Citizens of Another Kingdom
4/28/25 Bible Thought (John 18)
Difficult times bring out who we truly are. It’s easy to sing songs of praise to God on the days when everything is going right in our lives. It’s easy to love the lovable. It’s easy to do God’s will when it aligns with what we already wanted. The test comes then, when life gets hard, when we’re called to love not just friend, but enemy, and when God’s plan is the exact opposite of what we would naturally want.
In John 18, we see two contrasting pictures, and the incredible example of the Lord Jesus’ humble submission during the greatest testing in the history of humankind.
After Judas betrays the Lord, he brings a band of soldiers and officers to the Garden of Gethsemane (Jn. 18:2-3). As things progress, Peter determines to spare Jesus. He draws a sword and lops off the ear of the nearest guy—a servant of the high priest named Malchus (Jn. 18:10).
To this, Jesus responds, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” (Jn. 18:11).
We know from Matthew’s Gospel that Christ could have appealed to the Father for 12 legions of angels (Matt. 26:53). He had the power to spare Himself from the cross. He didn’t need the meager swordsmanship of a Galilean fisherman when the host of heaven was at His command.
But the Kingdom of Christ isn’t characterized by military prowess, but humble submission.
Later, when Jesus is asked of Pilate if He was the King of the Jews, Jesus responded,
“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” (Jn. 18:36).
Peter treated the Kingdom of Christ as if it were a traditional kingdom when he took up the sword. But Jesus wasn’t going to overcome the world (Jn. 16:33) in that way. In his first advent, rather than conquering the world through bloodshed, He would conquer it through love. Jesus was going to give His life on our behalf.
He humbly submitted Himself to the Father’s will. He laid down His life for sinners (see Rom. 5:8). In the moment of greatest testing, He passed the test. Unlike the first Adam in the Garden of Eden, the second Adam prevailed in another garden. When everything naturally speaking would have pushed Him towards self-preservation, He responds with the greatest act of self-sacrifice.
Jesus passed the test in the hardest moment. In the same chapter, Peter failed miserably. He acted in violence in opposition to God’s will, and later the one who so valiantly brandished a sword against men would fail in his profession before a servant girl (Jn. 18:17).
Christ prevailed. Peter failed. What will be our testimony when things get hard?
Church history is filled with multitudes of believers who were willing to lay down their lives for the cause of Christ. They knew they were citizens of another Kingdom. They didn’t take up sword and shield, but like the Savior humbly submitted to the Father’s will, even when it involved suffering. They, “loved not their lives even unto death” (Rev. 12:11) for their love for the Savior was greater.
I pray today that we won’t just follow Christ when it’s convenient or easy, but when it’s difficult and that our love for Him would be greater than our love for comfort, convenience, or anything this world offers.
I enjoyed your post. Thank you.
I often think, will I stand in a moment of trial? But God does not give us the grace to deal with it beforehand, only in the moment: "Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say..." (Mark 13:11)
Great post Josiah. This brings to mind when Paul goes to Thessalonica and the reputation of the Christians is that they are denying Caesar’s decree by living under the authority of another king…one called Jesus! This should be our reputation too…living under another King.