Alan's Devotionals

HIS KINGDOM


John 18:35-38 NKJV 
35 Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You 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 fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." 
37 Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" 
Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." 
38 Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all. 

 

The gospel of John gives us more of the dialogue between Jesus and Pilate right before Jesus was crucified.   

 

Pilate asked a direct question, and Jesus gave one of His answers that doesn't seem to be a direct answer. Jesus began to speak about His kingdom.   

   

Jesus gave great insight about His kingdom when He declared that His kingdom was not of this world. This answer had to have confused Pilate. All Pilate knew about was earthly kingdoms. Pilate was part of the kingdom of Rome. But Jesus was declaring Himself to be a king from a kingdom not on the earth. One of the distinguishing characteristics of an earthly kingdom is the earthly kingdoms are fought for. Jesus made it clear that if His kingdom was earthly based, then there would be a fight, and His servants would have kept Him from being delivered to the Jews. In the garden of Gethsemane, Peter pulled his sword and cut off the ear of one who came to arrest Jesus. Jesus told Peter to put his sword away and even healed the ear of the wounded man. That's not the actions of an earthly king.   

   

When Jesus declared that His kingdom was not from here, Pilate asked Him directly if He was a king. And this time, Jesus answered directly. Jesus was a king—and a king with a purpose. He had come into the world to witness the truth. Interesting phrasing: I have come into the world. Jesus was born a baby and came into the earth as the Son of God. He fulfilled two roles: being born a human and being God's Son sent into the world. 

   

Jesus was the truth and witnessed to the truth. Everyone of the truth would hear His voice. Pilate answered that statement with a snort that is still heard today. "What is truth?" But something must have registered with Pilate because he walked out and declared to the Jews that he found no fault in Jesus even though Jesus claimed to be a king with a kingdom not of this world. Even though Jesus claimed to be the personification of truth and those of the truth would hear Him. Even with these seemingly outlandish statements, Pilate found no fault in Jesus.   

   

APPLICATION

Pilates' words still ring true today. "I find no fault in Him at all." Pilate was right then, and today the same holds true. There is no fault in Him. And Jesus is still king over a Kingdom not of this world. So we don't fight to spread Christianity; we preach. And Jesus is still the truth. And those who are of truth, all those who have received Him as Lord, hear His voice.   

   

To answer Pilate's question, what has Jesus done? The answer is nothing deserving of death. He had to die on our account. And now we are part of His kingdom, a kingdom with no end.   

   

PRAYER

Thank You, Lord, for coming and fulfilling Your cause. Thank You for bringing truth to the world!  

Share: