Who Is He? Who Are We?ნიმუში

People expected a lot from Jesus, and rightfully so. Some people thought He would overthrow the government. Some people thought He would topple the current religious structure. Some people even thought He was insane. But Jesus is infinitely better than anything we could have expected. He was and is doing something beyond what we can imagine. That is on perfect display in this chapter. Here we see Jesus act in a way that is best summarised in verse 36: “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.” He is posing the question to Pilate: What kind of king lets himself be arrested? Jesus is showing that His kingdom is not of this world. Jesus is the king of a different kind of kingdom, one that is not ruled by might or power. Jesus is king over a kingdom where the last are first. Jesus is king over a kingdom where its leader would willingly die. As you read this chapter, watch how Jesus acts. See how He is something completely different from anything else. Pay particular attention to how He responds throughout His arrest. How does he respond to Peter? How does He respond to the priests? How does He respond to Pilate? In each of these interactions, Jesus is displaying what the kingdom of God is like.

So as you read through this chapter, let the actions of Jesus subvert your expectations of Him. Watch Him willingly go to the cross. Watch as He is rejected by the people He came to save. Watch Him display the kingdom of God that He is ushering in.

After you are done reading, sit with this question: What am I expecting of Jesus? Sit with your answer and pray it through. Let God transfigure and change your expectations of Him to align with the upside-down kingdom He is ushering in.