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The Daily Word of Righteousness
The Vision of the Kingdom, #5
Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. (John 18:37)
Pontius Pilate was an officer of the Roman Empire. Pilate appeared to know little of the Hebrew Prophets, and it is certain he knew nothing whatever of the concept of the Church of Christ. He was seeing only the carpenter's son who stood before him.
Pilate's concept of a king was defined by Caesar and Herod. A king is a person of supreme authority over a nation. A king lives in a palace and is attended by a variety of lesser authorities and powers. The king's word is law.
Pilate was not talking "religious" talk. He weighed his words in the light of his perception of a king when he wrote the title and nailed it to the cross:
JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS
Perhaps this politician understood deep in his personality that it was he himself who was on trial before the King of the Jews. It is unfortunate that he washed his hands in water only and not in the blood of the cross. Pilate will answer for his lack of righteous judgment when he is manifest before the Judgment Seat of Christ.
After His resurrection Jesus continued to teach His Apostles concerning the Kingdom of God:
To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: (Acts 1:3)
The Apostles desired to know when the Kingdom would be restored to Israel; when the Throne of David and Solomon once more would exercise great authority and power in the earth:
When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? (Acts 1:6)
Jesus knew that they still did not understand that the Kingdom of God is God in Christ in the saints. Therefore He answered them obliquely, speaking of the soon coming of the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can give us understanding of the spiritual aspects of the Kingdom, as well as the power to bear witness of the King and His Kingdom.
The keys of the Kingdom. Christ did not come preaching the Church. Not one of His parables has to do with Heaven or with His Church, except as we consider the Church to be synonymous with the Kingdom. Christ preached the Kingdom of God and His parables concern that Kingdom.
The term church is used by the Lord only on two occasions, both times in Matthew's record. Mark, Luke, and John do not mention the term. Jesus left it to His Apostles, particularly Paul, to explain the mystery of the Church, the Body of Christ.
But Jesus did reveal that it is the Church that holds the keys of the Kingdom, the key of David. The Church is the ruling authority of the Kingdom, the keys being representative of authority.
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter [a smaller rock], and on this rock [the greater rock—the fact that Jesus is "Christ, the Son of God"] I will build my church; and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth will be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16:18,19)
To be continued.