He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know His rules. Praise the Lord! (Verses 19-20)
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2 italics, mine
The nation is the kingdom of God. Pilate called Jesus into his quarters in the early morning hours before His death. Irritated by the Jewish leaders who had thrust the case upon his shoulders, Pilate moved close up to Jesus, peered into His eyes, and asked, "Are You the King of the Jews?" An ironic question since Jesus is bound, having been arrested by Caiaphas, the governor of the Jewish state that existed within the Roman Empire.
"Who told you this about me? Did you hear this from others?" Jesus asked.
"I'm not a Jew. I don't know what you've done. Your own nation handed you over to me, so what did you do?" The sweat was beading on Pilate's face. He was becoming more annoyed every minute by the late night interruption of his sleep.
"My kingdom isn't here...on Earth. If it were, my followers would be fighting for me right now. My kingdom isn't of this world." The sincerity of Jesus catches Pilate off guard.
"So...you are a king?" Pilate takes a deep breath...exasperated.
"You say I'm a king. I was born for this purpose, to show the world what truth looks like. Everyone who understands truth will listen to me."
"What is truth?" Whatever. The man is a harmless, homeless man. Pilate stomped back outside to the Jewish council. "I don't find this man guilty of anything. Why don't I release him, the King of the Jews. Or I could release Barabbas..." Barabbas was a thief. Surely they won't release that scoundrel.
Of course, they released the criminal and killed Jesus, but not before Pilate, whose wife had been warned in a dream not to hurt Jesus, had the soldiers place a sign on the cross: THE KING OF THE JEWS.
It was only a short time later that we discovered it wasn't only to the Jews Jesus came to bring deliverance, but to all who believe in Him. The Godhead is King of all the Earth. Purveyor of all that is. Jesus couldn't confine Himself to only the Jews, or only to people, because He is King over all He created. Is He a king? The answer was way too far reaching for Jesus to put into words for Pilate. Jesus is more than an earthly sovereign. He is all Truth.
I am one of His. Part of a royal priesthood, needing no other mediator between the God of creation and me. I carry the blood of Jesus into the Holiest Place where I am welcomed because of the mark of the once-for-all Passover Lamb. I am part of a holy nation, an eternal kingdom that never ends. Spiritually, His blood runs in my veins. God is my Father. Because of this, I know His rules. I know what pleases the King and what grieves Him. These rules don't work for the rest of the world who haven't chosen to be His children. It isn't the rules that make me His. God doesn't love me and accept me into His family because I got all good and righteous then knocked on the door. Jesus went out looking for me, found me in a hot unholy mess, took me in His arms and kissed my dirty face. I have a country where you will be loved. Will you come with Me? Yes! I did...I went.
Yes, there are rules in the kingdom of heaven. But they are not about my salvation. They are about my obedience to the guidelines that make the kingdom work. I voluntarily expatriated from the kingdom of darkness and ran full speed into the kingdom of light. The rules are different here. I'm not supposed to try and impose my country's standards on those who don't want to change citizenship. Those rules aren't any good to those who live in another realm. What I am called to do, though, is draw closer and closer to the One Who is Light and Truth. To shine like He does. To look more and more like Jesus not because I am a good rule keeper, but because I love my King. I was saved out of darkness precisely so I wouldn't be encumbered by the merciless fetters--the overwhelming burden--of a life dictated by the whimsy of this world. I used to wander aimlessly, trusting in my own instincts or my own mores, to make me a good person. Some are better at this than I. But my King isn't looking for "good people." He is All Good, so being perfect enough isn't possible. My King wants our hearts. As His throne. Indwelling our lives as a hint...a precious scent...of the larger kingdom to come. The Holy Spirit sitting center in a life as the down payment of greater joy and peace to come--the kingdom of heaven.
I charge you in the presence of God, Who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, Who in His testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will display at the proper time--He Who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Who alone has immortality, Who dwells in unapproachable light, Whom no one has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. 1 Timothy 6
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2 italics, mine
The nation is the kingdom of God. Pilate called Jesus into his quarters in the early morning hours before His death. Irritated by the Jewish leaders who had thrust the case upon his shoulders, Pilate moved close up to Jesus, peered into His eyes, and asked, "Are You the King of the Jews?" An ironic question since Jesus is bound, having been arrested by Caiaphas, the governor of the Jewish state that existed within the Roman Empire.
"Who told you this about me? Did you hear this from others?" Jesus asked.
"I'm not a Jew. I don't know what you've done. Your own nation handed you over to me, so what did you do?" The sweat was beading on Pilate's face. He was becoming more annoyed every minute by the late night interruption of his sleep.
"My kingdom isn't here...on Earth. If it were, my followers would be fighting for me right now. My kingdom isn't of this world." The sincerity of Jesus catches Pilate off guard.
"So...you are a king?" Pilate takes a deep breath...exasperated.
"You say I'm a king. I was born for this purpose, to show the world what truth looks like. Everyone who understands truth will listen to me."
"What is truth?" Whatever. The man is a harmless, homeless man. Pilate stomped back outside to the Jewish council. "I don't find this man guilty of anything. Why don't I release him, the King of the Jews. Or I could release Barabbas..." Barabbas was a thief. Surely they won't release that scoundrel.
Of course, they released the criminal and killed Jesus, but not before Pilate, whose wife had been warned in a dream not to hurt Jesus, had the soldiers place a sign on the cross: THE KING OF THE JEWS.
It was only a short time later that we discovered it wasn't only to the Jews Jesus came to bring deliverance, but to all who believe in Him. The Godhead is King of all the Earth. Purveyor of all that is. Jesus couldn't confine Himself to only the Jews, or only to people, because He is King over all He created. Is He a king? The answer was way too far reaching for Jesus to put into words for Pilate. Jesus is more than an earthly sovereign. He is all Truth.
I am one of His. Part of a royal priesthood, needing no other mediator between the God of creation and me. I carry the blood of Jesus into the Holiest Place where I am welcomed because of the mark of the once-for-all Passover Lamb. I am part of a holy nation, an eternal kingdom that never ends. Spiritually, His blood runs in my veins. God is my Father. Because of this, I know His rules. I know what pleases the King and what grieves Him. These rules don't work for the rest of the world who haven't chosen to be His children. It isn't the rules that make me His. God doesn't love me and accept me into His family because I got all good and righteous then knocked on the door. Jesus went out looking for me, found me in a hot unholy mess, took me in His arms and kissed my dirty face. I have a country where you will be loved. Will you come with Me? Yes! I did...I went.
Yes, there are rules in the kingdom of heaven. But they are not about my salvation. They are about my obedience to the guidelines that make the kingdom work. I voluntarily expatriated from the kingdom of darkness and ran full speed into the kingdom of light. The rules are different here. I'm not supposed to try and impose my country's standards on those who don't want to change citizenship. Those rules aren't any good to those who live in another realm. What I am called to do, though, is draw closer and closer to the One Who is Light and Truth. To shine like He does. To look more and more like Jesus not because I am a good rule keeper, but because I love my King. I was saved out of darkness precisely so I wouldn't be encumbered by the merciless fetters--the overwhelming burden--of a life dictated by the whimsy of this world. I used to wander aimlessly, trusting in my own instincts or my own mores, to make me a good person. Some are better at this than I. But my King isn't looking for "good people." He is All Good, so being perfect enough isn't possible. My King wants our hearts. As His throne. Indwelling our lives as a hint...a precious scent...of the larger kingdom to come. The Holy Spirit sitting center in a life as the down payment of greater joy and peace to come--the kingdom of heaven.
I charge you in the presence of God, Who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, Who in His testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will display at the proper time--He Who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Who alone has immortality, Who dwells in unapproachable light, Whom no one has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. 1 Timothy 6
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