30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 23 01-05 THE KING AND HIS KINGDOM 06 Luke 23 02-05 The missed opportunity
📖 Luke 23:1-5
Fri12Nov2021 – The missed opportunity - Luke 23:01-05 - THE KING AND HIS KINGDOM (06) - Bible reading: John 4:13-14
Our life must be enveloped in the Holy Spirit. It is there that we experience God’s fullness and His abundance. We have no necessity to get out of the environment of the Holy Spirit. We can be constantly rested in Him.
Luke 23:2-5 And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King." (3) Then Pilate asked Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?" He answered him and said, "It is as you say." (4) So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no fault in this Man." (5) But they were the more fierce, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place."
Pilate was having a personal audience with the King of heaven and earth and he had a privileged opportunity to surrender to the King but he lost a precious occasion.
We continue to look at Jesus the King and His kingdom, which are inseparable.
John 10:7 Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
He is the door. We enter into a relationship with Him. We enter, and there we find rest.
John 10:11 “ I am the good shepherd . The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
King Jesus is inviting us into a relationship, where He is our refuge. He takes care of us, watches over us, provides for us, leads us and guides us.
John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, " I am the bread of life . He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
With the King and in His kingdom, we are provided for and we are nourished. Our fulfilment, satisfaction and aspirations are met in Jesus. There is no sense of inadequacy or frustration in Jesus.
John 4:13-14 Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, (14) but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."
King Jesus is the living water. We drink of the fullness in Christ. That water from Jesus becomes in us a fountain of water, springing up to the fullness of life. This is the life that we have in Jesus.
When we say we are citizens of the kingdom of Jesus, then all of these that we have discussed, must be visible in us. People around us must see and experience the difference in us and be motivated to be citizens of the kingdom of Jesus.
John 15:5 “ I am the vine , you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
We can be a blessing to people around us, which is fruit-bearing. We are fruit bearers for we are embedded in Jesus. His sap, His energy and His power flow through us.
John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, " I am the light of the world . He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
We see darkness all around us. This is where, we as citizens of the kingdom of Jesus, live out the light of Jesus. As lights of Jesus, we demonstrate clarity, confidence, assurance and direction to people who are confused, troubled and perplexed.
John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, " I am the resurrection and the life . He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. (26) And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
This life in Jesus is not temporal but eternal. We have no fear of death. Though our physical body will go to the grave, we will live forevermore for we belong to His kingdom.
Jesus not only gave us an understanding of Him being King and His kingdom but He clearly made known to us, His identity. He is the Son of God.
John 10:36 do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, ' I am the Son of God '?
Jesus made it clear that He is Christ, the Messiah.
John 4:25-26 The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things." (26) Jesus said to her, " I who speak to you am He ."
John 10:30 I and My Father are one."
Pilate had the wonderful opportunity to know the Lord of heaven and earth and enter into eternal life. It was for the sake of this man, Pilate, that the trial was extended, which was disconcerting for the Jews.
Jesus was going to the cross, which was why He came on earth, but in the process, the Lord was reaching out to one man, Pilate, but Pilate refused Christ. This was Pilate’s biggest foolish step in his lifetime.
Thought to ponder
Our task is to, earnestly, present the claims of Jesus and His kingdom, to people. The responsibility to surrender to King Jesus lies with them.