Much of the world, when it understands what Christianity is really all about, does not consider it a serious threat at all. In one respect, they’re not wrong to think that way. Take Pilate, for example. His main concern was the welfare of Rome, because Rome gave him a job. But even though Jesus was brought to him for “treasonously” claiming to be a king, Pilate found him to be no real threat when he figured out what Jesus was actually all about. He didn’t care whether Jesus was the king who testified truth for the world, so long as he wasn’t a king that wanted to overthrow his empire.
Worldly kingdoms, it turns out, always have to survive by force and violence. Whether global empires or middle school popularity contests, they have to fight and grapple in order to stay on top as long as they can. But not Jesus’ kingdom. His comes from Heaven and has no need of fighting or force. The truth of the gospel and the sovereign reign of the Father remain regardless. But that means Jesus had no reason to exercise power in any way that would worry Pontius Pilate.
In light of that, followers of Jesus have no need to try to fight their culture and make sure Christianity stays the strongest—the Christ from Heaven will inevitably win out anyway. And actually, contrary to Pilate, the Jews recognized this! Unlike Rome, their power was in doctrine rather than force, and to this kind of power Jesus was a real threat. That’s why, ironically, they preferred the release of a dangerous insurrectionist (who was an actual threat to Rome!) over the release of the Messiah.
Who was worse off, Pilate or the Jews? In fact both were to blame. Both Pilate’s apathy and the Jews’ animosity sent Jesus to the cross. The same goes today; carelessness, and concern only for oneself, are no less a rejection of the Son of God than outright hatred of him. But in contrast, as Jesus tells Pilate, those who are on the side of truth are those who listen to and obey his voice. These recognize the eternal, sovereign kingship of Christ Jesus. All others are associated only with his death, but those who are on the side of truth will share with Jesus in his eternal life.
