Calvary Road Baptist Church
“MY KINGDOM ... MY KINGDOM ... MY KINGDOM”
John 18.36
Let us drop into the first of Pontius Pilate’s two trials of the Lord Jesus Christ, early on the morning of His crucifixion. The Roman governor visited Jerusalem from his headquarters in Caesarea on the Mediterranean coast three times a year, to supervise his troops when Jerusalem swelled to twice its normal population with religious pilgrims on high holy days.
On this occasion, he presided over the trial of a Nazarene accused by the Jewish chief priests and elders. The night before, Pilate had dispatched perhaps 500 of his soldiers (an overwhelming show of force) to apprehend Jesus of Nazareth, accused by the chief priests of blasphemy. The soldiers and a dozen or so Temple guards were led to Jesus by the traitor, Judas Iscariot, in return for thirty pieces of silver.
We will read but a portion of John’s Gospel account of Pilate’s first trial, held in his judgment hall, so I can draw your attention to a profoundly important topic in God’s Word. We begin reading from John 18.28:
28 Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.
29 Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man?
30 They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee.
31 Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death:
32 That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die.
33 Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
34 Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
I caution you that this message from God’s Word is designed to serve as an introduction, with no thought that what you are introduced to will give you a complete picture of the topic. It is merely a taste, a nudge in the right direction, to spur you to study God’s Word.
Look to verse 33, and what seems to be Pilate’s opening remark to the accused he called before him. His question betrayed the Roman concern for power, and the empire’s interest in detecting even a hint of opposition to their domination as occupiers:
“Art thou the King of the Jews?”
Now look at verse 36:
“Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.”
The Lord Jesus Christ, as He frequently showed during His earthly ministry, displayed no concern for any limitations of His remarks created by someone’s question. Asked if He was the King of the Jews, He instead made three statements.
Statement number one was, “My kingdom is not of this world.” Statement number two was, “If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews.” And statement number three was, “But now is my kingdom not from hence.”
His first statement to the Roman governor was straightforward, and I am unaware of any commentators suggesting anything besides the source of His kingdom being otherworldly. “Relax, Pilate. My kingdom did not originate in this world,” He so much as said.
His second statement also placated Pilate to a degree. It is a contrary-to-fact conditional statement. “If my kingdom were of this world,” which the Lord just declared it was not, “then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews,” with no evidence that His servants were fighting for His release. Thus, one proof that His kingdom is not of this world is the absence of any opposition by force to Him being delivered to the Jews.
Statement number three is fascinating: “But now is my kingdom not from hence.” See the word “now”? It translates the Greek nῦn, meaning “but as it is,” or “but as the case now stands.”[1] The final phrase, “is my kingdom not from hence,” with the final word, “hence,” is á¼ntῦqen, referring to the source of the sphere of His kingdom.[2] This is the Lord’s qualifier, which, from our perspective, shows that the conditions He was referring to would change in the future. “Thy kingdom come,” from the model prayer He taught to His apostles in Matthew 6.10 and Luke 11.2, is a prayer request that would most definitely be someday answered.
In our text, John 18.36, the Lord said three things to Pilate, a Roman, a Gentile: “My kingdom is not....” “If my kingdom were....” And “But now is my kingdom not.” Interesting, is it not? A denial about His kingdom, followed by a contrary-to-fact hypothetical about His kingdom, concluding with something like “My kingdom presently is not,” another denial.
“My kingdom ... My kingdom ... My kingdom.” The kingdom to which the Lord Jesus Christ referred, the kingdom of which He was and is its King, was so crucial to the plan and purpose of God that the eternal Son of the living God, Who could have called ten thousand angels, Who could have directed His men to fight on His behalf, instead surrendered to the death of the cross.
The kingdom was an essential matter to Pontius Pilate, and the Lord so much as said that He was not a King in any sense, Pilate would have understood. The kingdom was also essential to the Jewish people, chief priests, and elders. The kingdom was essential to the Lord Jesus Christ, so much so that He referred to it three times in our text in one sentence, standing before Pilate and in the hearing of His accusers.
Is the kingdom vital to you? Do you give any thought at all to it? Wise men took a long and arduous journey to find the One born King of the Jews.[3] Perhaps the importance to you of the kingdom will change after we see what the Bible says about the kingdom’s importance, the kingdom’s expectation, the kingdom’s desirability, and nature of the kingdom.
First, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE KINGDOM IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Let me begin with the kingdom’s importance, as suggested by the number of references to the kingdom. Pardon me for not taking the time to explore the kingdom’s importance as indicated by promises and references to it in the Old Testament. I will confine my remarks to the kingdom in the New Testament, stipulating the importance of the kingdom in the Old Testament. By my rough appraisal of mentions made about the kingdom our Lord and the apostles referred to, ignoring earthly kingdoms and Satan’s kingdom references,[4] I count direct references to the kingdom numbering between 130 and 135 times in the New Testament. That makes it important.
Then, the kingdom is important as suggested by the number of kingdoms. How many kingdoms have existed throughout human history? They have risen and fallen too many times to number. Yet there is one kingdom, the establishment of which was determined before, designed and prepared from the foundation of the world.[5] The Jewish people eagerly anticipated that kingdom, even if not fully understood.[6] The Jewish people did not understand, of course, that their rejection of the King meant their individual loss of access to the kingdom when the kingdom has come.[7] After all, every kingdom must have a realm. Every kingdom must have subjects. And every kingdom must have a sovereign. A kingdom is not a kingdom without those three vital components. But rejecting the sovereign, King Jesus, means you are not a fit subject for His kingdom.
Next, THE EXPECTATION OF THE KINGDOM IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
The expectation of the kingdom is reflected, first, by the Gospel accounts. By my count, there are about 105 explicit mentions of the kingdom in the four Gospels, with fifty of them found in Matthew’s Gospel account, and Matthew alone uses the phrase “kingdom of heaven” about thirty-one times. In Matthew 3.2, before the Lord’s earthly ministry commenced, John the Baptist was preaching the Gospel, “And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In Matthew 4.17 we read,
“From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people,”
Matthew 4.23. Consider these words from our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. I read from Matthew chapter 5:
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
“The key word blessed needs clarification.” The Greek word that is translated as “blessed,” maká½±rioV, is not part of a wish and does not invoke a blessing. Instead, the word recognizes an already existing state of happiness or good fortune. It is a word that affirms a quality of spirituality that is already present.[8] Thus, perhaps a year or so into our Lord’s earthly ministry, He declared the blessedness of those who are subjects of the kingdom and will enter the kingdom. More on this when we examine our Lord’s conversation with Nicodemus. Not surprising to most people who have read the Gospels, the kingdom was essential and eagerly anticipated, if not well understood. Recall that after He fed the 5,000, the Lord perceived they would have taken Him by force to make Him king if they could have, John 6.15.
The expectation of the kingdom next, as reflected by the book of Acts sermons. The book of Acts makes direct reference to the kingdom of God eight times. In Acts 1.3, we are told of the Lord’s forty post-resurrection appearances and proclamations about the kingdom of God. In Acts 1.6, shortly before His final ascension, Luke records the gathered believers’ question to the glorified Lord Jesus:
“Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?”
Two things here: First, it is reasonable to study the Bible to discover what they expected the kingdom to be like, and that their expectation was that the kingdom would be restored to Israel. As you reflect on this, examine Scripture to see if the Lord corrected the basis of their question. Second, the kingdom was not restored then, but was still expected.
In Acts 8.12, we are told Philip preached the kingdom of God, and the name of Christ, to the Samarians. In Acts 14.22, we learn that Paul and Barnabas preached in Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, “exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” Again, the kingdom was not yet restored.
Acts 19.8 reveals Paul’s teaching and preaching activities in Ephesus:
“And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.”
Of course, he would interact with Jewish people about the kingdom of God. How could a Gospel minister not address matters of the kingdom of God when ministering to Jewish people?
In Acts 20.25, visiting with the Ephesian elders for the last time, Paul rehearsed to them his ministry among them of preaching about the kingdom of God.
Even as a prisoner in Rome, Acts 28.23 and 31, Paul
28 expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening,
and
31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
Thus, the disciples were interested in the restored kingdom and asked the glorified Lord about it before He ascended. The Samarians heard kingdom of God preaching from Philip. The Gentiles in Ephesus were exposed to kingdom of God preaching by Paul. And certainly, Jewish people in Rome, and likely Gentiles as well, were exposed to kingdom of God teaching and preaching from Paul.
Next, the expectation of the kingdom as reflected by the New Testament epistles. Paul made mention of the kingdom of God once in Romans 14.14, five times in his first Corinthian letter,[9] and once each in Galatians, Ephesians, First and Second Thessalonians, and Second Timothy.[10] The kingdom of God is also mentioned once in Hebrews, once in James, and once in Second Peter.[11] Thirteen times mentioned in the epistles suggests believers expected the kingdom.
Then, the expectation of the kingdom is reflected by the Revelation of Jesus Christ. The word kingdom appears five times in John’s revelation, but only twice are those appearances of the word connected to the kingdom of God, Revelation 1.9 and 12.10. The apostle writes, “the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ,” in Revelation 1.9 and Revelation 12.10 reads,
“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ.”
At first glance, this suggests the arrival of the long-anticipated kingdom of God in some sense.
Third, THE DESIRABILITY OF THE KINGDOM ACCORDING TO THE LORD JESUS
He communicated the desirability of the kingdom in His conversation with Nicodemus. Most are familiar with our Lord’s conversation with the Jewish Bible scholar, Nicodemus, found in the first part of John chapter three. Let me refresh your memory regarding the Lord’s requirements for Nicodemus both seeing and entering the kingdom of God, in John 3.3 and 5:
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
From this conversation, we see that the kingdom of God is the goal of at least Jewish people, and apart from the new birth, no one can see or enter into the kingdom of God.
Our Lord’s model prayer illustrated the desirability of the kingdom. Remember what some call the Lord’s Prayer, but it is a template for praying the Lord taught His men. Matthew 6.9-10:
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Who would argue the importance of the kingdom illustrated by this prayer template? The first request endorsed by this prayer pattern is to hallow God’s name, with the second being the request for the arrival of God’s kingdom on earth. Thus, the pattern of a believer’s prayers to God should include petitions to Him to send the kingdom to earth. When should such prayers cease? When the kingdom comes.
Then, the desirability of the kingdom was illustrated by the Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. I frequently mention the Savior’s ride into Jerusalem on a donkey colt, its fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, and how joyously the Savior was received. In Matthew 21.10, we are informed that the whole city was moved. But why? They were moved because they were a biblically literate populace who recognized the fulfillment of an Old Testament prediction, recorded in Matthew 21.5:
“Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.”
Though the people did not understand the need for the Lord Jesus Christ to come once and then come again, in their minds, they did rightly connect the arrival of their King in some way to His kingdom. Do not think for a moment the Lord Jesus did not want them to connect Him, their king, to His kingdom.
Fourth, THE NATURE OF THE KINGDOM ACCORDING TO THE LORD JESUS
Remember that this is an introductory message, and the press of time is also on me. Therefore, allow me to state some things I do not presently have time to support with Scripture:
What His kingdom is. There are incredible variations in understanding about the kingdom, frequently resulting from loyalty to a school of thought or an admired individual. I recommend that one adopt the historical-grammatical method of interpretation even when studying prophetical portions of God’s Word.[12] I do not advocate two approaches to interpreting the Bible, one for prophetical portions of Scripture and another for non-prophetical portions of Scripture. Why not? It is not as easy to discern prophetical portions of Scripture as one might imagine. Therefore, I highly recommend the historical-grammatical approach for understanding the entirety of God’s Word. This will spare you Charles Hodge’s error of imagining the kingdom being invisible during one era, visible during another era, invisible to the first Advent, to being Christ’s kingdom of power, invisible since His ascension, yet somehow visible during the same period, and the kingdom in glory.[13] In other words, Hodge was all over the place about the kingdom despite being a wonderful man.
I believe the kingdom of God features three realities, a King, a realm, and a citizenry is a good place to begin, satisfying some of the declarations made in the Gospels about the kingdom being near, the kingdom being at hand, the kingdom of God being powerful, etc.[14] And Romans 14.17?
“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”
This speaks to the spirituality of the kingdom, being a kingdom of God, originating in heaven, with Christ as its King.
These things understood it is not improper for the Bible student to insist that the nature of the kingdom be what the Jewish people expected it to be except where they were shown to be wrong. When the Lord Jesus directed His men to pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven,” is it unreasonable to expect that He would have told them if their anticipations were nothing like the fulfillment? History seems to show that for three centuries, preserved records suggest it was believed the kingdom would be fully restored following Christ’s Second Coming as an earthly kingdom of divine origin, but the Church until then would no possess temporal authority. However, all that changed about the time of Constantine, so that for many centuries it was thought the kingdom would not come after Christ’s Second Coming as an earthly realm of divine origin, and that the Church would wield temporal authority.
What His kingdom is not. Methinks His one kingdom is named two kingdoms. I am not persuaded that the kingdom of God and heaven are separate and distinct kingdoms. For those who are persuaded they are two different kingdoms, I would ask why. To what end? What is the point? The Jewish people were expecting one kingdom, and the Lord seems to have never corrected their understanding of the kingdom, among others. Consider.
Matthew 5.3 reads, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” while the parallel in Luke 6.20 reads, “Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.”
As well, Matthew 8.11 reads, “many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven,” with the parallel in Luke 13.29 reading, “they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.”
In Matthew 10.7, we read, “preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand,” while the parallel in Luke 9.2 reads, “And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God.”
Matthew 11.12 reads, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” The parallel in Luke 16.16 reads, “The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.”
Thus, the pattern seems to show Matthew phrasing it the kingdom of heaven, with Luke preferring the phrase the kingdom of God to refer to the same thing. This is why I submit to you that there is one kingdom of God, or kingdom of heaven to use Matthew’s phraseology.
Where His kingdom is. This is a complex matter. In Matthew 6.10, the Lord taught His men to pray, “Thy kingdom come.”[15] But in Luke 10.9, perhaps a year later, the seventy were directed to proclaim, “The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.”[16] The kingdom has not arrived, but it is near in some sense. “The kingdom comes in distinct yet related stages... The kingdom arrives with Jesus, and the reality of its arrival is reflected” in the events of power wrought by Him and in His name.[17] I am persuaded His kingdom fully and completely arrives when He arrives, at His Second Coming.
Where His kingdom is not. Christ’s kingdom is not yet fully here. Where the King is, there is, in some sense, His kingdom. Where His people are, there is, in some sense, His kingdom. But if my understanding of Revelation 12.10 is accurate, the kingdom of Christ will not be fully come to earth as prayed for until the King has returned.
Again, this is an introductory message on the topic of the kingdom. However, according to the Savior, it is a moot point if you are not born again. If you are not born again, you will not see or enter the kingdom of God in any sense, because not being born again, you are condemned already, John 3.18.
Look at this issue from another perspective. Jesus Christ is the King of the Jews, so recognized by these wise men from the East and declared in Revelation 19.16 to be more than the King of the Jews, to be the King of kings and Lord of lords.
When He said “My kingdom ... My kingdom ... My kingdom” to Pontius Pilate, He denied that He was a king in any sense that Pilate understood the concept. But He is the King in the Biblical sense of the concept, and He has a kingdom.
The issue will be your involvement in His kingdom, whether you are a citizen of His kingdom if you will see and enter His kingdom. If He is not your king, you have no part in His kingdom, and your future will be the pitch blackness of outer darkness for all eternity.
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[1] Rogers, Jr., Cleon L. and Rogers III, Cleon L., The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key To The Greek New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: ZondervanPublishingHouse, 1998), page 223.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Matthew 2.1-12
[4] Acts 26.18; Colossians 1.18
[5] George N. H. Peters, The Theocratic Kingdom, Vol I, (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1978), pages 34-38.
[6] Ibid., pages 280-282.
[7] Ibid., pages 375-378.
[8] Kenneth E. Bailey, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies In The Gospels, (Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP Academic, 2008), pages 66-68.
[9] 1 Corinthians 4.20; 6.9, 10; 15.24, 50
[10] Galatians 5.21; Eph 5.5; 1 Thessalonians 2.12; 2 Thessalonians 1.5; 2 Timothy 4.18
[11] Hebrews 12.28; James 2.5; 2 Peter 1.11
[12] I recommend reading Paul Lee Tan, The Interpretation Of Prophecy, (Winona Lake, Indiana: BMH Books, 1974)
[13] Peters, page 43.
[14] Matthew 12.28; Mark 1.15; Luke 7.28; 10.9, 11; 11.20; 16.16; 17.21; 21.31; Romans 14.17; 1 Corinthians 4.20
[15] A.D. 27, according to Edward Reese, The Reese Chronological Bible, (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 1977), page 1284.
[16] A.D. 28, according to Edward Reese, The Reese Chronological Bible, (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 1977), page 1332..
[17] Darrell L. Bock, Luke Volume 2: 9:51-24:53 - ECNT, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), page 1001.
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