My Kingdom is not of this realm…
John 18
First let’s look at John 18:36-38 in the NASB2020 with Jesus changed to Yeshua:
Yeshua answered,
“My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”
Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Yeshua answered,
“You say correctly that I am a king. For this purpose I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.”
Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?”
Now the Complete Jewish Bible:
Yeshua answered,
“My kingship does not derive its authority from this world’s order of things. If it did, my men would have fought to keep me from being arrested by the Judeans. But my kingship does not come from here.”
“So then,” Pilate said to him, “You are a king, after all.” Yeshua answered,
“you say I am a king. The reason I have been born, the reason I have come into the world, is to bear witness to the truth. Every one who belongs to the truth listens to me”
Pilate asked him, “What is truth?”
Words translated as:
World – G2889 – kosmos – def: orderly arrangement, decoration: translated as: adorning, world.
Realm – G 1782 – enteuthen- for def, from the same as G1759 – enthade which def is within, that is here or thither; … def of G1782 : hence, if repeated: on both sides: translated as (from) hence, on either side.
Thought: Yeshua’s kingdom is NOT OF THIS WORLD so why do we have prosperity teaching in the church? Why do we count blessings usually as physical blessings. Yes, I believe God blesses us physically but when we list our blessings, what is the main focus of that list or what constitutes the list?
Do we list:
*Eternal Life – the privilege of knowing God The Father and His Son Yeshua that He sent to bring us the truth.
*The recorded words of Yeshua – the ability to read those words or listen to a recording of them.
*The privilege of prayer and God that hears us.
*A God that loves us, pours out His mercy and Grace on us when we repent and obey. By the way, obedience is part of repentance. We make that decision to turn from following our own selfish voice and ways and turn to following Yeshua’s voice and ways. We ask forgiveness for the way we have been living…our sins and seek to obey and do the will of The Father.
*Salvation – which takes in all of the above…
Most of the time we do see on the list blessings that, in my mind are definitely to be included such as spouses, children, family, friends…things that make us “rich” beyond the scope of what this world would define as “rich”.
Are blessings also physical? Yes! Needs met… are blessings. God cares for His people. Yeshua met needs while He walked around physically on this earth…healing, feeding, raising people from death…as He TAUGHT ABOUT THE KINGDOM AND WHAT IT’S LIKE.
In the parables about what the Kingdom of God is like, did it ever say that everyone in it would be rich and the more $$ in their account was an indication of their ranking in the kingdom? NO! Or that it’s a banking system where you put in 10% of what you have and will receive 110% back so that’s the reason to give? NO!
My point being… what part of our lives here on this earth; in this world, are part of a “kingdom not of this world or this realm”? Would the dollar bill be a part of this kingdom? Yes, we need a means to meet needs and we use the dollar for that. Sometimes we are to use the dollar to bless someone else, to help meet their need.
The other point today is where Yeshua said, “The reason I have been born, the reason I have come into the world, is to bear witness to the truth. Every one who belongs to the truth listens to me.”
It seems there are “Christians” that believe the Gospels were not written for us but for the Jews. Yeshua said that He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. He came to do the will of The Father. He came to bear witness to the truth. If we belong to the truth, we will listen to Him. Why would we not want to read and soak up His words as recorded in the Gospels??? EVERYONE WHO BELONGS TO THE TRUTH LISTENS TO HIM.
