reading for: 17 Nov

John 18:33-37

Jesus the King of the kingdom not from this world

• READ

The passage for today depicts the questioning of Jesus by Pilate as recorded in the gospel of John. We should note that in the next chapter, Jesus would be crucified. Hence, when reading this story, we should note that it is set during a trial where Jesus was answering charges against him.

The scene starts with Pilate entering his headquarters and calling for Jesus to come before him. This is akin to a judge in a trial calling for the defendant to come before him to make his defence. Pilate starts by asking Jesus if he was the King of the Jews? Could Pilate have been repeating the charge that the Jewish leaders used to accuse Jesus? This is likely to be the case. Hence Pilate wanted Jesus to respond to that charge. (V33)

Jesus answers to Pilate in the gospel of John not with an answer initially but with a question, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” (V34) Jesus was asking Pilate whether he asked this question of his own accord, or whether others said it to Pilate. This was to clarify the nature of why Pilate asked this question. Did Pilate ask out of his own curiosity and wanting to find out more about Jesus? Alternatively, did he ask his question because he felt that he was the judge trying to decide what to do with Jesus? (V34)

Pilate answer to Jesus makes clear why he was asking the question. He was asking the question to Jesus because the Jewish leaders delivered Jesus to him with this charge. He was not a Jew, and the claims to kingship by a Jew means nothing to him personally. (V35) In other words, he was not asking to satisfy his curiosity, but he was asking because he was the governor and had to decide on the charges that were before him.

Jesus now answers Pilate original question by acknowledging that he was a king, but he defines the nature of his kingship. Jesus says this about the nature of his kingship, “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.” (V36) The kingdom of Jesus is not a kingdom that is from this world. It is not a kingdom that calls on his servants and disciples to take up arms in this world. The kingdom of Jesus is a kingdom involved in the world, but it is not of this world. John 17:16 which is part of the prayer of Jesus to the Father goes this way, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”

Pilate perhaps wanting to clarify whether Jesus said he was a king said, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered him, “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.”(V37) It could be said that Jesus did not explicitly affirm that he is a king when he says, “You say that I am a king” However, if we look at verse 36 when Jesus repeatedly talks about his kingdom, it is fairer to say that Jesus was acknowledging that he was a king but of a different nature of what Pilate understood. (Compare with Mt. 27:11; Mk. 15:2; Lk. 23:3) Jesus continues to spell out the nature of his kingship by saying that the purpose he was born into the world was to be a king. He was born into the world as King to bear witness to the truth. Elsewhere in the gospel, Jesus says that he is the truth. (See John 14:6) It would be helpful to point out that Jesus is aware at this point that he was about to be crucified. Alternatively, Jesus tells us elsewhere that the hour has come for him to be glorified on the cross. (See John 12:23-26) It is because Jesus died on the cross that he has made the truth about himself and the Father known. It is his giving of himself on the cross that manifests his kingship.

• REFLECT

We say that Jesus is a king, our King. However, have we wondered what kind of King he is? Is he the kind of King that calls on his disciple to engage in armed conflict so that he can obtain political power? Jesus is the King who died on the cross for us and makes himself and the Father known.

Reflect on what does it mean for you that Jesus is King? What is it like to come under His Rule? (See Matthew 5:1-12, 1 Cor 15:20-28). Let’s pray and ask God to reshape and renew our understanding of Jesus our King and the nature of His Kingdom in this new season. Worship together with the song, This Kingdom.

reading for: 18 Nov

Daniel 7:9-10,13-14

Jesus the King of the everlasting kingdom

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  Today we are looking at a passage in Daniel 7, which can be described as a throne room encounter in heaven. There is a similar throne room encounter recorded in Revelation 4 and 5.

  Daniel describes the placing of thrones and the Ancient of Days taking his seat on the throne. (V9) God is taking his seat on the throne to judge the evil rulers that are before him. (V11-12) Daniel first describes the appearance of the one who takes his seat on the throne. He says that “his clothing was white as snow”, “the hair of his head like pure wool”, “his throne was fiery flames”. (V9) These are some of the phrases used to describe God who is seated on the throne. A large multitude served him and stood before him. (V10) We can picture a palace scene in an ancient drama how the king in the drama was filled with splendour and how many worshipped him. This is only a small taste of the actual throne room encounter in heaven.

  The court sat in judgment and pronounced the judgment on the evil rulers. (V11-12) They were being punished for their misdeeds. Their dominion was taken away, and some were killed.

  The scene then describes one like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He comes to the Ancient of Days and is given dominion, glory and a kingdom. All people will serve him. The dominion and kingdom that he has been given is an everlasting kingdom without end (V13-14).  The term ‘Son of Man’ (ben-Adam) refers to a ‘human figure’. This ‘human figure’ is also a kingly figure. So what is happening in God’s throne room (V13-14) is that God is giving rulership of all humanity, all the world to this one human being, this ‘Son of Man’.

  And Jesus is the Son of Man figure spoken of in Daniel 7:13 and 14. Jesus has been given dominion and an everlasting kingdom. Jesus is the human, kingly descendent of King David, to whom God promised an everlasting kingdom. God said to David,

  12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. (2 Samuel 7:12-13)

  We who are his body are seated with him in heavenly places and will rule with him in his kingdom. (Ephesians 2:6)

• REFLECT

  We have seen that Jesus, the Son of Man, is the king of the everlasting kingdom. He is the one that is full of glory and dominion. We are his body that is seated with him in the heavenly places. This is the position that we are in now and in the future.

  In the world, we face many kinds of distress. It can range from persecution to a health pandemic to various kinds of sickness. Often, this can cause us to be distracted and forget who Jesus is and who we are with him. May we remember that Jesus is the one that is in control and that we are seated with him in heavenly places.

  Jesus, having died, been raised and ascended to the Father, is working in the world to bring many to him, is doing it from a place of enthronement, a place of rulership. May we move with him to bring those around us to him while doing it from a posture of knowing who he is and who we are. As an LG, pray together for Gek Poh families this Christmas season. Then declare his Kingdom rule together with this song Lion and The Lamb.

reading for: 19 Nov

Revelation 1:4-8

Jesus the King who loves us

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  Revelation is a book in the bible that many people find hard to understand. Consequently, many do not bother to read the book of Revelation. However, Revelation has a message that it wants us to get. The start of the book of Revelation goes this way, “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,”. (V1) Revelation is first and foremost the revelation of Jesus Christ, and it is in this light that we must read the things that must soon take place. Furthermore, the start of Revelation contains a blessing for those who read aloud, hear and who keep what is written in it. This blessing shows the importance that God places on the book of Revelation. Revelation is about the revelation of Jesus Christ.

  Our passage for today follows the starting three verses of the book of Revelation and contains a greeting from John to the seven churches in Asia Minor. This greeting starts this way, “John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. “This greeting in the simplest sense is a greeting of grace to you and peace from God. However, John means far more than merely a simple greeting. The greeting comes from a Trinitarian source, and it explicitly names Jesus and the Spirit. Hence, the “from him who is and who was and who is to come” must refer to the Father. It is also interesting to point out that the order of the greeting is the Father first, then the Spirit, then finally the Son. Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and the ruler of kings on earth. (V5) Jesus is the king that is in control, he is not subordinate to any of the kings on earth, but he rules over them. (See Psalm 2:1-12).

  John is not done yet with the description of Jesus, but he describes him further in this way, “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”. (V5-6) Jesus is the king who loves us. He is the one that has freed us from our sins by his blood so that we can draw near to him.

  Verse 7 speaks of Jesus as the exalted king in this way, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. “. God is the Alpha and the Omega, the one who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. (V8)

  Revelation 1:4-8 presents a picture of Jesus as the king together with his Father and the Spirit. However, this passage does not just contain a portrayal of Jesus and the triune God in separation from us. We who are the body of Christ, we who are the people whom he loves and brings into His kingdom are included in this portrayal.

• REFLECT

  Revelation 1:4-8 contains a portrayal of Jesus as the king who loves us. Reflect on what Revelation tells us about our King Jesus. We are destined to rule and reign with Christ (See Rev 20:4-6, 1 Cor 6:1-3). Are we learning to step into our royal priesthood role and taking authority over the spiritual forces of darkness? Is there one person in your workplace or neighbourhood you can reach and bring breakthrough with the love of Christ these next few weeks leading up to Christmas?  

reading for: 20 Nov

Psalm 93

Jesus the reigning King

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  Psalm 93 speaks of the Lord as the reigning king. He is the one that reigns and is robed in majesty. He has put on strength as his belt. (V1) The Lord is the king reigning on the throne, clothed with majesty and strength.

  The Lord is the one that created and established the world. (V2) He is the one that establishes the world. (V2) The floods have lifted up their voice to praise him. (V3) The Lord is mightier than the waves of the sea. (V4) The Lord is the one that established all of creation, and all of creation praises him.

  The decrees of the Lord are very trustworthy, and his house is full of holiness. (V5)

  The Lord is not someone who is weak, but he is the reigning king. He is the one who reigns over everything. He is the king of kings and the Lord of lords.

• REFLECT

  Pray and personalise the words of the psalm. Praise the Lord, the reigning king who is not weak but mighty. Praise the Lord with the song “I Exalt Thee”.