DIFFERENT KINGDOM / DIFFERENT RESPONSE

JOHN 18:36 NKJV 

36 Jesus answered, "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." 

This chapter is about Jesus' arrest and appearance before Jewish and Roman rulers. 

Jesus displayed straight-up courage in the face of the pressure coming His way. 

He asked that His disciples be free from arrest when the mob found Him in the Garden of Gethsemane.   

How many people would have wanted their "people' with them when trouble went down? Jesus wanted His followers free.   

When Peter cut off the ear of the High Priest's slave, Jesus stopped Peter or anyone else from resisting His arrest. How many would have been somewhat happy that one person in the arresting party was hurt? In Luke's gospel, Jesus healed the servant's ear. Now that is certainly different.   

In our passage for today, Jesus is facing Pilate. But Jesus is in no way intimidated by this Roman ruler. When asked about being a king, Jesus defines a key difference of His kingdom.   

Jesus' kingdom is not from here. It is not of this world. One way to distinguish His kingdom from a kingdom of this world is the response of the servants.   

Servants of a worldly kingdom fight to have their king protected. Servants of Christ's spiritual kingdom do not fight with natural weapons.   

Jesus released His followers knowing that earthly fighting would not accomplish God's plan. Different kingdom, different response.   

APPLICATION: 

It seems that each time the "Church" resorts to earthly fighting and methods to protect God's kingdom, we get in more trouble.  

Paul warned us about using carnal or natural weapons. He knew it would not get the job done then, and it will not work today. 

So as a servant of God, how do we fight for Jesus and His kingdom? By praying and expending our energies on freeing people from the kingdom of darkness. We are part of a victorious eternal spiritual kingdom. We are required to respond differently.