March 11, 2018

John 18:28-40: Not of This World

Preacher: Josh Tancordo Series: The Gospel of John: That You May Believe Scripture: John 18:28–40

John 18:28-40: Not of This World

Please turn with me in your Bible to John 18. If you’re using one of the Story Bibles we provide, that’s on page 749. We’re going to continue our series of messages going through the Gospel of John chapter by chapter. That’s typically how we like to do things here at Redeeming Grace—letting God set the agenda for what we talk about by simply looking at whatever passage comes next in the book we’re working through. And this morning, the next passage we come to is John 18:28-40. The Jewish religious leaders have just arrested Jesus and given him an unfair trial in the middle of the night. But now, since the Jews were ruled by the Romans, they needed the permission of the Roman governor Pilate, to actually execute Jesus. And that’s what they’re trying to get in this passage. John 18:28-40: 28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” 31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” 32 This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. 39 But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40 They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber. 

There is certainly no shortage of people in our society who have some rather outlandish ideas about reality. I’m not sure if this is politically correct or not, but most people would simply call them crazy. For example, about 4-5 years ago, some of you may have heard about one guy, named Oscar Hernandez, being arrested actually not too far from here, in Indiana, Pennsylvania. And Oscar was arrested in connection with shooting a gun at the White House and actually hitting the exterior of the White House seven times before driving away. Now Oscar’s friends report that, before this incident, he was saying some pretty bizarre things to them. According to one friend, Oscar claimed that the world was coming to an end in 2012. He said that in 2011. Then, after that, Oscar sent a video to Oprah Winfrey explaining that he was actually Jesus and asking to appear on her show. Then, in addition to that, Oscar’s bizarre ideas also included paranoia. His friends report him telling them that the government was secretly controlling people and that President Obama “had to be stopped.” He told one friend that Obama was planning to put GPS tracking devices into children. So, in an effort to stop Obama, Oscar drove up to the White House fence and fired seven rounds at the White House with a semi-automatic weapon before quickly driving away. And as I mentioned, Oscar made it all the way to Indiana before police managed to track him down. He’s now serving 25 years in prison. So as you can see, Oscar’s ideas are pretty outlandish. I think we can all agree that this guy is kind of crazy.

And looking at our text here in John 18, I imagine that’s a lot like the way Jesus must have appeared to Pilate. I mean, imagine you’re Pilate, and the Jews bring you this guy who they say is a threat to the Roman government. They say he claims to be a king, which of course is a direct affront to Caesar, the Roman emperor. So you bring this guy into your headquarters and ask him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And after a brief interchange, he finally answers your question by saying, “My kingdom is not of this world.” Now at that point, if you’re anything like me, you’re thinking to yourself, “This guy has lost his mind. He’s definitely not playing a full deck of cards here. What’s he even talking about when he says, ‘My kingdom is not of this world.’? He’s crazy.” That’s probably what most of us would think, and I imagine Pilate thought something similar to that. But as we look back in history and see that Jesus didn’t just say things like this but actually proved the truth of what he was saying by rising from the dead, it’s probably a good idea to take what he said seriously. And of course, as Christians, we believe that Jesus was God in human flesh and therefore spoke God’s words whenever he opened his mouth. 

So what did Jesus mean when he said, “My kingdom is not of this world?” That’s what I’d like to spend our time this morning talking about. And then we’ll follow that up by asking, “What does that mean for us?” So what did Jesus mean when he said, “My kingdom is not of this world?” And then what does that mean for us?

What did Jesus mean when he said, “My kingdom is not of this world”?  

First, when Jesus says in verse 36, “My kingdom is not of this world,” he’s making it clear to Pilate that he’s not a political revolutionary and that his kingdom doesn’t pose any threat to Caesar or the Roman government. The two kingdoms aren’t in conflict with each other because Jesus’ kingdom is a different kind of kingdom—a heavenly one. And as a heavenly kingdom, it doesn’t operate the way earthly kingdoms operate. For starters, this kingdom isn’t controlled by earthly rulers but by a heavenly ruler—God himself. God reigns over this kingdom in perfect righteousness, wisdom, goodness, and justice. That’s a lot different than earthly kingdoms, which have rulers that are often all too flawed and selfish. And not only is this heavenly kingdom not ruled by earthly rulers, it’s also not advanced by earthly armies. That’s why Jesus says in the latter part of verse 36 that his followers weren’t fighting on his behalf. He states, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” So his kingdom isn’t of this world in the sense that it’s not propagated by earthly battles and fighting and armies. Rather, God is the one who propagates this kingdom. So this kingdom is both ruled and advanced by God himself. It’s a heavenly kingdom. It’s not “of the world” in the sense that it doesn’t have its source or origin in the world. Everything about this kingdom is heavenly and divine. 

Now not surprisingly, Pilate didn’t understand what Jesus was saying, and neither did the Jewish religious leaders. In fact, even Jesus’ own disciples didn’t really understand what he was saying. They didn’t have a mental category for the kind of kingdom Jesus had come to establish. Kind of like babies don’t have mental categories for a lot of things. I’m told that when you hold something out for a baby to see but then hide that object behind something, the baby thinks that object has disappeared. They think that when you hid that object behind the blanket or put it in your pocket, that object ceased to exist. They don’t have the mental category for an object existing even when they can’t see it. And it’s really cute because then when you bring that object back out again, their eyes get really big and they’ll be like, “Whoa…where did that come from?” And they think you’re the greatest magician ever. It’s because they don’t have the mental category for that yet. And in a similar way, here in John 18, nobody understands what Jesus is talking about. As I mentioned, even his own disciples don’t get it. That’s why, earlier in chapter 18, Peter took out his sword and started to fight the soldiers who came to arrest Jesus and even cut a guy’s ear off before Jesus told him to stop and put his sword away. Peter was ready for an earthly kingdom, but that’s not what Jesus came to establish. He came to establish a heavenly kingdom. And likewise, many people today have trouble grasping this idea of a heavenly kingdom. We like to see things and measure things and put things in test tubes and do experiments on them. So if something’s not visible, measurable, or able to be put into a test tube, we have a hard time believing it really exists.

And I think we have that struggle even as Christians. As Christians, we might say we believe in this heavenly kingdom and be very sincere in saying that, but neverless our lives often tell a different story. You see, our lives have a way of revealing what we really believe. It’s almost like they tattle on us. Because we might say, “I believe this, this, and this,” but then our then our lives are like, “Eh…No he doesn’t. He doesn’t really believe that.” So even though we say we believe in this heavenly kingdom Jesus talks about, I’m not sure we really do in the way that we need to—in a way that changes our pattern of living. Because if you really believe there’s a heavenly kingdom, it’s gonna change every part of your life. Not one aspect of your life will remain untouched or unchanged by your belief in a heavenly kingdom.

What does that mean for us?

And that naturally leads us to our next question about what Jesus’ teaching regarding a heavenly kingdom means for us. Now that we’ve answered the question of what Jesus means when he says “my kingdom is not of this world,” we find ourselves asking our second question, “What does that mean for us?”

Heavenly-Mindedness

And I believe there are three major things that means for us, and the first is foundational for the other two. First, our lives should be characterized by a heavenly-mindedness. That means we should be thinking about heaven a lot more than we often do. One Puritan author named Richard Sibbes argued that the best way to energize your Christian life here on earth is to spend at least 30 minutes a day thinking about heaven. Because when you spend at least 30 minutes a day thinking about the glories God has in store for those who love him, that’s where your heart is going to be drawn. 

A few weeks ago, I travelled down to Alabama to attend a pastor’s conference. Many of you may have noticed that I wasn’t here on that Sunday and Kevin was preaching in my place. At least, hopefully you noticed that. If you didn’t notice that and you were in attendance, you probably need to start paying more attention in the worship service. Just sayin. But that’s where I was—at this pastor’s conference in Alabama. However, even though I was way down in Alabama, my heart was in Pittsburgh. I missed my family, I missed you guys, and I missed simply being here at Redeeming Grace. I knew everything was in capable hands up here so I wasn’t overly worried, but I just missed being here. I was thinking about this church and praying for this church throughout that Sunday morning. Of course, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Alabama, and the church I attended down there, which is actually our mother church, is very nice. But being down there just wasn’t the same as being home. So even though I was down in Alabama, my heart was in Pittsburgh.

And that’s a lot like the way it should be as we think of heaven. That’s where our heart should be. 1 Peter 2:11 refers to God’s people as “sojourners and exiles” in this world. That means we’re foreigners, aliens, temporary residents. This world is not our home, nor should we allow ourselves to get too comfortable here. Instead, there should be something within us that yearns for our real home in heaven. We may not be in heaven yet, but that’s definitely where our heart should be.

Heavenly Joy

Then also, as we become more heavenly-minded in that way, we’re filled with a heavenly joy. That’s the second way we’re changed as we embrace the heavenly kingdom Jesus talks about in John 18. Believing in that kingdom produces a joy within us that shines into every corner of our life. Kind of like when sunlight streams through the window of a room, it illuminates every corner of that room. Unless something is obstructing the sunlight, it illuminates everything. It’s not like you find half of the room illuminated and the other half in pitch black darkness. No, every corner, every crevice, every part of that room is illuminated to some degree by the light. It touches everything. And if you really have your eyes on the heavenly kingdom God’s promised us, the light of joyful anticipation will illuminate every corner of your life also. And, in fact, it will outshine everything. Just like the sun outshines artificial light, heavenly joy outshines even the greatest earthly blessings we enjoy. Of course that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy those blessings. By all means, if God has given you the resources to do so, enjoy sporting events, enjoy good food, enjoy all of God’s earthly blessings. But hopefully, heavenly joy outshines all of those things in your life. And it will, if you’re truly looking toward heaven.

And then, of course, just like sunlight illuminates even the darkest corners of a room, heavenly joy will also illuminate the darkest and most difficult times you go through. You see, that’s the beautiful thing about heavenly joy: it doesn’t fluctuate according to our earthly circumstances. Regardless of how difficult our earthly circumstances are, they can’t touch our joy if our joy is rooted in heaven.

A few years ago, there was a couple I knew through church named Scott and Julie. And Scott and Julie had a wonderful life. Great jobs, great kids, both of them were pretty attractive, Scott had played college football, Julie was a frequent soloist in the church—so pretty much the all-American family. And they were very godly. But then, tragedy struck. Out of nowhere, Julie collapsed and was taken to a nearby hospital, which then sent her by helicopter to a larger hospital. But before she could get to that larger hospital, Julie died. They later determined that spinal meningitis caused her death. And just like that, Julie’s husband Scott was without a wife, and her five kids were without a mom. And they definitely struggled just like any family would. But as Scott would later say, his faith in God got him through that experience. It was the only thing, in fact, that got him through that experience. You see, Scott missed Julie and grieved deeply for her, but he knew that this life is not all there is—that God has prepared a kingdom in heaven for his people to enjoy. 

So even if this life is filled with sorrow and pain and heartache, those things are stunningly temporary and will soon be replaced with perfect peace and wholeness as we stand in the very presence of God, beholding his glory and worshipping at the feet of the One who Redeemed us. Now that’s something we can look forward to. If you really believe that, it will bring light even to the darkest seasons of your life. Heavenly joy outshines everything. So every time you experience something difficult, if you’re a Christian, those experiences should just make you yearn that much more for the heavenly kingdom. Just like Jesus said, “my kingdom is not of this world,” you’ll be able to say more and more, “my kingdom also is not of this world.”

Heavenly Purpose

Then finally, a third way looking toward heaven should affect us is by filling our lives with heavenly purpose. All of a sudden, with heavenly purpose, we have something more to live for that our next paycheck, our next purchase, our next promotion, our next weekend, or our next vacation. Those things are great, but heavenly purpose gives us something higher to live for. This week, I read a report that Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon, is now the richest man in the world. In fact, he’s the world’s first centi-billionaire, with a net worth of 127 billion dollars. That’s a lot of money. In fact, he’s gained 15 billion of those dollars in the past 60 days alone. That averages out to about 250 million dollars per day this guy has been making for the past 60 days in a row. That’s a pretty good workday. But, you know, I can’t help but wonder how happy Jeff Bezos really is. Has all that money really brought him fullness in life? I don’t think so. I don’t know Jeff Bezos, but I just don’t think that’s something money is able to do. Making our life all about money or any other earthy treasure or earthly achievement brings emptiness, not fullness. But when we renounce our inclination to build our own kingdom and instead devote ourselves to building God’s kingdom, then we have something that’s actually worth living for. 

And God calls us to do that. He calls us to use all of the things he’s given us to build and, we might say, populate his kingdom in heaven. So think about the things God’s given you—the unique talents and abilities you have, the financial resources you have, the opportunities you have to influence people around you. How faithfully are you using those things to advance the mission of God and build the kingdom of God? To what degree are you living with heavenly purpose? When Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world,” he was making a statement not only about the kind of kingdom he was pursuing but about the kind of kingdom we should pursue also. So are you pursuing the kingdom Jesus was talking about—a kingdom that’s not of this world?

Conclusion

And as we think about living for this heavenly kingdom, I wonder if there are some in here who aren’t in a position to live for that kingdom haven’t yet become kingdom citizens. You see, the Bible teaches us that citizenship in God’s kingdom is anything but automatic. In fact, the sobering reality is that each one of us has lived in such a way that’s made us offensive to the King. We’ve disregarded his commands and rebelled against authority. You might even say that we’re guilty of cosmic treason against this King of the Universe. And that has rendered us thoroughly deserving of God’s condemnation. But thankfully, that’s not where the story ends. Because in his great mercy, God hasn’t left us to perish in our sins. Even though he saw the depths of our depravity and vileness, God had mercy on us and, in fact, loved us so much that he sent his own Son Jesus to come to this earth and rescue us. 1 Timothy 2:5 states that “there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” And then it goes on to describe Jesus as the one “who gave himself as a ransom for all.” That’s something Jesus did when he died on the cross. If you think back the fuller narrative of our main text, you may remember that the Jewish religious leaders were trying to convince Pilate to have Jesus executed. And you might initially be tempted to think that something has gone horribly wrong here. Surely killing Jesus can’t be part of God’s plan! But it was. Nothing we read in John 18 is accidental, unforeseen, or outside the realm of God’s control. God was sending his own Son to be a “ransom for all.” That means when Jesus died, he was dying for our benefit. Jesus was bearing the penalty for our sins and thereby satisfying the requirements of divine justice. And then, through his resurrection from the dead three days later, Jesus won the ultimate victory over sin and death. And the good news of the gospel is that we can share in that victory as we put our trust in Jesus. That means renouncing our sins and looking to Jesus as our only hope for rescue. And the best part is that Jesus doesn’t just save us from something—he saves into something as well—namely a relationship with him that reaches its climax in the heavenly kingdom. So my prayer is that just like Jesus was all about his heavenly kingdom, that we also would be able to look forward to that kingdom and live a life of heavenly-mindedness, heavenly joy, and heavenly purpose.

other sermons in this series