John 18 ; 33 to 37

John 18 ; 33 to 37

We can read the newspapers and look around us at what is going on in the world and think quite frankly - what a mess. Where is God in all this? What’s gone wrong with the world?

In fact lots of people when they see poverty and war and injustice decide that there can’t be a God or the world wouldn’t be like this.

Well in today’s reading from John’s gospel, Jesus goes some way to explaining why the world is in such a mess. He says in verse 36, “my kingdom is not from this world.” The New Living translation puts it as; “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom.”

In other words Jesus’s kingdom isn’t established in this world, and we don’t see life lived as God desires. We see people hating and hurting each other. We see greed and immorality and injustice.

But why is this - and what’s gone wrong?

Well the answer is given to us in the first few chapters of Genesis, where we see that everything went wrong right at the very beginning just after God had created a perfect world.

We see Adam and Eve when tempted by the Devil, choosing to disobey God and in so doing, to allow evil and sin and death - into the world.

God is perfect. He is perfectly wise and loving and good, so when we choose to disobey him, and to go our own way, imperfection results.

And this is what has happened to the world. Since people were first created mankind has chosen to go its own way in life and to disobey God.

So now we see a world that is locked in persistent rebellion against its creator and the mess we see around us is the chaos that results.

Of course there is also a spiritual dimension to the darkness and chaos we see as the story in Genesis makes clear.

The bible explains that this dark spiritual dimension is ruled by Satan or the devil – who was a powerful angel that rebelled against God’s authority long ago before the world was created.

Satan and his demonic followers are squarely opposed against God and so there is a battle going on in the world between the forces of evil and God and his angelic host.

Of course God is infinitely more powerful than the Devil, but for the time being until he is ultimately defeated, Satan and his demonic host have a degree of influence in the world.

Satan encourages people towards death and destruction. He delights in sorrow and misery and discord and hatred and he seeks to blind people to the truth of the gospel.

We see this battle in the gospels when for instance Jesus himself was tempted by the Devil to disobey his heavenly father and again when Jesus cast out demons from people.

Jesus could see when the spiritual forces of evil were oppressing people and he set them free.

We get a brief glimpse of what the world would be like if God’s kingdom were truly established on earth in the book of Revelation where we read about the future New Jerusalem – a time when God will dwell with his people and will wipe every tear from his people’s eyes and where death will be no more and where mourning and crying and pain will be no more.

But sadly as we all know the world isn’t like this at the moment.

Now this probably all sounds a bit depressing and I don’t want you to go home feeling depressed. There is good news and this is that although Jesus’s kingdom may not yet be established on earth – he is in fact a king. The NIV translates verse 18 of today’s reading as; 

“You are right in saying I am a king.”

Jesus is the king of the heavenly realms – the spiritual domain - and as he explains to Pilate, the reason he was born was to reveal the knowledge of his kingship and his kingdom to the world – to testify to the truth as he puts it in verse 37.

So when we read the gospels we see Jesus starting to put things right in the world. Where people are sick he heals them. Where people are possessed or oppressed by demons he sets them free. Where people have died before their time – he raises them back to life.

Where people are willing to confess their mistakes and to change – he enables them to experience forgiveness and acceptance by God.

We see the kingdom of Jesus – the kingdom of heaven, start to spill over into the life of the world.

God in the person of Jesus came to earth to restore and put right what is wrong with the world, and to reconcile human beings to their creator.

Thus Luke records that right at the start of his ministry Jesus says; “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed.”

And this is the commission he has given to his church, to those who believe in him today.

With the help of his Holy Spirit – who lives in the heart of believers – we are to continue Jesus’ work, to bring peace and healing and the knowledge of salvation to our small corner of the world.

God is in the business of putting right what is wrong with the world and he does it person by person, individual by individual, heart by heart.

There’s part of a verse in the song ‘I vow to thee my country’ – about God’s kingdom, which I particularly like.

It reads; “And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase, and her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.”

God’s kingdom is established in the world as individuals repent and cease rebellion against their creator and seek to serve him in their lives.

Jesus’s message was repent because the kingdom of heaven is close at hand, and this is his message to people today.

God can only start to put things right in the world as we as individuals - cease rebellion against him and start to try and do things his way.

He calls us to acknowlege our wrongdoing – our contribution to the mess the world is in – and to start to try and live our lives in obedience to him – to kneel before him and to acknowledge his kingship in our lives.

I know some of you here have had military careers. Well when you joined the army you were required to swear an oath of allegiance to queen and country.

You chose to dedicate your life to the service of your monarch and her country and to be obedient to the orders you received.

Well God asks us to do something similar if we are to join his army of followers.

He asks us to the best of our ability, with the help of His Holy Spirit, to commit ourselves by faith to the service of His kingdom and to be obedient to what He asks us to do.

And his kingdom can only start to be established in our lives as we do this.

Jesus says in verse 37 that everyone who belongs to the truth listens to his voice.

In other words those who are genuinely on God’s side will listen to what he says and act in obedience to it.

With his help, they will seek to bring the knowledge and power of the kingdom of heaven into the lives of those around them.

With his help they will seek to bring peace and reconciliation and healing where there is hatred and discord and sickness.

And what can we expect when we choose to follow Christ and to serve others in this way?      

Well we will find that God starts to restore his divine order to our own lives and to make us whole.

I’m sure most of you have seen some of these house restoration programmes on telly where someone buys a run-down house and gradually restores it to its former glory.

Well this is what God will do with us. As we follow him and seek to serve him, he will help us to become more like Jesus.

He will help us to put things right in our lives. This will be relationships with other people but also most importantly our characters. He will help us to become more Christ like – more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, gentle and self controlled.

He will also gradually heal our personalities from past hurts and disappointments.

When I first became a Christian I was a fearful and insecure person and at one stage I got very depressed.

In the depths of my depression God told me that he would put my feet on rock, and over the years this is what he has been doing.

I am now a much more confident and secure person and things that in the past would have caused me to be fearful no longer do so.

As we seek to reach out and serve others and follow Christ, God gradually transforms our own lives and makes us fit for the kingdom of heaven.

This may also include physical healing if we need it.

As his kingdom becomes established in our lives we are gradually made whole by the King.

So I think the question we need to ask ourselves today is do we recognise Jesus as a king?

And if we do, are we obedient subjects? Do we kneel before the king of heaven and with the help of his Holy Spirit seek to serve him in our lives.

Are we seeking in our own small way to bring God’s kingdom into the lives of those around us?

Is the prayer of our hearts – thy kingdom come and thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven - or are we still continuing to live in rebellion against God?

That might sound a bit harsh but the bible says that we can’t sit on the sidelines. There is no middle way. There is no centre ground.

Jesus says in Matthew 12 verse 30 – “Anyone who isn't with me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me.”

If we are not actively serving God, then we are opposing him.

Since the time of Jesus, God has been raising up an army of people around the globe - who are willing to acknowledge his kingship and to actively serve him – who are seeking to extend his kingdom in their corner of this messy world.

Have you enrolled in that army yet or are you still a member of the opposing army?

In the name of the living God. Amen