Remove Square Brackets. Sort Canonically. Free Bible Courses Visit. Help Quick Nav Advanced Options. Cite Share Print. Search Results in Other Versions. BLB Searches. Search the Bible. LexiConc [? Advanced Options Exact Match. Theological FAQs [? Multi-Verse Retrieval x. En dash not Hyphen. Let's Connect x. Subscribe to our Newsletter. Daily Devotionals x. Daily Bible Reading Plans x. Recently Popular Pages x. Recently Popular Media x. Jesus Withdrew From Confrontation Jesus also withdrew from confrontation with the religious rulers.
Luke also records. Jesus told Pontius Pilate Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. Summary Although Jesus was the promised Messiah, the one who could rightfully rule over Israel, He refused to become involved in any political issue of his day. Donate Contact. Blue Letter Bible is a c 3 nonprofit organization. APA Format. Chicago Format. SBL Format. Share This Page. Follow Blue Letter Bible. Blue Letter Bible.
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Please enter your account email below. We also have incredible opportunities. There is much to be hopeful about. This country is as gifted as ever — full of potential, with remarkable people and an extraordinary heritage. What happened in the post-war period was a reimagining based on the clear values to which Tawney, Temple and Beveridge, among many others, contributed.
Those values were expressed in remarkable legislation. Successive governments of different parties created great institutions and systems like the NHS and others.
Those institutions did not emerge out of nowhere. They were based in large part on our Christian heritage, put into practice by believer and non-believer alike. We need to face our challenges today with a fresh vision that is confident, practical and outward looking.
We need to be witnesses to the good news of Jesus Christ in word and deed, as the churches often are although the also often get things wrong and also by speaking of a vision for society.
I passionately believe it can be done. There will be great changes in our country through technology and science, through changes abroad and at home. We may base change in good values.
We may just let things take their course. Our pride will be diminished, and our contribution to the world stifled. If we all take part in forming our values, if we base them in what is good and precious in our heritage, then our future can be better than our past. Our children and grandchildren can remember us as a generation that gave them hope and purpose. Biblical scholar N. Wright describes the situation well:. He denounced rulers, real and self-appointed.
He spoke of good news for the poor. He led large groups of people off into the wilderness, a sure sign of revolutionary intent. He announced the imminent destruction of the Jerusalem temple. He died the death of the lestai , the political insurrectionists Barabbas, and the two crucified with Jesus, were lestai. The book of Revelation depicts this kingdom as one that is characterized by justice, love, and peace; in which worshipers from every tribe, tongue, and nation will worship him Rev from a capital city called the New Jerusalem Rev , in which there will be no more pain and no more tears Rev In fact, his kingdom will be a renewal and restoration of this cosmos.
His kingdom is holistic encompassing both the spiritual and material, both the private and public, aspects of our lives. Does this mean that our lives are divided into two realms, in which we let the government have supreme rule over the public aspects of our life, while we let Jesus rule over the private aspects?
Absolutely not. It means the opposite. Fine, he can have it. Pay your taxes. Be a good citizen. But never give him your ultimate allegiance. That belongs to God alone. And Jesus willingly gave himself to be crucified so that he could save us from our sins and for a life as ambassadors of his kingdom 2 Cor. We remain his ambassadors to a lost world until the time he returns to consummate his kingdom.
But not only did he die to make us ambassadors of his kingdom; he suffered to show us how to be ambassadors of his kingdom. This cross-shaped pattern of witness is immediately relevant to Christians who find themselves being disempowered and decentered socially, culturally, and politically in the midst of the American Empire.
As painful as this decentering has been, we should embrace the moment. We should accept the challenge to serve our nation from a position of weakness.
After all, our Lord reigns from a tree. His first coming did not take the form of an ascendant political movement to subvert the reigning powers and replace them with better rulers.
Instead, it took the form of a humiliating and painful witness, even in defeat. A cross-shaped political witness will be prophetic ; just as Jesus declared that he is Lord and Caesar is not, so we must challenge the cultus publicus of the American Empire. A cross-shaped political witness will be sacrificial ; just as Jesus ministered as a homeless itinerant teacher, we must be willing to serve our nation from a position of weakness rather than power, and in the face of disapproval instead of applause.
A cross-shaped political witness will be humbly confident ; as dark as our political moment may seem, the realm of politics will one day be raised to life, made to bow in submission to the King. Since Jesus will gain victory and restore the earth, we remain confident.
And since it will be his victory, we remain humble. When he returns victorious, American Christians will meet him first and foremost as Christians. But we will also meet him as Americans.
Being American is not the most important aspect of our identity, but it is an inescapable aspect and one for which we will give account. For that reason, we owe it to our nation to follow the way of the cross, to minister from a tree just as our Lord now reigns from a tree and only later will reign visibly from a throne.
Never miss a post! Have all new posts delivered straight to your inbox. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. Please pray for me about this. John, thank you for interacting. He defined the problems of the day poverty, injustice, etc. Pride, greed, false loves, disobedience, hypocrisy were what he focused on as the problems of the day.
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