John 18:36 My Kingdom
Food for Thought
An all-creatures.org Guide to Kingdom Living. True Christian living requires us to live according to Kingdom standards which bring Heaven to earth

By Marni Montanez

John 18:36 New International Version

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

When Jesus was on earth, He walked among the people as one of them.   He dressed as was customary in that day.  He did not have a known home and He traveled from town to town sharing the good news.  The bible says there was nothing special about Him in His appearance.  

Isaiah 53:2(NCV)   

He grew up like a small plant before the Lord, like a root growing in a dry land. He had no special beauty or form to make us notice him; there was nothing in his appearance to make us desire him.

He was just one of the crowd.  Many people today think of Jesus as impoverished, but it was His choice to live as someone who is in the world but not of it.  

John 17:16(NIV)    

They are not of the world, even as I am not of it

In reality He was a King when He was walking on earth and anything but poor.  He is a King and His Kingdom is made of riches beyond our ability to understand.  His heavenly Kingdom is where the streets are paved with gold. When He left heaven to come to earth, He became man, but He was also still the King of kings. 

Even though Jesus was the creator of the world, He chose to come to the world He created, to live in humble means. He was born in a manger and lived a quiet life up until it was time for His purpose to be revealed:  To give the world a Savior.  If He had come with robes of riches and gold necklaces hanging from His neck, and said He was the answer, probably everyone He came in contact with, would follow Him.  The problem with this is that they would follow for the wrong reasons. 

Jesus was the richest man on earth, but not once did you talk about it or flaunt it or look down on others because they were not wealthy.   By presenting Himself as He did, He identified with them and was able to reach the hardest heart and most cynical among the people.   Their hearts were focused on His message of love and salvation, not on His riches. 

He showed us the true meaning of being rich or having money but not using His wealth to lord it over others.   His Kingdom; His riches are all about blessing His people.  We are His inheritance.   

Regardless of what people say, most people do believe money will make them happy.   If you don’t believe me, give away all your money and see if you are happy.    

I do believe God wants us to prosper; even financially, but where tender hearts are revealed, is in those who are on mission trips, and barely getting by, or them who pray and support others, and those who are wrapping their arms around people and walking with them through their lonely and dark times.   

Anyone can give money. That is easy to do, but Jesus gave Himself.  He was King and had to answer to no one.   But He answered to us, by preferring us over Himself.   

God bless

Marni

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The purpose of this series is to encourage people to live as loving, compassionate, and peacemaking children of God: Jesus tells us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10) God tells us through Micah (6:8), "He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God." And we know from Revelation 21:4 that there will be no more mourning, or crying, or pain, or death. Thus, Christian living requires us to set the standards of these conditions here on earth for our fellow human beings, and for the other animals, as a witness to the rest of the world. To do otherwise is not Christian.