I would entitle this next section we're going to look at in John, "The Other-Worldly Kingdom." This is John 18, verses 33 through 38.
So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?" Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?" 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 this world." 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." Pilate said, "What is truth?"
Well, if you listened to what Jesus says as he stands before Pilate, this passage is a rebuke to everyone who thinks the hope of the church is found in political governmental power. Jesus is standing before a rather confused Pilate because Pilate has no model of kingship or kingdom that is not earthly, physical, and political. Jesus says, "My kingdom is not like that."
Now think about this, if human government were our hope now and forever, Jesus would never have had to come. Yes, Jesus is King. In fact, he is the King of kings, but he's not the kind of king that Pilate was thinking about. Remember John 6, after Jesus had fed that large multitude from a boy's lunch, the crowd searched to make him a king, and he hid from them because they wanted an earthly king, but that was not the purpose of his incarnation. Between his birth and the final resurrection at the end, his kingship and kingdom is spiritual.
Now you may be thinking, "What does it mean that his kingdom is not of this world? What is his kingdom?" Well, here it is. His kingdom is the grace of his rescue and protection of his hearts. His kingdom is his convicting, empowering, and transforming rule of a Spirit who lives in you. His kingdom is his commands which guard and direct you. His kingdom is his church to instruct, encourage, and protect you. His kingdom is his work to which he called you. His kingdom is his sovereign rule over all things on your behalf. His kingdom is the inexhaustible resources of his love, grace, and mercy. His kingdom is that supply to you of everything you need to be what he has chosen you to be, and to do what he's called you to do.
You see, when you come to Christ, you become a citizen of another kingdom. It's not like the kingdom of this world. And so, this invisible kingdom of his reign and rule, delivering to us everything we need, will finally culminate in an earthly real kingdom where Jesus reigns forever and ever in peace and righteousness, where sin and suffering will be no more. So, we live with the kingdom, not of this world, until that moment when the kingdom will explode into this world in eternal peace and righteousness.
There is a king. He suffered and died so you could be a citizen in his kingdom, so you would know his rule on your behalf, his grace for your living, his instruction, the fellowship of his church, and the inexhaustible resources of his love. There is a king. He is the King of kings, and he rules on your behalf in power and glory, "Right here; Right now!"
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion
1. Before today, how would you have defined or described the kingdom of God? And after studying this passage in John 18 today, how would you now define or describe the kingdom of God? Why do you think the kingdom of God can feel so much like a mystery to us? How has this passage and study given you greater clarity when it comes to understanding the kingdom of God?
2. Have you ever truly given consideration to the fact that if you are a Christian, you are a citizen of another kingdom that is not like this world? Since this kingdom is invisible to us right now, how has it been easy for you to dismiss it or not really consider it as you go about your day-to-day life?
3. How has the kingdom of this world enticed you to believe that it is the only kingdom in existence? Why is it a relief to know this isn't true? What practical steps can you take to remind yourself about the kingdom of God when this worldly kingdom seems to be all there is in life?
4. Why is the kingdom of God not just a future kingdom, but a present one right here, right now? How is God's kingdom currently made manifest in your life right here, right now? How can you be praying specifically for God to make his kingdom a reality in your life right here, right now?
Conversation Prompts to Use with Children
For Younger Children:
• Even though we can't see God, how do we know he's present in our lives?
• What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a kingdom? How do you think God's kingdom is different from any other kingdom that has existed on earth or in storybooks? Why should God's kingdom matter to you right here, right now?
For Older Children:
• What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words "kingdom of God"? How is the kingdom of God relevant to you right here, right now?
• Even though the kingdom of God is currently invisible to us, how can we still know that it's there?
• In what ways does God's kingdom differ from earthly kingdoms or the kinds of kingdoms found in stories?
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