“Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not from here.”” John 18:36.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
Jesus told His disciples, those who believed in Him and were seeking My Kingdom, not to fear because it has pleased Me to give you the Kingdom. Luke 12:32. A Kingdom seeker is also a Kingdom receiver.
When I give it is forever. I do not give to take away. You can reject and even despise My gifts but My gifts and calling are irrevocable. Romans 11:29. And the gift that gives you all the gifts is Jesus, My Son, for in Him are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and in Him all My promises of healing, provision, and salvation are realized and fulfilled for you.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16.
I gave My Son to you to save you and I am never taking that gift back. He saves you to the uttermost for He forever lives making intercession for you. In Him, I gave you eternal redemption and it is a gift to every person from the beginning to the end of time.
For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. 1 Timothy 2:5-6.
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. 1 John 2:1-2.
Please understand this. I have given this gift to every person. I have written everyone’s name in the Lamb’s Book of Life since the foundation of the world. Everyone is saved when conceived and born as My gift, but there comes a time when you can make your own decisions and it is then I set before you life and death, blessing and cursing and it is up to you to make the decision of whether you will accept My gift of eternal life in My Son or not. And all Heaven is awaiting your decision with great anticipation of celebration for a decision for life in My Son forever.
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days. Deuteronomy 30:19-20.
This is a very serious matter for all of you upon this earth, for you have all received the gift of life, breath, and being in Me, but to receive the gift of no condemnation, that is, the gift of My Son, who paid your judgment and took your sentence so that you do not come under judgment but have passed out of the sentence of eternal death into eternal life, you must believe in Him and confess Him as Lord.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” John 5:24.
This is My gift of eternal life, and I promised you eternal life from before the foundation of the world, but if you deny this gift it cannot be completed. I will not take it away from your ability to receive it at any time during this life, but if you reject this satisfaction of your judgment and sentence, you are still under the judgment and sentence of Adam. Which is condemnation to eternal death.
This is a matter of life and death and it is in the power of your tongue. And your tongue is ruled by the thoughts of your heart.
Because if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Romans 10:9-10.
Today we are considering the conversations that Jesus had with the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, who at the insistence of the priests, condemned Jesus to death though he knew it was not right to do so. He kept stating he found no case against him but he gave him the death sentence to satisfy the crowd and keep in the favor of Caesar.
After Judas betrayed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole Sanhedrin condemned Jesus to death on false charges during the night for they feared an uprising of the people against them. In the early morning, thy immediately held a consultation; and binding Jesus, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate, the Roman governor.
They brought Jesus to the Praetorium, the official residence of the Roman governor, who was Pontius Pilate at that time, in the palace built by Herod, the father of the one before whom Jesus would also be sent by Pilate, but they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled. You recall from what Peter told the Roman centurion, Cornelius, that it was unlawful for a Jew to associate with an unbelieving foreigner or to visit his home. But the Jewish authorities handing over Jesus were not operating under the Law, that is under wisdom from on High, but earthly, demonic wisdom.
They led Jesus like a lamb to the slaughter.
Their delivering Jesus to Pilate was not a spur of the moment decision. It was premeditated and calculated. They were acting as children of the devil, just as Jesus had accused them.
But if the devil had seen what was really going on in the betrayal of Jesus, if he had understood the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane was not of fleshly origin, he would NEVER have crucified the LORD OF GLORY.
Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Corinthians 2:6-8.
And here again you see the differentiation between wisdom from on high and the wisdom of the flesh. Divine love and human love. Kingdom living and living of the world. You cannot serve two masters. The chief priests and elders tried to serve two masters but they handed their hearts over to the wrong one and crucified the Lord of Glory.
Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?” 30 They answered and said to him, “If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you.” So Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.” The Jews said to him, “We are not permitted to put anyone to death,” to fulfill the word of Jesus which He spoke, signifying by what kind of death He was about to die.
Therefore, Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus, and Jesus, through whom everything that was made was made, stood before Pilate and humbled Himself to go on trial before unbelievers.
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11.
The first question Pilate asked Jesus was, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Matthew 27:11; Mark 15:2; Luke 23:3, John 18:33. Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?” Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?”
And here began a very significant revelation for each of you about the Kingdom. Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world (in Greek, kosmos (κόσμος): order, the world, worldly affairs; the inhabitants of the world). If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants (in Greek, hypērétēs (ὑπηρέτης): a servant, an attendant, an officer, a minister, it is from “hypo,” meaning “under,” and “ēressō,” meaning “to row,” properly, a rower (a crewman on a boat), an “under-rower” who mans the oars executing official orders, i.e. operating under direct (specific) orders) would be fighting so that I would not be betrayed and delivered over into the hands of the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not from here (i.e., of this realm).” Therefore, Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” John 18:36-38.
My Kingdom is not from here, meaning originating in the flesh. It was not there in the world in which Pilate was standing. Why? Sin and evil were present. There is no Kingdom of Glory reigning where sin and evil are present and reigning in the hearts of those before Me. When Adam and Eve sinned and did evil before Me, the glory left them and they were naked. All flesh, no spirit.
Jesus had told the Pharisees that the Kingdom of God is within you. But it is not of this world or of the worldly minded, it is of the wisdom that comes from on High. It is of the spirit.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:17-18.
And I have made Jesus wisdom unto you. And that wisdom does not degrade yourself and others but brings righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:30-31.
Wisdom from above is first of all pure. The glory is pure. It permits no admixture or taint of evil. Truth has no lie in it. Truth is pure and My Word is truth. My Word is pure. It is My Word that sanctifies you and makes you pure.
Jesus prayed for you to have this joy of sanctification in your spirit to flow to your mind and body, “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. John 17:15-19.
My Word is wisdom. All wisdom comes from Me and I give it generously and from My lips come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6, James 1:5.
I love you. I will never leave you or forsake you. Bring people to the fountain of life. Introduce them to the Lamb in the center of the throne. A bubbling fountain is about to burst forth, coming up if you will just sing praise in your barren place. Something new is about to burst forth, do you not perceive it? It will be your deliverance. I am mindful of your situation. I am on your side. I chose you.