a comparison to this person.
No wonder that even Pontius Pilate was impressed when he cried “Behold the man”.John 18: 37-40.
“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”
“What is truth?” Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said “I find no basis for a charge against him.But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover.Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”
They shouted back “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” “We want Barabbas”.

A Prayer:
Father I marvel at the person of Jesus, and your wondrous strategy of salvation.I adore Him.I also marvel at our human blindness which when faced with the embodiment of all reality, asks ‘What is truth?’

Now read John 1: 19-34.