“No King But Caesar!” (John 19:6-16)

“We Have No King but Jesus”

John 19:4–15

John’s Gospel—and the community that formed around it, along with Revelation and 1–3 John—holds what biblical scholars often describe as the highest Christology in the New Testament. More than any other Gospel, these writings insist that for Christians there is no higher authority, loyalty, or example than Jesus of Nazareth. To follow Jesus is to place him above every other claim on our lives.

That conviction comes into sharp focus in this passage. Pilate brings Jesus out before the crowd wearing a crown of thorns and a purple robe and announces that he finds no basis for a charge against him. The religious leaders, however, claim that Jesus must be put to death because he is claiming to be the “Son of God.” To modern readers, that phrase can sound purely theological, but in the first-century Roman world it carried strong political meaning.

Caesar’s Comet

In 44 BCE, Julius Caesar was assassinated. That same year, during games held in his honor, a comet appeared in the sky. Many interpreted it as a sign that Caesar had been taken up into the heavens and made divine. His adopted son, Octavian, seized on this moment and began calling himself divi filius, “Son of God.” This title became central to the imperial cult. To call the emperor “Son of God” was to claim divine authority and therefore the right to rule. It was a political claim long before it was a religious one.

So when Pilate hears that Jesus has claimed this title, his tone changes. He becomes afraid and asks Jesus, “Where do you come from?” Pilate is not asking about geography, he is asking about origins, authority, and legitimacy. “Does this man have a claim to the throne?”
John’s Gospel wants us to feel the irony of the moment: Jesus is indeed a rival king, but not in the way Pilate understands power.

Jesus doesn’t answer. To respond would be to acknowledge Pilate’s authority over him. By remaining silent, Jesus signals that he does not recognize Pilate as having ultimate power. So Pilate is frustrated and asserts himself, reminding Jesus that he has the power to free him or crucify him. Jesus’ reply strikes at the heart of John’s high Christology: Pilate has no power except what has been given from above. Authority does not belong to emperors by nature. It belongs to God.

A Question of Power

Throughout John’s Gospel, two kinds of power are placed side by side. One is power over others, maintained through coercion, fear, and violence. The other is the power Jesus embodies—power expressed through love, service, and self-giving. The irony John exposes is that political rulers and religious leaders often rely on the same kind of power. This becomes unmistakably clear when Pilate asks, “Shall I crucify your king?” and the chief priests respond, “We have no king but Caesar.”

In that moment, religious authority and imperial power openly align.
They often do today as well.

This is what distinguishes the Christian from both secular empires and religious empires. The Christian belongs to one kingdom and serves one king. That claim has always created tension, especially when passages like Romans 13 are used to demand unquestioning obedience to governing authorities. But Romans cannot be read in a way that contradicts the teaching and example of Jesus. Only Jesus carries ultimate authority. Paul himself places governing powers under Christ, calling them servants rather than gods.

John’s Gospel offers a deeper way of seeing. Again and again it raises the question of where something truly comes from. Those who live in the light of Jesus learn to recognize what is from God and what is not, regardless of how convincing the language sounds. Titles, slogans, and appeals to authority can be misleading. What matters is whether something reflects the character and way of Jesus.

Sometimes faithfulness looks like quiet refusal. Sometimes it means declining to name darkness as light, even when powerful voices insist that you should.

House Church Discussion Questions

What does it mean to say that Christians owe their highest allegiance to Jesus rather than to any other authority?

What do you make of the statement, “We have no king but Caesar”?
What does it reveal about the relationship between religion and power?

How should Christians think about obedience to governing authorities in light of Jesus’ teaching and example?

Where do you see the challenge of discerning what truly comes from God in our current cultural or political moment?

What might faithful allegiance to Jesus look like for you right now, especially when his way conflicts with other expectations or pressures?