Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 22:22-23:12; John 18:15-40
Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not from this world.” (John 18:36)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. “For God loved the world this way: He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). The Triune God will save you. The Father did it in giving His Son into death. The Son did it by giving His life. The Spirit did it in giving you faith to believe it. In today’s reading from John 18, we see that all getting worked out.
Jesus was born for this moment. He comes not to be an earthly King. He doesn’t come to set up a Christian empire or nation or kingdom. He didn’t stand before Pilate to unseat him. He stopped His disciples from taking up the sword. Peter tried; Jesus stopped him. Jesus even healed the high priest’s servant’s ear.
Sometimes Christians want there to be those sorts of things—a Christian nation or whatever else. But that’s not why Jesus came. He is King—King of kings and Lord of lords, in fact. He is almighty, powerful—omnipotent, in fact. He uses His power and mighty to set up a different sort of Kingdom.
He sets up a Kingdom of mercy, love, and forgiveness. That’s the “truth” of who He is, the “truth” of what He says. Pilate balks at it, and says, “What is truth?” But Jesus is. He’s the Truth, the Life, the Way. He leads us to the Father. He’s died and risen for the world. The Father sent Him to do that. The Spirit creates faith in Jesus, drawing you into Jesus’ Kingdom, the Holy Christian Church.
You’re in the Kingdom of God, Jesus’ not-earthly Kingdom. It’s for everyone, for all people, for all nations. You’re baptized into it. “Unless you’re born of water and the Spirit you will not enter the Kingdom of God” (John 3:5). You are born from above, you’ve been baptized “into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus is now your King. He showed it by dying and rising for you, and He made Himself your King and you His citizen at the font. You’re in that Kingdom now and forever. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
All who believe and are baptized Shall see the Lord’s salvation; Baptized into the death of Christ, They are a new creation. Through Christ’s redemption they shall stand Among the glorious, heav’nly band Of ev’ry tribe and nation. (All Who Believe and Are Baptized, LSB 601:1)
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