Paul and Peter give Jesus an interesting title. They call Jesus a “stumbling stone” (Rom. 9:32, 1 Pet. 2:8). It’s a kind of stone the workers reject and toss aside as useless, but it’s this misunderstood “stumbling stone” that will become the cornerstone for a new humanity and a new kingdom.

Have you ever had one of those moments where you honestly thought, “What if I am getting this all wrong? What if we have been woefully misled and we should have been playing by the world’s rules all along?”

In John 18:36 Jesus declares to Pilate: My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish authorities. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.

If you are watching a movie or reading a good book, there is a literary device called dramatic irony that is often utilized. It’s that moment in your book or in the movie when you know the characters are going into a situation thinking one thing, but the reality of that situation is far different. This is when we yell at the people in the movie, “Don’t go in there! Don’t do it! That’s a really bad decision!”

There are many of these moments in the Gospel of John and the Apostle is very gifted at highlighting the painful, ironic realities of the arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. Most of the characters in John think one thing, but the reality of that situation and the perspective of Jesus is far more momentous.