John 18:33-37

            {Prayer}

            Before I left for my hunting vacation this past week, I had this image of a compass in mind for today’s message. Now, I’m typically good with directions, especially when hunting in familiar terrain. But at my father-in-law’s farm, even at his house, I get completely turned around. I know where the tree stands are, I know how to get to them, but I have no idea which way is north. I just know what tree stands the sun will be shining in my eyes at sunrise or sunset. This is where a compass could come in handy. Why? Because a compass always points north, no matter where you are. In the northern hemisphere, moss grows on the north side of trees, helping you find your direction.

But let’s imagine you didn’t know that. Let’s imagine you are lost in unfamiliar terrain, if you have a solid starting point, a compass can provide clarity and confidence, even when the world around you is confusing.

            Let’s think about this in the terms of the kingship of Christ. Christ’s kingship functions like a compass. A compass is steady and unchanging … so is Christ. Jesus is a steady, unchanging truth that guides you and me through life. Jesus calls us to trust Him, to trust His words, and to trust His reign over the world.

            But there are so many voices? Voices which pull us this way or that. Voices that overlap each other that it is hard to hear the one you want. I think it’s easy to sympathize with Pontius Pilate when Jesus is on trial. Pilate doesn’t initially want to deal with Jesus. But the religious leaders insist on that Pilate puts Jesus to death, mainly because they can’t. So, Pilate questions Jesus, asking “are you the King of the Jews?” Finding no reason to charge Him, Pilate wants to let Jesus go, but He is pressured by the voices of the crowd, the voices of the religious leaders who demand that Jesus is put to death and a criminal is set free.

            Like Pilate, I believe we can easily misunderstand Christ’s kingship. Yes, we understand in our head who Jesus, what it is He has done for us through His perfect life, through His miserable suffering and death, and through His victorious resurrection. We know in our minds that because of the blood shed by Jesus on the cross we are forgiven of our sins. We get hear that, we get that … but what about in our hearts, in our lives? If we have it up here in our heads and believe it down here in our hearts … then why don’t our lives reflect that? Why do our lives look like we have taken the compass of God’s Word and just tossed it aside?

Like Pilate, with all the different voices coming at us … we can misunderstand Christ’s kingship when we start to listen to those voices and seek our own “kingdoms”. These “kingdoms” they can be things like our status, our security, our approval by others. This desire for sole ownership, for control, it easily pulls us away from God’s path. When we ignore Christ as our compass, we end up following the shifting voices around us, hoping to find peace and purpose on our terms. But without a true “north,” we only feel more lost and uncertain, pulled in all directions and finding no lasting foundation.

Without Christ’s direction, we are like people wandering in unfamiliar terrain, tossed about by circumstances and competing voices. When we keep ignoring His call to trust Him as our King, we drift further from His love and truth. Eventually, we may drift far enough that we find ourselves lost, wondering what went wrong.

As we reflect on this, what is it that Jesus said to Pilate. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36a). Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world. What exactly does that mean? Well … within the context of Jesus’ life, of His kingship, of what we see here in our gospel reading … it means that Jesus’ kingdom is not found in earthly power or personal control. Jesus’ kingdom is not in yours and my own “kingdom.” Instead, it means that Jesus’ kingdom is rooted in God’s truth, love, and redemption.

But here’s the amazing thing. When we’ve gone astray, Jesus, our King, He never stops seeking us. He pursues after us. He leaves the ninety-nine sheep on the hillside to go and find you and me. His truth, it never changes! It always pointing us back to the Father. And when we lose our way, when Jesus finds us, He doesn’t condemn us! He actually comes and finds us so that He can guide us back and place us on the path of grace, giving us a clear direction to follow and a place in His kingdom. As a compass always pointing north, Jesus always redirects us to the truth of God’s love, freeing us from sin and guiding us toward His eternal kingdom.

Christ’s kingdom, it’s unlike any earthly power. It isn’t defined by borders, by human control, by political party. It’s a kingdom built on solidly on truth, love, and redemption. And it’s available to us no matter how lost we may feel. God’s kingdom offers us the ultimate security and peace that this world could ever give. Christ as our King is like trusting a compass to guide us back on course. His reign and His truth are reliable, offering a steady foundation when the world feels chaotic or uncertain.

And unlike the needles on some of our compasses that break or get stuck, Jesus doesn’t do that. He doesn’t do that because Jesus’ kingdom isn’t affected by sin. Jesus’ kingdom isn’t confined by earthly borders or limitations. Jesus’ kingdom reigns over everything, offering direction and hope no matter what the terrain of our lives look like. Whether it is a dark valley, a dry desert, or stormy waters, Jesus’ kingdom always gives us a constant point of reference. His truth … it is reliable even when the circumstances are not. Trusting in Christ’s kingship with our hearts and our minds offers us a steady foundation. A solid foundation we firmly stand upon when we face instability or uncertainty.

In each of the Gospels, Jesus tells His disciples to go. To go and make disciples, go and teach, go and live out His word. The most memorable of these is at the end of Matthew’s Gospel, where Jesus says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and” here it is, “and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And sure I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20).

When Jesus says, “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me” (John 18:37), Jesus is calling us to be active disciples, active followers. Jesus calls us to regularly tune our ears to His voice, to His Word. When Jesus calls us to be “of the truth,” He is calling us to live by His example, making choices that might go against the grain of the world. Just as a compass always points north, Christ’s Word gives us a consistent guide when life’s choices seem confusing. And I get that listening to His voice may not always be easy, especially when the world’s paths tempt us toward convenience or popularity, but listening to Jesus keeps us true to God’s direction.

And guiding others to Jesus is not always easy. While some may not want to hear it, Christ’s truth, it points us toward a path of genuine peace and purpose. Christ’s truth helps us show others what a hope-filled path looks like. We are called to walk this path not just for ourselves but to bear witness to a world in need of light and hope. It’s a challenge to live this way. Christ simply calls us to follow Him. He doesn’t say, “Hey, follow me when it’s easy or convenient for you.” No, Jesus says, “pick up your cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24). That means following Jesus isn’t always going to be easy. It may take us to a harder and less-traveled road.

But despite the what the road looks like, following Christ, following the compass of His Word, leads us to a life of peace and purpose. When we live out this calling, we point others to a path of hope and light in a world full of competing, shifting directions. Christ’s truth, like the compass, guides us toward genuine purpose, giving us a foundation even when life feels uncertain. Together, as Christ’s church, we bear witness to His kingship. As we make choices based on His truth, we become instruments of hope in a world that desperately needs it. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, now and forever. Amen.