DRINKING THE CUP:  ANOTHER KINGDOM

JOHN 18:33-40

AUGUST 17, 1997

 

Jesus Christ drank the cup of wrath from the Father's hand on behalf of sinners.  In the process we find our Lord encountering both religious and political leaders in Jerusalem.  Pontus Pilate was the Roman procurator who tried Jesus Christ for the accusations offered by the Jewish high priestly band.

 

Pilate was a bit of a 'wanna-be' king.  His position as Roman procurator of Judea did not make him a major player in the Roman empire.  The emperor appointed provincial governors and procurators throughout the empire to assist in carrying out the Roman authority.  For the larger provinces, such as Syria, a member of the Roman senate would be appointed as governor.  Often, these governors exercised some authority over the lower level procurators throughout the empire.    Pilate was part of a second-tier of Roman leadership, since being governor of the small province of Judea did not make him of kingly stature.  But Pilate made the most of his position.  He had aligned himself with the powerful procurator of the Roman legion, a senator by the name of Sejanus, who promoted an anti-Jewish policy throughout the empire.  Because of this, there was no love-loss between Pilate and the Jewish leaders.  He had a track record of irritating the Jews by his exercise of power.  One of his own colleagues described him as "naturally inflexible, a blend of self-will and relentlessness."  He enjoyed playing the part of a brute toward the Jews, especially since he had backing in Rome with Sejanus, who was a nemesis to the emperor [F.F. Bruce, New Testament History, 32-38].

 

Around the time of Jesus' trial before Pilate, his authority was caving in.  Sejanus, who tried to assert himself above the emperor, had fallen out of power.  This made Pilate, who had sided with Sejanus above the emperor, quite nervous about conflict with the Jews.  Perhaps this is the reason the Jews used the leverage of the statement, "If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar" (John 19:12), to have the innocent Jesus Christ sentenced to crucifixion by Pilate [F.F. Bruce].

 

It is fascinating that the conversation between Jesus Christ and Pilate centered on the Kingdom of Christ and His kingship.  For Pilate had an insatiable desire to rule over everyone yet he had no kingdom of his own.  He was merely a tool in the hands of the powerful Roman government.  But that could not stifle his desires.  Burning in his mind was a thirsting for power and authority over others.  Yet Jesus Christ stood before him, with no wealth nor with military backing, and claimed to be the king of Another Kingdom, one not of this world.  

 

There is perhaps a little bit of Pilate in all of us in our unregenerate condition.  For within the heart of man is that desire to rule at least the kingdom of his own life, if not that of others.  Some can mask this desire for self-rule while others display it by their grabbing for material gain or vaunting themselves in pride or abusing others with words and actions.  The warning of our text is clear:  to rule oneself means eternal death.  Jesus Christ alone is to be King over our lives.

 

How does Jesus Christ exercise His kingship over our lives?  Let's consider this as we study our text.

 

I.  Nature of the Kingdom  v. 36

 

Pilate asked Jesus a series of questions.  Some were probably sarcastic.  Others were searching.  And one exposes the emptiness of his heart, "What is truth?"  In the midst of these questions we find our Lord explaining His kingdom.  "My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm."

 

1.  Present not distant

 

One of the common problems in Christian circles is that of thinking of Christ's kingdom as something in the future.  We certainly know that He will reign one day in heaven, so it is often thought that this constitutes His kingdom.  But the emphasis of this text and others is that the reign of Christ is not future but present.  His kingdom does encompass the future but it also is fully active in the present.

 

We find this expressed clearly by the words of our text.  "My kingdom is not of this world...My kingdom is not of this realm."  There is nothing here about a future kingdom.  Yes, it describes a different sort of kingdom than that which Pilate understood, but it in no way point only to the future or else Jesus would have said, 'My kingdom shall not be of this world'.  "My kingdom is..." demonstrates the present tense status of the kingdom.

 

I believe this is an important matter for us to consider, because so many people are always looking for something better in the days ahead or something more in the future.  Certainly the future in heaven will be glorious, but as Christians we are to understand that the reign of Jesus Christ over our lives is not simply in heaven but right now on earth.  Why is this important to recognize?  There is a tendency among us to take the easy road or the road of least resistance.  If we think that Jesus Christ's exercise of kingly authority over us is only in the future in heaven, then we will make two critical mistakes.  First, we will deny the Lord who died for us so that He might reign as our king.  Second, we will fail to live in the strength and grace which His kingship supplies, instead depending upon our own resources for living in this world.  

 

We must ask ourselves the question, 'Are we living right now as though Jesus Christ is our King?  Are we living as though we are part of another kingdom that will extend beyond this world through eternity?'

 

I think there are some very practical issues for us to contemplate if we are indeed living as though Jesus Christ is presently our king.  First, I believe that we must recognize the government of the kingdom of God.  It is not a government of our own making or our own creative thought.  It is a government that has Christ as its head and the Word of God as its charter.  There are no questions as to how we are to live, for the King has given us a clear word on the kind of lives that should characterize kingdom people.

 

Second, we must realize the purpose of the kingdom.  We are not living unto ourselves or creating our own agendas, but we are to live for the glory of God.  God is glorified when we find our greatest delights and satisfactions in Him.  This obviously will involve our worship, obedience, witness, study, and prayer.  We must keep in mind that we are ambassadors for Christ's sake in both our lives and lips (II Cor. 5:19-20).

 

Third, in recognize the present reality of Christ's kingdom, we must resolve to walk in loyalty and faithfulness to our King.  Our city has been besieged by thousands of people this week who are calling a mere man, Elvis Presley, the King.  I have been reading some of the articles recording what is called an 'annual pilgrimage' to Memphis by people from all over the world.  One lady has an Elvis-tattoo on her body to commemorate each of her pilgrimages.  Others held a candlelight vigil to honor the rock and roll star.  There will be plenty of weeping and unfortunately, more worship of an American idol during the week.  It will be easy to spot these Elvis devotees by the way they talk about Elvis, try to resemble him, sing his songs, etc.  All of this is vanity and idolatry.  But we must at least admire the loyalty and faithfulness these people display toward their 'god'.  Can we do less who have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, who have been delivered from the kingdom of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of light, who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit?  We must live like we belong to the kingdom of God, for if we are born again, we do belong to another kingdom.

 

2.  Spiritual not physical

 

But Christ's kingdom is not a physical kingdom like the one which Pilate viewed in his corner of the Roman empire.  Jesus stated, "My kingdom is not of this world...is not of this realm."  It has no capital city somewhere on the globe nor a senate nor the pomp of earthly kingdoms.  It is a spiritual kingdom which will never pass away and which is not corruptible like the kingdoms of this world.

 

John the Baptist came preaching, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" or 'in your midst' (Matt. 3:2).  Jesus told the twelve apostles as they went out to preach to declare, "The kingdom if heaven is at hand" (Matt. 10:7).  The Jews understood that this was part of the Old Testament teaching on the kingdom, that God Himself would come near to reign over His people.  The problem was that most of them had thought of God coming to reign through Messiah as being a physical, political arrangement, rather than a spiritual kingdom.  So they rejected the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

They were looking for a kingdom that was limited by the physical and material world.  But such a kingdom must dwell within the limits of time and space.  Instead, a spiritual kingdom that affects man at the deepest core of his being, the very place in which he is "a living soul," should have the greatest priority of our lives.  We differ from animals, not in the matter of physical existence, but the fact that we are chiefly spiritual beings.  We are created "in the image of God," which implies, among several things, that we are spiritual beings while animals have nothing related to spirituality.  We have distinct personalities, we have the capability to make rational decisions, we are created as moral beings, we have been given authority over creation, and we have the capability of creativity.  All of this is the legacy of being "in the image of God."  Philip E. Hughes has well-stated, "As the bearer of the divine image, man is inescapably a religious being who, if he does not worship the true God, will idolatrously worship a false and finite "god" of his own imagination.  By turning away from God, by professing even to be an atheist, man does not cease to be a spiritual creature" [P.E. Hughes, The True Image, 51-64].  By the divine image we have been given personhood so that we might commune with the Divine Person through faith in Jesus Christ.  

 

But where does man place most of his energies?  He sets his heart and affections upon the things of this world.  He lives in the physical realm as if nothing else exists.  He may attend church or be a member of a religious body, but the reality of his life is that of denying God, denying that he is made in the image of God, and denying that he is chiefly a spiritual being.  The new birth changes all of this!  When we enter into Christ's kingdom, we view life differently, we give a new priority to our spiritual lives, and we delight in the life we have in Christ.  We discover that we can worship our God 'in spirit and in truth' as spiritual beings who are part of a spiritual kingdom that exists in the present age and continues into eternity.

 

3.  Eternal not temporal

 

The great danger that all of us face, even as believers, is to lose sight of the eternal nature of the kingdom so that we live as though everything is temporal.  There is a sense in which any lapse into sin comes because we have lost sight of the eternal.  How can we live with our affections set on things above (Col. 3:1-3), yet plow into the furrows of sin?  The battle which rages in our own minds and even in our culture can be seen in the fight to be delivered from slavery to the temporal.

 

We see this in the words of our Lord, "If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm."  In other words, if the kingdom of Christ were simply temporal, then His servants would have been doing everything they could to hang on to it.  Look at the many conflicts that take place internationally.  Little countries, or sometime large countries, get into major conflict when their 'kingdom status' is threatened.  Arms are taken by the ordinary citizen to defend the 'kingdom status' of their country.  But you do not see this in Christ's kingdom.  There have been times in history when so-called 'Christian governments' have tried to use military force to install a 'Christian kingdom' upon unwanted citizens.  But that is not the design of Christ's kingdom.  It is an eternal kingdom that can be entered into only through the new birth and faith in Jesus Christ alone as Prophet, Priest, and King of the Kingdom.

 

While the world clamors for everything temporal, setting their affections on earthly treasures, living for the present day, worrying over what they do not have or keeping what they do have, consumed with pleasure and entertainment, Jesus Christ lifts His people to a different realm.  We live as those who are part of an eternal kingdom.  We still live in this world and enjoy its provisions, but we realize that it is passing away.  This world with all of its temporal treasures is nothing to cling to.  The eternal kingdom of Christ is.

 

II. King of the Kingdom  v. 37

 

The kingdom of which we are a part as brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, has a King, Jesus Christ the Lord.  While Pilate longed to exercise kingly authority over Judea and other lands, standing before Him was the King of an eternal kingdom whose domain covers the universe.  How does He describe Himself as the King?

 

1.  Unique in His Person

 

Pilate asked the question, perhaps with a tinge of sarcasm as he looked upon his prisoner, "So You are a king?"  Maybe Pilate chuckled at first to think that this Jewish peasant, as he would have thought of Christ, considered Himself to be a king.  Then Jesus explains, "You say correctly that I am a king."  'Pilate, at least you have gotten one thing correct, I am a king'.  

 

We have grown up studying about various kings and their characteristics.  There have been kings named George, Louis, Henry, James, et.al., but only one King Jesus.  All of those kings came into this world in the same way we came into it--through birth having no pre-existence.  And all of them existed this world in the same as we shall--through death, having no power over it.  But Jesus Christ is different.  "For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world...."  This statement describes the uniqueness of His Person as the King of an eternal kingdom.

 

First, Jesus describes His birth.  Yes, He was born into this world, born of Mary in the city of Bethlehem.  But His birth was unique for He exists eternally.  He is the Infinite God who has no beginning and no end.  So to be born, Jesus had to "come into the world."  He came from the throne of God, entered time and humanity through the miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary without the contribution of a man.  He came into the world as God, for He is God, eternally existent.  He came into the world to become a man for the purpose of the redemption of sinners, that He might become 'the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world'.

 

Second, for Jesus to "come into the world" implies a purpose for His coming.  While there are many groups that claim that Jesus came to give us a good example or to do good for humanity, our Lord says something different.  He came "to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).  He came not to call the righteous but to call sinners to repentance (Mark 2:17).  He came to give life and to give it more abundantly (John 10:10).  He came as the bread of God from heaven to give life to sinners (John 8).  Paul said that Jesus Christ "came into the world to save sinners" (I Tim. 1:15).  Jesus said of Himself that He came to give His life a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28).  Why did He come into the world?  The answer of the Scriptures is clear:  He came to bear our sins in His own body on the cross, so that we might be justified before God and brought into a relationship of righteousness with Him.  He came as the Lamb of God who would atone for our sins.  He came to bear the judgment of God against us because of the curse of the fall and our own sinfulness.  Pilate did not understand this, but it was true nonetheless.  The question we must face is this:  do you recognize who Jesus Christ is and why He came to earth?   Have you embraced Jesus Christ by faith in Him and His atoning work on behalf of sinners?

 

2.  Unquestioning in His rule

 

To say 'Yes' to that last question implies that you know Christ as your King.  Jesus stated clearly, "I am a king."  But whose king is He?  He is the king of those for whom He died and who have put their faith and trust in Him alone.  Yes, He is King of kings, but the kings of the earth have not acknowledged His kingship.  It is those who have faith in Christ that have recognized Him as King; all others will one day bow before His throne in judgment.

 

We must not lose sight of the practical implications of Jesus' kingship over our lives.  When we come to faith in Christ, we come to Him as our Prophet, Priest, and King.  He alone has 'the words of life', as our Prophet; He alone is 'the mediator between God and man', as our Priest; and He alone 'died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living', as our King.  

 

As our King, Jesus Christ exercises daily rule over our lives.  We do not make Him king over our lives; He is King!  This implies that we submit ourselves to Him for obedience and service.  It means that we seek to live only unto Him, to glorify Him in all that we do.  

 

I believe that all of us would admit that we sometimes have difficulty in our submission and obedience to our King.  Sometimes we get lax or lazy or perhaps slip into self-centeredness so that we live as though we are king of our own lives.  Oh my brethren, does this not shame you as it does me, to think that we would dare live one moment for ourselves when our King, Jesus Christ, has redeemed us from the slavery of sin by His own blood?  We do not have a tyrannical despot who mercilessly dictates his selfish ways over us!  We have Him who is selfless, who emptied Himself for our sakes to take on humanity, who fulfilled the demands of the Law on our behalf, who endured the agony of divine judgment which we deserve, who conquered death and all of its fears, who sits at the right hand of God where He tenderly intercedes for us.  This is our King!  Do we dare to live for ourselves when we have such a King?

 

The reign of Jesus Christ over our lives has a multitude of practical applications.  By God's grace, we are to live each moment in glad submission to Jesus Christ.  We are to live with a passion for our King, to honor Him with our lips, actions, relationships, ambitions, goals, and attitude.  We do not do this in order to receive eternal life from Him.  He has already provided eternal life through His atoning death.  We must respond to Him in repentance and faith.  Upon receiving eternal life, it does not leave us without further responsibility.  We cannot rightly claim to know Jesus Christ, yet have no concern for living under His kingly authority.  Those whom He justifies He also sanctifies.  He so rules over us as our Fatherly-King, that He treats us as His children--for such we are, so that He disciplines us that we might share His holiness.  

 

Conclusion

 

To the Jews, Pilate presented Jesus Christ and said, "Behold, your King!"  They responded with anger, "Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him....We have no king but Caesar."  Perhaps that was more of a confession than anything else which they stated.  'We have no king but Caesar'.  But who is your king?  Who rules over your life?  Who has your chief affections?  To whom do you devote your energies and direct your life?  That is your king.

 

Look at King Jesus, whose kingdom is not of this world.  The only way to enter this kingdom is through the blood of the King, as you embrace Him and His saving work by faith.  He never saves anyone to play 'second fiddle' in their life.  He is the exalted King!  His kingship is actual in its practice.  

 

I close by reading from the end of Hebrews 12, where we find the reality of being in the Kingdom and living under the authority of Christ expressed in vivid language.  Listen to the writers description and let us all heed his warnings.

For you have not come to a mountain that may be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word should be spoken to them.  For they could not bear the command, "IF EVEN A BEAST TOUCHES THE MOUNTAIN, IT WILL BE STONED."  And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, "I AM FULL OF FEAR and trembling."  But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living god, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.  See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking.  For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less shall we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven....Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire. [Heb. 12:18-29]


Part II, August 24, 1997

III. Force of the Kingdom  vv. 37-38

 

            1.  Truth understood

 

 

            2.  Truth revealed

 

 

            3.  Truth owned

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