The Kingdom Is Here
Open Your Bible
Daniel 2:31-45, Matthew 3:1-17, John 1:29-34, John 18:36-37
BY Tameshia Williams
God’s kingdom came to reign on earth in a new, decisive way through Jesus.
As a young teenager, I often dreamed of living in a faraway world, thanks to my favorite fantasy novels. I spent countless nights reading epic tales of heroes and villains, absently promising my sister/bunkmate lights out after just a few more pages. I longed to escape the realities of my broken world for the “happily ever afters” of my dog-eared paperbacks. I still do.
Jesus invites us to a kingdom that outrivals the most enchanting worlds, real or fiction. We don’t need a portal to transport us to a distant land. Instead, the good and just King has brought God’s kingdom to reign on earth, and we are transformed into His redeemed subjects. The kingdom is here, but not everyone perceives it.
In John 18, Jesus stands before Pontius Pilate, rejected by the Jewish leaders as the long-awaited Messiah and presented as a political threat. The scene between the two may seem less action-packed than the rest of Jesus’s Passion week, but the conversation is just as fascinating. The true King is in Pilate’s presence, unrecognized and misunderstood. The accused tells Pilate:
“I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this:
to testify to the truth” (John 18:37).
Pilate does not fully comprehend Jesus’s words. Although they are discussing kingdoms, they are referring to two very different realms. Pilate has in mind a limited, earthly kingdom—Jesus does not (v.36). The kingdom He has in mind is anchored in truth and characterized by righteousness, justice, and peace.
I was born for this. Jesus didn’t come to overthrow Rome’s government or to reform Jewish leadership. He came to testify to the truth and fulfill God’s will, bringing salvation to the world. He is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). The good news of the gospel is that we belong to Him. Our reality is that we live on earth, but we truly belong to another world, a kingdom that does not belong to this world (John 18:36). This truth transforms us, bringing purpose and hope to the days we spend in this land.
“You are a king then?”
Pilate asked Jesus this question all those years ago (John 18:37). We can answer this question with certainty. Yes, He is the King… He is our King. His kingdom is here, active and present among us and in us. The journey He has invited us on is more epic than any hero’s tale and more wondrous than any fabled world.
90 thoughts on "The Kingdom Is Here"
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Thank you
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Heidi- I didn’t read the original post from “struggling,” but I am just finishing reading this book (It’s Not Supposed to be This Way by Lysa TerKeurst) you mentioned. Wow. It’s powerful and so helpful. Lysa has an amazing voice and does a great job of using scripture in her writing without sounding preachy. I highly recommend it, too!
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I did that one too. It really helped explain it.
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This reminds me a lot of how I felt about America in my youth. I felt like nothing could ever happen. Not that it’s good we have such turmoil but it does show how much we need God and how his Kingdom is superior. If everything was always wonderful and easy would we even think we needed the Lord?
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We who have been called to christ, perceive this calling. It is what we answer when we accept salvation. What follows is the continued obedience to this calling which is serving our king and serving in the kingdom. Not everyone is called to Christ though, so not everyone perceives a higher purpose than breathing and simply living this temporary life. We perceive as followers of Christ we have a higher purpose, those who are not followers of Christ do not.
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Roni, thank you so much for this excellent description! I, too, was kind of confused by his prophecy. This definitely helped!
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I love how John the Baptist was asked to baptize Jesus… Right away we see Jesus came in full humanity and was given the divinity of the Holy Spirit that set him apart. Makes me think about times I may have passed on God’s call because I felt unworthy or ill-equipped… All God asks for is our reverence and full obedience and in my brokenness that can be so hard to do.
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To me it spoke to the fact that not everyone will hear/see the presence of God’s kingdom here on earth as it reigns today. But we know that upon His return every knee will bow and profess the name of Christ.
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