"If Jesus is the King, why didn't He just order an army of angels to rescue Him?" asks Caleb, 10. "He could've blinked and zapped everybody!" Caleb's question might be exactly what Pontius Pilate was thinking during his famous conversation with Jesus in John 18:2840. Pilate was the Roman governor who had the authority to set Jesus free or send him to die. But the more Pilate talked with Jesus, the more confused he became.
"Jesus told Pilate that His kingdom was not of this world," says Lily, 11. "That means Jesus is a king, but not like any king Pilate had ever known." Let's look at what happened. Pilate tried to . gure out who Jesus was and why the Jewish leaders wanted Him dead. When Pilate asked, "Are You the King of the Jews?" Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world." Then Jesus said something amazing: "Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice." Jesus didn't try to impress Pilate. He didn't beg for His life. Instead, he spoke calmly, clearly, and with authority. That's because Jesus knew exactly who he was and why he came, to die for the sins of the world.
"Pilate was confused because Jesus didn't act like someone trying to save himself," says Ava, 10. "He acted like someone on a mission." Pilate didn't know what to do. He even said, "I . nd no fault in him at all." But instead of setting Jesus free, Pilate offered to release him as part of a Passover tradition. The crowd chose Barabbas, a criminal, instead.
