My Kingdom Is Not of This World

In one paragraph

This was a Monday night study at First Baptist Jackson, working through John 18 and the opening of John 19. Pastor Carl walked the group through Jesus standing trial before Pilate, pausing along the way to draw out what Jesus actually said and what it meant. The evening closed with open conversation from the room. Pastor Carl opened by stepping back to chapters 13 through 17, where Jesus had been...

Read together

1. Psalm 34 sung together as worship, 'taste and see that the Lord is good'
2. 1 Peter 5:7 paraphrased as 'cast your cares on him because he cares for you'
3. 2 Corinthians 1:20 quoted from Chronicles by speaker, 'all of God's promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding yes'
4. John 15:4 Jesus' promise to remain in his disciples
5. John 17 Jesus prays for disciples and future believers
6. John 18:28 - 19:16 main passage read and discussed, Jesus before Pilate
7. Proverbs 21:1 the heart of a king is like a stream of water directed by the Lord
8. Acts 4:13 mentioned by Blake, people recognized the disciples as men who had been with Jesus
9. Isaiah 53 referenced as written 700 years before the crucifixion, 'led like a lamb to the slaughter, he didn't open his mouth'
10. John 16:33 closing words, 'take heart because Jesus has overcome the world'

Talk about it

1. Pastor Carl pointed out that the religious leaders kept their ceremonial requirements while carrying hatred and bitterness in their hearts toward Jesus. Where in your own life have you noticed a gap between outward religious behavior and what you are actually storing in your heart?
2. Jesus told Pilate he came into the world to testify about the truth, and Pastor Carl walked through a long list of people in John who came to Jesus looking for answers. What drew you, personally, to start looking for truth, and what did you find when you encountered Jesus?
3. When Pilate said he had the power to release or crucify Jesus, Jesus replied that Pilate would have no power at all unless it was given from above. What does it mean practically, in your daily life, to trust that God is still on the throne and directing the hearts of leaders like a stream of water?
4. Blake shared that he finds it freeing to think of his role not as converting people but simply as testifying about the truth, since the Holy Spirit does the converting. How does that distinction change the way you think about sharing your faith with someone?
5. Several people in the group commented on the calmness and humility of Jesus throughout his trial, even as he stood before Pilate with all authority already given to him. What does that picture of Jesus mean to you, and where in your life right now do you need to draw on that same settled trust in the Father's plan?