An Awkward Conversation

Opening illustration: Describe the situation from Manifest last week.

B. Background to passage:

C. Main thought: Three truths about Jesus’s kingdom gleaned from Pilate’s conversation with him

1) A Kingdom with No Walls (v. 36)

a. Outside of the religious language of the “kingdom of God,” the use of the word for eons has dealt with geo-political territory. It may have to do with an empire or a country, a royal dynasty, or people group who generally inhabits and area. However, Jesus said his kingdom is not like this world’s kingdoms. It doesn’t have walls or boundaries, nor does it need them. It always wants people to come in, but in this case, as far as Pilate is concerned, those coming into the sphere of Jesus’s rule are not coming for a rebellion.

b. Argumentation

c. Illustration:

d. The kingdom of Christ is his rule and reign in the hearts of his people and their influence in the world. It is simultaneously coming one day when Christ returns and within us present now. This kingdom is about community. People linked by a common heritage and bond in Christ. This goes far deeper than citizenship in a country. The Vol Nation has no walls: troops overseas!

2) A Kingdom with No Violence (v. 36)

a. Political kingdoms were generally about expansion. The great leaders respected by the world were conquerors. Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, William the Conqueror, and even evil ones, like Ivan the Terrible, Hitler were always fighting their way to greater territories. They accomplished this by large armies, superior weapons, and much bloodshed. Jesus, leaving out the Peter incident, although it would have supported his argument, reminded Pilate of his easy capture, even surrender. Specifically, he spoke of the potential fight to keep him from the Jewish leadership, almost implying that it was part of the plan, later saying it explicitly. Jesus told Pilate his kingdom was not about expansion through normal means, as it was not a normal kingdom. There would be no violence by his followers against others because of political or religious goals.

b. Matt 11:12, 18:8,

c. Illustration: There is a mean, violent streak in the true Christian life! But violence against whom, or what? Not other people. It’s a violence against all the impulses in us that would be violent to other people. It’s a violence against all the impulses in our own selves that would make peace with our own sin and settle in with a peacetime mentality. It’s a violence against all lust in ourselves, and enslaving desires for food or caffeine or sugar or chocolate or alcohol or pornography or money or the praise of men and the approval of others or power or fame. It’s violence against the impulses in our own soul toward racism and sluggish indifference to injustice and poverty and abortion. Christianity is not a settle-in-and-live-at-peace-with-this-world-the-way-it-is kind of religion. If by the Spirit you kill the deeds of your own body, you will live. Christianity is war — on our own sinful impulses. -Piper

d. Genuine Christianity cannot be spread by violence. Our lives are to be marked with an absence of violence toward other people, and a violence toward all things in us that would cause us to be violent toward others. We are to be violent against sin in us, but not against sin in others. This doesn’t mean that we water down biblical truth on sin, but we temper it with grace on others. We must confront sin in other believers’ lives, but we do it in love and gentleness. The kingdom grows as the gospel infiltrates into people’s hearts and brings about radical change. It’s more like infection as people are exposed to the gospel.

3) A Kingdom with No Pretense (v. 37)

a. We have just seen an electoral contest that continues to follow trends in politics of further mudslinging, less policy. It also seems that more and more whoever gets elected, the agendas under the table are discouraging. BTW, God puts into office who he wants. Candidates make promises that you know they can’t deliver on, news media spins everything, power corrupts, parties and interest groups begin to pour in money, pressure is put on by other lawmakers, and the list could go on and on. Jesus gives the purpose for his kingdom – to bear witness to the truth! What does that mean? Jesus says that he is the way, the truth, the life. He says that who the Son sets free is free indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. The reason for Jesus coming and his kingdom is the self-revelation of God. If you have seen me, you have seen the Father. There is no hidden agenda, no under the table politics, just to reveal the truth of God in his Son!