**Kingship not from the world**

**Kingship not from the world**

Rev. Jerry J. Pokorsky

During Pilate’s interrogation, Jesus describes His kingdom: “My kingship is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from the world.” (John 18:36) It’s a mysterious response. Why wouldn’t Jesus use just and reasonable force at His heavenly disposal to prevent His crucifixion?

In acknowledging that He is a king, Jesus adds, “For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth.” (John 18:37) How do the demands of truth require that Jesus freely hand Himself over to be crucified? Jesus seems to be witnessing to a truth that is more valuable than His earthly life.

Jesus had plenty of political advisors. After Peter was identified as the rock upon which Jesus would build His Church, “Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” (Matthew 16:21) Peter responds in horror: “God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” (Matthew 16:22) Jesus seems unduly harsh in response: “Get behind me, Satan!” (Matthew 16:23)

When the Samaritans refuse to receive Jesus and His disciples, James and John see an opportunity for a punitive strike to improve their negotiating position. The two are happy to lend their services. They asked, “Lord, do you want us to bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?” (Luke 9:54) Jesus simply “…turned and rebuked them.” (Luke 9:55)

Jesus seems reluctant to use violence to vanquish His enemies. He refuses several opportunities to call upon His angelic reserves to establish His kingdom. Had He whacked one of the obnoxious Pharisees – with just Divine retribution -- the rest would have probably stepped into line. It’s a tactic the IRS uses all the time. He tells Pilate His kingdom is not of this world. So He is scourged at the pillar, crowned with thorns, carries the burden of the Cross and dies an ignominious death on Calvary.

Could it be that Jesus had some kind of death wish? Impossible. His agony in the Garden reveals the contrary: “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death” and He fell on His face and prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:38-39) Jesus is obedient to the Father unto death. It is our disobedience that killed Him.

Nevertheless, after His glorious Resurrection, would it be too much to ask for His intervention to protect us with His angelic army? If He is the King of the Universe, why not prevent war, genocide, the mass murder of unborn babies? How does Jesus “bear witness to the truth” by failing to intervene with His angelic hosts on these serious questions of life and death and the great drama of human suffering?

The fundamental truth of our existence is found in the first book of the Bible: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Gen. 1:27) As an image of God, man has the mysterious and wonderful gift of freedom, a freedom that is at once revealed and put to the test in the Garden: “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.” (Gen. 2:16-17)

Hence, our entire life this side of eternity is a test, a test of our God-given freedom. As the sin of Adam reveals – and our personal sins confirm -- it is the abuse of freedom that is the cause of all suffering and death. Choices once made are irrevocable. Yet human freedom remains essential to human dignity. While sin disfigures, it cannot destroy man in his freedom, created in the image of God. We alone can choose to become slaves to our sins.

By refusing to send His angels to keep Him from being handed over for crucifixion, Jesus bears witness to the truth of our freedom. And if God protects our freedom with the blood of Jesus, no enemy can be strong enough to rob us of our freedom. In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword, in Christ, we remain free.

Thus when we expect God to send His legions to obliterate the freedom of our enemies, we are really asking Him to obliterate our freedom as well. Who among us is without sin? Rather, God sends the healing Spirit of Pentecost into the world, and He sends us to be His ambassadors. We alone, with God’s grace, can choose to accept our responsibility to be the holy instruments of Jesus by living good lives and in His name confronting evil. Such is the dignity of our freedom. Such is the splendor of the Cross.

“If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25)

If our freedom is so precious to God, shouldn’t it also be precious to us? Time is short. With the completion of the test on the Day of Judgment, our choice for or against God as revealed by the state of our soul at death becomes irrevocable.

With God’s grace, we will see with absolute clarity the reason for our freedom: the truth, beauty, and goodness of God. We will comprehend the absurdity of ever failing to choose Him. And, purified of all evil, we will worship Him with perfect integrity – in freedom -- for eternity in the new and everlasting Covenant.