Jesus' kingdom: not from this world
Daily Scripture
John 18:33-40
33 Pilate went back into the palace. He summoned Jesus and asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own or have others spoken to you about me?”
35 Pilate responded, “I’m not a Jew, am I? Your nation and its chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?”
36 Jesus replied, “My kingdom doesn’t originate from this world. If it did, my guards would fight so that I wouldn’t have been arrested by the Jewish leaders. My kingdom isn’t from here.”
37 “So you are a king?” Pilate said.
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. I was born and came into the world for this reason: to testify to the truth. Whoever accepts the truth listens to my voice.”
38 “What is truth?” Pilate asked.
After Pilate said this, he returned to the Jewish leaders and said, “I find no grounds for any charge against him. 39 You have a custom that I release one prisoner for you at Passover. Do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?”
40 They shouted, “Not this man! Give us Barabbas!” (Barabbas was an outlaw.)
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Pontius Pilate, a hardened, cruel Roman career politician, found himself facing a prisoner unlike any he had ever met. He’d seen lots of anger and defiance and lots of fear, but this calm sense that Jesus, not Pilate, had the ultimate authority—no, he’d never seen that. Jaded as he was, he still wondered if something otherworldly was at work and asked Jesus, “Where do you come from?” (John 19:7-11)
- British scholar William Barclay wrote of John 18, “[Jesus] makes it quite clear that he claims to be a king and equally clear that his kingdom is not based on force but is a kingdom in the hearts of [people]. He would never deny that he aimed at conquest, but it was the conquest of love.” * To Pilate, the Jewish leaders, and at times even to his disciples, Jesus’ aim looked unlikely and naïve. Did Jesus accomplish “the conquest of love” in our world? Has he conquered your heart?
- To human eyes, it seemed simple: Pilate stood for all of Rome’s power and “legal” authority. Yet it wasn’t that simple. “What’s true of Jesus himself is equally true of his kingdom: it’s not from this world, but from above (see John 8:23)…. Authority: echoes John 10:18, ‘I have the right [authority] to give it up, and I have the right [authority] to take it up again.’ Jesus’ claim and Pilate’s are on a collision course.” ** How do you accept or resist Jesus’ life-changing authority?
Prayer
Lord of all, you came to testify to the truth, including the truth about who you are and where you came from. I believe you, and I worship and follow you. Amen.
GPS Insights
Lauren Cook
Lauren Cook serves as the Entry Points Program Director at Resurrection. She is a self-proclaimed foodie, a bookworm, and is always planning her next trip. She has the sweetest (and sassiest) daughter, Carolina Rae, a rockstar husband, Austin, and a cutie pup named Thunder. She loves connecting with others so let her know the best place you've ever eaten, best book you've ever read, or best place you've ever been!
We are rapidly approaching the climax of a heated political season. No matter our stance, almost every one of us is acutely focused on the coming transfer of power in America and the authority that will soon be making decisions for our nation. This can create a lot of uncertainty about the future, and uncertainty tends to lead to some level of fear.
In the moments when I feel myself getting swept up into fearful or anxious thought patterns, I return to Scripture just like today’s. Today, we are all reminded that the kingdom we belong to is not an earthly kingdom, but the Kingdom of God. The ultimate authority that we look to for guidance and assurance is His, and not a single person or group here on Earth.
This can be really, really hard because we do have to live on Earth and we do have to deal with changes, celebrations and challenges that can stem from earthly authorities and I do not want to diminish that reality. Instead, I am asking this question: What would it look like for us to find moments where we can step into the thin space and hold the tension? Where we can be a part of this world while not falling into places in this world that lead us astray or block our view of Jesus? Where we can meditate on the Word of God and use it as a guide to respond to the things of this world? Where we can use whatever level of authority each of us has individually to point all of those around us toward a future filled with hope?
I’m so grateful to live in the tension with you, friends. We can walk this earthly road together.
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Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* William Barclay, Daily Study Bible Series: The Gospel of John—Volume 2 Chapters 8–21 (Revised Edition). Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1976, page 244.
** J. Ramsey Michaels, study notes on John 18:36 and 19:10 in The CEB Study Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2013, pp. 207-208 NT.
