JESUS CHRIST THE KING , HIS KINGDOM , AND ANOTHER KINGDOM
The Gospel of John
  1. Christ’s Encounter With Pontius Pilate , The Roman Governor : John 18:28-40; 19:6-15
    • The chief priests and elders brought Jesus to Pilate so that Pilate would execute Jesus.
    • Pilate asks them what charges they were bringing against the Lord.
    • And they begin to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.” Luke 23:2 NKJV
    • Pilate then goes in to talk to Jesus and asks him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
    • Jesus answers Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”
    • Pilate asks Jesus again: “Are You a king then?”
    • Jesus answers Pilate: “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
    • Pilate asked: “What is truth?” But he did not stay to hear Jesus’ answer to his question.
    • Then Pilate asked the multitudes if they wanted him to release the King of the Jews, they requested His crucifixion. John 19:14-15
    • IMPORTANT :

      • Jesus made the statement that yes, He was a King.
      • Jesus made the statement that His Kingdom was not from this world.
      • Jesus explained why He came to the world — to bear witness of the truth.

  2. Jesus Came Announcing The Kingdom Of God :
    • Jesus begins His ministry announcing the coming Kingdom of God. Mat. 4:17
    • He gave that assignment to His disciples in the first commission to proclaim the Kingdom of God. Mat. 10:7
    • In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught His disciples to pray for God’s kingdom to come. Mat. 6:10
    • In Christ’s end time revelation, He gives a clue as to the arrival of God’s Kingdom. Luke 21:31

  3. Jesus Reveals Another Kingdom And Its Ruler — The Kingdom Of Darkness :
    • After the last supper, Jesus told His disciples that the ruler of this world, Satan, was coming against Him: “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” John 14:30 NKJV
    • IMPORTANT :
      • Jesus identified another kingdom controlling this world that is not His Kingdom and that there is a ruler controlling that kingdom —the evil one.
    • IMPORTANT :
      • During the last supper, Jesus prays to the Father, and He requests that the Father protect His disciples from the evil one, and also those who would believe their testimonies.
      • I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one…I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word.” John 17:14-15, 20 NKJV
    • In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches His disciples and us believers to pray to the Father asking for His protection against the evil one and for His Kingdom to come. Why? Because the kingdom of the evil one is still controlling the world:
      • And do not lead us into temptation,
        But deliver us from the evil one. Mat. 6:10, 13 NKJV
      • IMPORTANT : Jesus asks the Father to bring His Kingdom to earth because it is NOT here yet, and to protect us from the evil one who rules in the other kingdom — the kingdom of darkness.

  4. Born Again Believers Are In What Kingdom ?
    • This is what Paul says:
      • “Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” Colossians 1:12-13 NKJV
    • This is what Peter says:
      • “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:10-11 NKJV
    • This is what John says:
      • In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest:Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. 1 John 3:10 NKJV
      • You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.We are of God. 1 John 4:4-6 NKJV

  5. The Devil’s Kingdom :
    • The devil invited Jesus to be part of his kingdom of darkness:
      • Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
    • Jesus sent the devil away, but did not rebuke him in the statement the devil made:
      • And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”Luke 4:5-8 NKJV
    • Paul reveals what the kingdom of darkness is like and what believers are fighting against with the armor:
      • For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 NKJV

  6. The End Of The Kingdom Of Darkness :
    • IMPORTANT :
      • Born again believers can fight against the attacks of the devil with God’s armor. Eph. 6:12-18
      • Born against believers are in Christ’s spiritual kingdom, but we are still in a world controlled by the kingdom of darkness. Colossians 1:13
      • Jesus prayed to the Father to protect His children in this world because we were not of this world, but His. Yet He asked the Father to protect us from the evil one who is the ruler of the kingdom that controls the world — the kingdom of darkness. John 17:14-15
      • Humans cannot fight a spiritual confrontation with the devil and destroy his kingdom because that battle is and will be fought in the spiritual realm with angelic hosts of God and the devil.
      • The church, the Body of Christ has not been called to engage the devil on a spiritual battle with him to destroy his kingdom because we have not been given that commission. Rev. 12:7-9
      • The commission the church has been given is to deliver the gospel to those who are in the kingdom of darkness so that they can be set free and come into Jesus’ kingdom. Mat. 28:19-20
      • It will be Jesus Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lord who will return in His Second Coming to destroy the devil, his kingdom of darkness, and all the host of evil in high places. Jesus will then establish a Kingdom that will never end when He has put all His enemies under His feet. GLORY BE TO GOD! Revelation 19:11-20:10; 1 Corinthians 15:23-28; Psalm 110:1-2