What Jesus Did : John 18:33-36 - Not of This World
by Phil Ware
Not of This World - John 18:33-36
Then Pilate went back inside the palace. Pilate called Jesus to him. He asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus said, "Is that your own question, or did other people tell you about me?" Pilate said, "I am not a Jew! It was your own people and their leading priests that brought you before me. What have you done wrong?" Jesus said, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If it belonged to this world, then my servants would fight so that I would not be given to the Jewish leaders. But my kingdom is from another place." (ERV) Full TextKey Thought
The crux of the major issue for Jesus' life is found in one statement: "But my Kingdom is not of this world." Jesus lived by a sense of heavenly timing. Jesus lived to honor his Father in heaven by doing his Father's will and fulfilling his Father's work. He taught values that were upside down to the way the world worked. Why? Because his Kingdom was a heavenly Kingdom. Because his goal was to bring heaven's glory to life in earthly people. Jesus was no threat to Pilate, the Emperor, or Herod because he had no desire for their palaces or places; he wanted their hearts to be changed and their lives to reflect the heart of heaven. Jesus is not a threat to you either. He wants your heart—not so that he can conquer you, but so that he can glorify you and make you ready for a home with him. Is Jesus your king? Is Jesus' Kingdom your passion?
Today's Prayer
Holy and loving God, my Abba Father, thank you for blessing me with citizenship in your Kingdom. Reign over my heart and use me for your glory for "Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever!" In Jesus' name. Amen.
Today's Verses in Context
Then the guards took Jesus from Caiaphas' house to the {Roman governor's} palace. It was early in the morning. The Jews there would not go inside the palace. They did not want to make themselves unclean, because they wanted to eat the Passover meal. So Pilate went outside to the Jews. He asked, "What do you say this man has done wrong?" The Jews answered, "He is a bad man. That is why we brought him to you." Pilate said to the Jews, "You Jews take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." The Jewish leaders answered, "But your law does not allow us to punish a person by killing him." (This happened so that what Jesus said about how he would die would be true.) Then Pilate went back inside the palace. Pilate called Jesus to him. He asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus said, "Is that your own question, or did other people tell you about me?" Pilate said, "I am not a Jew! It was your own people and their leading priests that brought you before me. What have you done wrong?" Jesus said, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If it belonged to this world, then my servants would fight so that I would not be given to the Jewish leaders. But my kingdom is from another place." Pilate said, "So you are a king!" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. That is true. I was born for this: to tell people about the truth. That is why I came into the world. And every person that belongs to the truth listens to me." Pilate said, "What is truth?" When Pilate said this, he went out to the Jewish leaders again. Pilate said to them, "I can find nothing to charge against this man. But it is one of your customs for me to free one prisoner to you at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to free this 'king of the Jews'?" They yelled back, "No, not him! Let Barabbas go free!" (Barabbas was a rebel.)-- John 18:28-40 (ERV)
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