John 18:28-37
A Kingdom, Not of this World
In 1979, the late Jerry Falwell pioneered a political machine known as the Moral Majority. Falwell, originally a pastor and university president, became alarmed at that social and cultural transformation taking place in America through the 1960’s and 70’s and responded by seeking to reclaim the nation through the American political system.
Falwell saw traditional family values were under attack. Sexual promiscuity was on the rise, the advance of homosexual agenda socially, the legalization of abortion, schools were promoting evolution and removing group prayer.
Falwell shifted his focus in 1979. Previously he had been a radio and eventually a television preacher. But he found a greater opportunity in politics than in preaching. One historian writes:
Recognizing that he could gain greater attention by talking about social issues than theological topic, Falwell turned (from television preaching) to politics.1
Things started off with a bang.
In the fiscal 1979, the program raised $35 million from the two and a half million people on its mailing lists.2
Adjusting for inflation, that would be $95 million in today’s money. Almost $100 million raised in one year. The Moral Majority, was self-described as pro-family and pro-American. They were anti-abortion. Anti-pornography. Anti-communist. Anti-homosexuality. Anti-gambling. Pro-Israel.
In 1980 the Moral Majority was credited with helping Ronald Reagan win the presidential election. A new day of political conservatism seemed to be dawning. Grass roots campaigns were taking place at the local and state level.
Many others had tried unsuccessfully to create similar movements and failed.
What gave the movement such success?
Well Falwell was joined by other megachurch pastors—Charles Stanley (adding a Southern Baptist contingency) and D. James Kennedy (from the PCA, the Presbyterian Church in America). Reached across doctrinal lines within Christianity.
And not just from within Christianity, but beyond it. They found allies and supports among Catholics, Mormons and Jews who shared the same concerns about society and desire to see cultural transformation.3
As sociologists reflect on what made this movement so powerful, it credits the key to the apparent success the fact that they were able to enlist the support of 72,000 pastors.
72,000 pulpits that began to unite a grass roots campaign and a concerted effort to take back America and reclaim the moral high ground. 72,000 pulpits that began to prioritize the focus of God’s people from the simple message of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, to one of reclaiming America.
That was the trade.
Fast forward ten years to 1989 and the Moral Majority had already disbanded, and although they had aligned the American church with the republican party in the so-called religious right, even they recognized that their ambitions never materialized as they hoped.
So, what’s to show for all the time and money today?
Every moral battle the Moral Majority fought for in America is now either in the same spot or much worse. Go down the list and compare the legislation, the legal rulings, the media and entertainment industry, the practice and celebration of sin and compare the 1980’s to today.
What was the problem with the Moral Majority?
Was it what they stood for? No. Not really anyway. Christians should care about many of the things the Moral Majority did. They should fear the Lord, affirm what he affirms and hate what he hates.
Was it that they involved themselves in politics through legislation and supporting candidates? No. Christians have a stewardship and the privilege of living in a democratic republic where we get to tangibly support what we believe honors God.
The problem was a misplaced hope and a misplaced means for accomplishing that hope.
What they failed to understand, and what we so often fail to understand is that although there are consequences of legislation and legal rulings from court battles and elections, God’s mission for his church is to center on the evangelizing of the lost and the edification of the saints so that we would be worshipers of God, for his glory.
What they wanted was a good desire.
What Christian doesn’t want to see righteous leaders and just laws. And punishment of evil doers and the promotion of legitimate civil liberties. The restraint of evil. Truthfulness. And honor and respect. The protection of the vulnerable. And peace.
That kingdom is coming, but it isn’t here yet.
We struggle because we want to see the promised kingdom come here and now through our own efforts. Through something that we can control. Something we can fundraise for. Mobilize. Gain enough influence and clout. Have the right party in control. Have the right person in the White House.
God’s mission for his church is to center on the evangelizing of the lost and the edification of the saints so that we would be worshipers of God, for his glory. And to wait for his coming kingdom.
It is a misplaced hope and a misplaced means for accomplishing that hope. We want the promised kingdom to come here and now through our own efforts.
My friends, there is no such thing as a Christian nation or empire.
What if the Moral Majority had been successful? What if every initiative had proved successful? What if we had a Christian for a president? Christian governors and judges and senators? What if abortion was illegal? What if evildoers were punished and true civil liberties were protected? Everyone feels better about their grandkids and reading the news and what others are posting online. But how does achieving that impact the cause of Christ?
We don’t know exactly.
But we have somewhat of a case study in church history. At the end of the third century, Christians suffered the most intense persecution the church had ever faced to that point.
It started in rather indirect ways. First, pressure came against Christians regarding the military.
Around A.D. 295 a number of Christians were condemned to death, some for refusing to join the army, and others for trying to leave it.4
Basically, Christians were viewed as a problem because they might not be embracing the military the way the pagan would. It was viewed as a threat to military morale. So, the pressure for conformity wasn’t direct (i.e., you believe in Jesus) but rather your lack of conforming to our military expectations.
Next, in 303 A.D. Diocletian issued an edict to remove Christians from positions of responsibility within the empire. It seemed fairly benign. Just remove believers from government positions.
And yet when it came to applying this decree, there were those who did it with greater zeal—they went beyond what was commanded by the decree. They began to destroy Christian buildings and books. If people refused to hand over their books, they were tortured and condemned to death.
This caused conflicts that led Diocletian to become convinced that Christians were conspiring against him. And so he decreed all church leaders be arrested, and every Christian sacrifice to the gods.
Thus was unleashed the most cruel of all persecutions that the ancient church had to endure… efforts were made to encourage Christians to abandon their faith. Accustomed as they were to the relative ease of several decades, many Christians succumbed. The rest were tortured with refined cruelty, and eventually killed in a variety of ways.5
Galerius was the mastermind behind Diocletian who was pushing the agenda against Christians. He was succeeded by Maximinus, who:
…sought to perfect the policies of Galerius by having Christians maimed and put to work in stone quarries.6
But of course, that work didn’t stop the progress of the church:
But then many of the condemned began organizing new churches in their places of punishment, and Maximinus had them killed or deported.7
Soon there was a decree granting a stay to stop punishing Christians as long as they “do not interfere with the public order.”
I highlight that because the injunction wasn’t to stop preaching Christ, but to not do things that would threaten society. Public health and safety and peace in the empire were the ways that pressure came against the church.
All of this set the backdrop for the arrival of Constantine. Constantine the night before a battle for the empire, had a dream where he received a command to put the Christian symbol on the shields of his soldiers. He didn’t come to salvation through repentance and faith in the finished work of Christ, but he had an experience that led him to believe that he wanted the Christian God on his side.
And we get a window into what happens when the church goes from being persecuted to being in vogue.
Constantine legalized Christianity. Finally, we had a guy who was on our side. He immediately upheld the free exercise of religion. He gave Christians back their property. Constantine was convinced that the glory of the Roman empire would be realized not apart from, but through Christianity.
With the empire led by a supposed Christian, people were flocking to the churches. Apparent converts were happening so fast that there was hardly time to catechize them before baptism, let alone disciple them in the faith, or even validate if they were truly regenerate.
Churches were receiving donations from the government. Soldiers were ordered by edict in A.D. 324 to worship the God of the Bible on the first day of the week. Constantine appointed a number of Christians to high positions within the government. He called together a church council in 325 and also sought to remove pagan temples and replace them with churches.
During this time there were those who saw Constantine as God’s man for the job. He had been given to bring the church and empire together and for history to culminate. Constantine’s influence is difficult to underestimate because western civilization and much of our view of Christianity here in the West is connected to these very roots. Just consider some of the changes that were taking place…
Christian theology was being shaped by the new circumstances, even to the point of abandoning some of the traditional themes…
For starters, the prevailing view of the early church was that it was rare for the rich to see their need for salvation and be saved. But under Constantine,
Riches and pomp came to be seen as signs of divine favor…
Church buildings went from simple structures to get the job done (i.e., be a place to gather) and became ornate. There was a clerical aristocracy that began, that is to say church leaders began to operate in an official capacity, not longer just one of the common folks. They began to change from normal clothing to special attire.
But perhaps the most significant change was in the area of a believer’s hope. Eusebius of Caesarea was one of the great theologians of his time. He was caught up in the apparent success of Christianity as marked by money and buildings and social clout and favor. And in the midst of that, his theology shifted.
Although Eusebius does not go as far as to say so explicitly, in reading his words one receives the impression that now, with Constantine and his successors, the plan of God has been fulfilled.
Beyond the present political order, all that Christians are to hope for is their own personal transference into the heavenly kingdom… there was a tendency to set aside or to postpone the hope of the early church, that its lord would return in the clouds to establish a Kingdom of peace and justice… the scheme of history that Eusebius developed led him to set aside a fundamental theme of early Christian preaching: the coming Kingdom of God.8
Do you see what happened? The shift from being out of season, to being in season marked a shift in focus among God’s people. Rather than think about the kingdom to come, they began to focus on seeing the kingdom come in their own time in their own way.
My friends, it is a luxury to have such a view.
In fact, I would dare say that the worldview that things will get better and better until Jesus comes not only misunderstands the Scripture, but could only be maintained if you live in a place like Rome during the time of Constantine or America for the past 300 years.
And the kingdom is not here right now. We are not living in the spiritualization of kingdom promises. By that we mean to say that this world does not fit the description we read about in Scripture when the Messiah is reigning and ruling with his enemies subdued under his feet.
World religions. Islam fastest growing religion in the world right now. Buddhism. Hindu. Atheists. Paganism and other faiths. Then you have within the supposed Christian numbers Roman Catholics. Prosperity Gospel. Protestant liberalism (to say they don’t believe in the core tenant of the Gospel).
Worldwide lawlessness abounds. Error abounds. There’s no nation you can point to that is experience peace within and without, with God-fearing rulers who love justice and citizens who live righteously.
We reject post-millennialism, that is to say that we are going to see the kingdom ushered in through the gradual progress of Christ’s dominion on this earth. We reject amillennialism, which says either the kingdom doesn’t exist at all, or we are in the kingdom right now.
Rather, we believe that the kingdom is a bona fide reality where Jesus will actually be visibly seen, seated on a throne, and by which his glory will be made known. He is coming to establish this kingdom.
The Bible teaches that we are still waiting for this to come to fruition. Turn with me to Acts 1 to see this in just one place so evidently. This was after Jesus died and was raised and appeared…
Acts 1:6 (ESV) So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
Is it gonna be here now?? What does he say next?
My kingdom, the promises you have been waiting for are actually spiritual realities. I’m head of the church, so all of that stuff about peace and justice and righteousness, I meant that will happen in the church, not in society. You misunderstood the promises of my kingdom. No.
Acts 1:7–8 (ESV) He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
We are waiting on it. I’m not giving you a date. But in this Jesus is affirming that there is a kingdom and in that kingdom is coming. What are the disciples to do in the meantime?
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Wait for the spirit and then get to work. I’m tasking you with a mission until my kingdom comes.
Make your way back to John 18 with me and we get to see how this kingdom is presented here by Jesus.
Pilate meets his maker today and declares him innocent (John 18:29-38).
Last week we parked on the first verse and saw that…
Religious hypocrites do anything to keep saving face (28)
That was our main point. Religious hypocrites don’t want to be righteous, but they don’t want to stop looking righteous. So they pretend.
Pilate meets his maker and declares him innocent (29-38)
John 18 (ESV) 28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.”
31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” 32 This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.
33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. 39 But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40 They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.
John’s purpose here as we said, is to demonstrate that Jesus Christ was unjustly condemned and in fact, exonerated of any guilt. He records the details, and we will look at them briefly as we make our way to the statement, we are going to hone in here in v. 36 my kingdom is not of this world.
28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters.
The they here, is explained by Mark in his Gospel as:
Mark 15:1—the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole Council, immediately held a consultation;
This was the Sanhedrin, the ruling body in Jerusalem made up of various religious leaders. Almost like a city council, except they operated in behalf of the nation.
It was early morning.
Not a legitimate trial. This was carried out through the night.
But a man wasn’t to be tried and convicted on the same day according to their own statutes. Due process is being violated because they aren’t concerned with justice. This is an outcome-based trial.
We know what we want and so we force the situation to fit into those rules.
Jesus knew this was going to happen and said as much:
Mark 10:33–34—…Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles.
The whole thing is a sham. But these men are hell-bent on their own desires and they are blind to their hypocrisy.
They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover.
Save face at all costs.
Unwilling to come clean and drop the pretending. The religious leaders, filled with pretense, must still keep the appearance of righteousness. They must keep it up to appease their own consciences and to garner the esteem of others.
Normally the governor lived in Caesarea, but during the great feasts it was prudent for him to come to Jerusalem in case a riot or insurrection took place. Passover was particularly dangerous because emotions ran high as the Jews remembered their deliverance from bondage.
29 So Pilate went outside to them and said,
He goes outside. One time when the Jehovah’s witness ladies came to our door and I didn’t know that that’s a big no-no for them to come into the house. So, I told ‘em, “come in, let’s talk…”
I told them… I’m in seminary right now, and we were just talking about you guys the other day. I’d love to sit down and try out some passages on you. They never came back… I think we had a different idea of a good time.
Anyway, we had to stay outside to talk. Pilate goes outside. He’s no dummy. He knows this is a sham. And so, he asks them,
“What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.”
Great non-answer. Just be honest. They say if he were not doing evil…
What’s the truth about what Jesus has done?
… he has cured every kind of diseases, has driven the devils out of men, has made the paralytics and the lame to walk, has restored sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, and life to the dead? Such were the real facts, and those men knew them well; but… when men are intoxicated with pride, nothing is more difficult than to arouse them to form a sound and correct judgment.9
31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”
Look, I’m not going to be sucked into this. You can’t even bring a legitimate charge for something that I need to deal with.
The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.”
We can’t. the Sanhedrin already condemned Jesus for blasphemy. But they can’t carry out the sentence because they would be breaking Roman law. They need the conviction at that level.
Pilate isn’t going to swallow this thing.
Even though he could at times be hard on the Jews, he has no interest in petty matters, and he certainly isn’t interested in granting false death sentences. So, he chooses rather than to simply affirm the case the Jews have made, to conduct his own trial and investigation.
All of these events from the individuals are just happening. But God has a divine purpose in all of it. Verse 32 is an editorial comment by John. This would be in parenthesis if we were writing it today. Note:
32 This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.
If the Sanhedrin had Jesus killed they would have stoned him. Stoning broke bones. Here Jesus would be crucified in order:
(a) to fulfill prophecies (e.g., that none of His bones be broken; cf. 19:36–37); (b) to include both Jews and Gentiles in the collective guilt for the deed (cf. Acts 2:23; 4:27); (c) by crucifixion, Jesus was “lifted up” like “the snake in the desert” (cf. comments on John 3:14). A person under God’s curse was to be displayed (hanged) on a tree as a sign of judged sin (Deut. 21:23; Gal. 3:13).10
33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
What’s he trying to figure out? Is this guy actually an insurrectionist? Is he trying to overthrow the government?
34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?”
Putting it Pilate’s conscience. Is this really what you think I am? The charges of course were partly true and party false. Jesus was in fact the Christ, but Luke tells us the charge they made was:
Luke 23:2b—We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.
They knew the claim to be a king would be the only potential way to get Rome involved. Jesus is an enemy of the state.
35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?”
Why are you here? You’re the one who got delivered over today… not me.11
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
I wonder what went through Pilate’s mind at that moment. Jesus is no doubt unphased being before Pilate. He isn’t begging for his life. He isn’t railing insults. He is calm. And he is undeterred. Unintimidated. And he looks him in the eyes and he says: my kingdom is not of this world.
Unlike your kingdom that is of the world, mine is not. Jesus is speaking of origin here. The preposition of is ἐκ = source. It doesn’t originate from this world. It isn’t brought about through traditional forms of conquest.
What’s his evidence?
If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting,
We would have organized a militia. We would have some plan to overthrow Rome. I would have been campaigning. Stockpiling resources. Organization. Planning. When I was to be brought into custody my servants would have been battling…
that I might not be delivered over to the Jews.12
There would have been a coup. A coup d'etat is defined as a group who overthrows a government and rules for at least a week. Usually requires significant skill or resources to overthrow even a weak government. You need a lot of power on your side.
Jesus is saying, if my kingdom originated here on this earth, I’d have some military guys who knew how to use weapons and kill people. Instead look at me… I’ve got fisherman, tax collector, one random zealot with Simon who was involved in politics but wasn’t a trained military man that we know of.13
Look, if you need proof, just go ask Malchus. Malchus is the servant of the high priest who Peter took a swipe at with his sword in the Garden. The guy should be dead right now because Peter went for his head and came away with just an ear.
Jesus gives him the truth. Gives him the opportunity to submit himself to the truth, which Pilate will not do. He repeats himself.
But my kingdom is not from the world.”
Such strange words. Not backing down his claim to authority. This would be unnerving. You catch an insurgent leader—someone trying to lead a rebellion you expect them to be either 1) belligerent and defiant; or 2) diminutive and meek.
Either still fighting or else trying to smooth things over. Either spit in your face or kiss your hand. But to stand there and not be angry or defensive and also not cower is astounding.
Jesus sticks to the claim. He repeats himself. I’ve got a kingdom. Rome?
Whatev… Yawn. Jesus doesn’t mock Pilate, but you could almost see him laughing… oh wait, you think I’m talking about this goofy little empire you guys have going? No. Sorry Charlie. I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in your cute little job Pilate. That’s so cute you guys stamp your faces on your money in your little kingdom.
Pilate’s trying to figure out if Jesus wants Rome. Jesus is sticking to the facts—I’ve got a kingdom and it has nothing to do with yours.
I actually feel bad for Pilate here.
37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?”
Struggling to track this whole situation.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king.
Jesus never claims to be a king during his first coming. It wasn’t part of his mission at this time. Jesus never refers to himself “the King of the Jews.” He says, “the designation is yours”
And He answered him, “It is as you say.”
Why? Well, because it is true that he is the promised, anointed one of Israel. Calling himself a king is going to bring confusion.14
Pilate is going to call him King of the Jews. The Maji are going to call him that. But that’s not a moniker he takes for himself. It’s not the right timing for him to be revealed as such. He’s not going to be caught saying, “I’m the King of the Jews” because it is going to be misunderstood, and his kingdom is going to include a lot more than just Jewish people.
Nevertheless, the kingdom is a central theme of the earthly proclamation ministry of Jesus.15 Some would say it’s the central theme of the Bible.
Explain Michael Vlach…
Just let’s take one sample. Here in one gospel record. Matthew wanted to demonstrate Jesus was the promised Messiah fulfilling Jewish prophecies. But he’s just recording Jesus ministry. Let this convince you of how central the kingdom is.
Matthew 2–Jesus Messiah…
John the Baptist came on the scene before Christ saying what?
Matthew 3:2 (ESV) “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Satan comes to tempt Jesus. And what’s the bait?
Matthew 4:8 (ESV) Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
You can have your glorious reign now with all of the nations bowing to you in worship, and I’ll offer it to you without the pain of the cross. Bypass the humiliation and get the glory now. What’s his temptation? The kingdom exaltation without the suffering.
Right off the bat, same chapter the preaching ministry of Jesus is centered on what? The kingdom.16
Matthew 4:17 (ESV) From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
It is near. Matthew 5, Jesus preaches what we know as the sermon on the mount. What does he address in that sermon?
Who inherits the kingdom? Who gets to be in?
Matthew 5:3 (ESV) “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:10 (ESV) “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:20 (ESV) For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
The future kingdom is to influence your life today recognizing that there are those who will be great and those who will be the least in this kingdom…
Matthew 5:19 (ESV) Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
You are to pray for the arrival of this earthly kingdom:
Matthew 6:10 (ESV) Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Your entire life is to be oriented around Christ and the future you have with him.
Matthew 6:33 (ESV) But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Finally, entrance in the kingdom will not be based upon what you have done for God or done in his name. It will be based upon those who those who obey God out of a heart of love because they have been born again.
Matthew 7:21 (ESV) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Jesus is found preaching about, you guessed it, the kingdom.17
Sons of the kingdom, Matthew 8
The gospel (good news) of the kingdom, Matthew 9
Sends his disciples to go preach 10:7 that the kingdom is at hand
Talking about the kingdom in Matthew 11
The kingdom in Matthew 12
In Matthew 13, Jesus says that:
Matthew 13:11 (ESV) And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
And from then Jesus begins to teach in parables saying, “the kingdom of heaven is like…”18
Like mustard seed
Like leaven
Like a treasure
Like a fishing net
It’s going to be a place where righteousness and justice reign:
Matthew 13:41–43 (ESV) The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
The church is given the keys to this kingdom. Talk about an amazing and wonderful responsibility. The idea that the church is carrying out the responsibility of on earth clarifying who is and isn’t part of the kingdom
Matthew 16:19 (ESV) I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Humility is esteemed in the kingdom…
Matthew 18:1–4 (ESV) At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
A few days prior to this, Jesus had come riding into Jerusalem on an unridden foal. It was the sign of a humble king:
Matthew 21:9 (ESV) And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
Many are called into this kingdom, but few are chosen. Matthew 22 records that Jesus tells a parable of a King who offers an invitation to his son’s wedding. And when his invitation is disregarded (in this case by Israel) he extends the invitation to anyone who will come. And yet those who come in their own clothes, their own righteousness are cast out. 19
You are to be ready for this kingdom by repenting and turning to Christ now while there is time. So, you are not left like the virgins who are unprepared when the bridegroom arrives and they miss entering the kingdom.
Matthew 25:1 (ESV) “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.
You are to be looking forward to the fact that there is a new kingdom coming that will be your inheritance. God will be doling out rewards and punishment.
Matthew 25:34 (ESV) Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
The glorious promise of this kingdom. What you are desiring is good. And it will be fulfilled. Just not yet. So many in Israel at the time of Jesus had a hard time understanding his ministry, not because they were completely wrong about the fact that Jesus was David’s promised Son who would rule. But they misunderstood that he wasn’t establishing his kingdom in his first coming. It was coming later.
Too often we lose sight of this coming kingdom and we want to see these things here and now through means that we can control. It’s a misplaced hope. What you want isn’t wrong with regard to the desire for a coming kingdom. But you have to understand the timeline and agenda for getting there. It’s a different path, generally speaking:
Acts 14:21–22 (ESV) When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
That message isn’t suffering so that you can get saved. You get saved by trusting in Christ. But entering the kingdom, that process—is fraught with many trials. Many hardships.
Right now, where is Jesus in all of this?
He is seated at the right hand of the Father. He has all authority. He has been affirmed in the right to rule. But not all things have been put in subjection to him. Satan is still deceiving the nations. World superpowers are still doing what they will in rejection of Christ. Error and deception and wickedness is running amuck.
1 Corinthians 15:24–25 (ESV) Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
You can belong to this kingdom. Jesus invites you to enter into his kingdom. He beckons you to be part of it.
How do you gain citizenship in this glorious kingdom? Faith in his all-sufficient sacrifice for you. But there’s a catch. You’ve gotta wait for it.
Conclusion
See his kingdom not of this world. It doesn’t originate from any human authority. And it isn’t brought about through human means. This should be an anchor point for you. It should be invigorating.
Hebrews 12:28–29 (ESV) Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
His kingdom agenda is not cultural transformation. It isn’t to eradicate poverty. Or to relieve human suffering. That day is coming. But it comes when he brings it. And it comes when he is seated on David’s throne and he rules over all in perfect justice and righteousness and peace. It comes when he subdues his enemies underneath his feet. And at that moment he comes and reverses the curse and begins to make right what is currently wrong with this earth.
Pilate has Jesus killed. Ok so that just accomplished God’s will. And then it didn’t even work because Jesus came back to life.
Diocletian tries to get people to abandon their faith. Maximinus starts maiming Christians and sending them to work camps—ok now they have work camp church plants.
Constantine ushers in a golden age of Christianity. Well kinda. Some huge benefits to the church—free to work on out theology and yet it also weakened the the church.
Earthly kingdoms rise and fall. Pendulums will swing. The wicked are going to prosper.
Not bringing the kingdom here and now…
Your invitation…
Are you part of this kingdom?
Then are you joining in advancing this kingdom?
Don’t you dare for a second get caught up in the wrong definition of the kingdom.
You can properly care about good legislation and good candidates without hoping in it.
So now we are ambassadors for this king:
Matthew 24:14 (ESV) And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
It was the words of our Lord to comfort his disciples:
Matthew 26:29 (ESV) I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.
