The Kingdoms that Confront Us

He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.” From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” So he delivered him over to them to be crucified (John 19: 9-16).

 Today’s text presents a scene that has rightly been called the confrontation of two kingdoms. Perplexed by the Jews’ claim that “He has made himself the Son of God” (John 19:7), Pilate asked Jesus to affirm or reject the accusation by revealing where He came from. When He did not answer, Pilate confronted Jesus with his Roman authority. Jesus replied with two very important truths about authority. He taught here that authority is granted by God and that it can be used rightly or wrongly. Pierced by the truth of Jesus’ words, Pilate turned again to the crowd. In Christ they were confronted by the beaten and abused King of the Jews and in Pilate they saw the glory and splendor of Caesar. With a boisterous declaration, “We have no king but Caesar” the crowd made their choice. When confronted by the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Caesar, the crowd chose the more carnally attractive and sensually appealing Rome. And Pilate, seeking to appease the mob and remain a friend of Caesar followed the crowd in making a terribly wrong choice between the kingdoms that confront us.

Diligent disciples living in a rebellious world are constantly confronted by two kingdoms. There is the kingdom of this world that is relentless in immersing us in its familiar, comfortable, and attractive ways. Then there is the Kingdom of God that challenges us to live above and beyond the temptation of the natural world and to impact this world with the truth and gospel of Jesus Christ. Today our Teacher, the Holy Spirit shows us that whenever we are confronted by these two kingdoms and we chose rightly, we are fulfilling Christ’s prayerful desire and advancing God’s Kingdom here on earth… “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Let’s ask the Spirit to lead us into truth about these two kingdoms and to empower us to discern and choose rightly when we are confronted with this choice.

The kingdom of the world is carnal, temporary and in opposition to the Kingdom of God… “Do not love the world or the things in the world… For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17). Diligent disciples are not conformed by the culture of the world… “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). Earnest disciples heed the Spirit’s exhortation to avoid compromising friendship with the world… “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4). Maturing disciples transform this rebellious world by living as culture-shaping citizens of God’s Kingdom… “And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever” (Daniel 12:3). True disciples conquer the darkness of this world by living in the Light of Christ… “That you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).

As we grow up into Christ His kingdom advances whenever we choose rightly between…

The Kingdoms that Confront Us.