My Kingdom Is Not of This World!

I. Introduction

On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, the nation watched in horror as approximately 2,000 of its citizens, some of which were armed, attempted a violent uprising against their own government, the very definition of insurrection, at the capitol building, one of the institutions representing the seat of the United States government and democracy!

A wooden gallows was even erected. “Execute the traitors!” one man reportedly shouted into a megaphone. “I wanna see executions!” Federal agents even discovered a truck full of rifles, shotguns, and bomb-making supplies parked outside the RNC headquarters.

It will mark one of the darkest days in our history as lawmakers, including the Vice President, were threatened and at least 5 people lost their lives. Worse still, this carnage was instigated by the current sitting president, his lawyer, at least one of his family members, and at least one member of congress.

For us as Christians, I believe that the day was even worse as not only did people loose their lives all because of deception, lying, hatred and bigotry, but to top it all off, several of the rioters held up signs that included the name of Jesus on them! So, today, I must depart from our scheduled message, and address in at least some part, the current situation.

Let us peer into an episode in the life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, where he was arrested and stood before Pontius Pilate, to see if we might find any parallels in His experience and answer the question of whether Christ would be pleased with the events that have transpired this week.

II. Pilate converses with Jesus (vs. 33-38a)

John 18:33–38a ESV

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.

III. Pilate answers the Jews (v. 38b-39)

John 18:38–39 ESV

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?”

IV. The Jews answer Pilate (vs. 40)

John 18:40 ESV

40 They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

V. Principles to live by

A. Jesus did not promote insurrection.

1. When Jesus was arrested he did not resist the Jews nor did He resist the Romans.

Matthew 26:52–54 ESV

52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”

2. When Peter misguidedly cut off the high priest’s servant’s ear, Jesus miraculously restored it.

John 18:10–11 ESV

10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

3. Jesus never communicated to his disciples that they should overthrow the Roman empire under whom they were. In fact, His apostles teach submission to the government.

Romans 13:1–2 ESV

1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

Titus 3:1–2 ESV

1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

1 Peter 2:13–15 ESV

13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

4. Jesus rejected possible earthly attempts from his followers to be made King.

John 6:14–15 ESV

14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” 15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

B. There is no such thing as a Christian nation or Christian nationalism. Christ’s kingdom is not from the world (v. 36) but a kingdom from heaven that will rule the earth!

1. If Jesus’ kingdom is not from this world, how can any one nation claim to be ‘the’ Christian nation?

2. The Rapture of the church will occur in the air – not on the ground of any country.

3. The Kingdom of Heaven will be populated by people from everywhere on earth – not from a certain country or select countries.

Revelation 5:9–10 ESV

9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

C. The events of this past week are a foreshadowing of the end of the age but they have been happening all throughout history ever since the apostolic age and will continue to occur.

1. People will errantly do things in the name of Jesus Christ that are against what He taught.

John 16:1–3 ESV

1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.

2. People will act as if they are Christians or think themselves so but really won’t be.

Matthew 7:21–23 ESV

21 “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. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

3. People will be deceived into believing lies (even the elect).

Matthew 24:10–11 ESV

10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.

2 Timothy 3:13 ESV

13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

2 Timothy 3:1–5 ESV

1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.