Think About the Kingdom: Think About, #1

By J. W. Clark

The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Earth are competing for citizenship, and neither is willing to give deference. Take a month and allow the Gospel of John to adjust your thinking, and reexamine the Kingdom with which you are aligned.

 

The "Think About" series is a set of standalone Christian devotionals that combines biblical application with poignant stories and metaphors. Each book contains thirty-one reflections that take an average of ten minutes to read but much longer to digest.

 

In this book, you will embark on a journey that will traverse the entire Gospel of John. In those accounts, Jesus supplies wine to a wedding, crosses gender and racial barriers, and uses a whip to break up a church service. Whether you are a skeptic or lifelong believer, each chapter will evoke one simple question: Who is Jesus to you, and how is that going to affect your life?

• Language: English
• Publisher: ARK Media, LLC
• Release date: Sep 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781735759333

Book preview

1

WHAT NOW? (1:1–18)

In the beginning is where every story starts. Jesus was there with the Father before the heavens and the earth were created. The other Gospels start in different places. Mark begins with John the Baptist, the one who prepared the way. Luke goes back further, giving details of the birth of Christ. Matthew starts with genealogy, showing a connection to Abraham himself, but John journeys back to the birth of time itself and names its creator. He starts out the way he wants us to finish, with the lifelong conclusion that had become the bedrock of his faith: Jesus was the Word and the Word was God.

Every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. If you were asked to tell the story of your life, where would you start? Would you begin with your birth or some defining moment in your early years, or would you talk about your genealogy stretching back for generations? Where you start your history says a lot about where you believe it will end.

Most people have taken at least one road trip in their lives. You start out with energy and enthusiasm, looking forward to reaching your objective. Sometimes, things happen along the way, like a flat tire or some other road hazard. You might hit traffic and progress more slowly than you’d hoped or end up taking a detour. Some people get lost and forget where they were going, while others are so focused on the destination that they fail to enjoy the scenery along the way. But the believer knows that their journey on earth is merely context for the impact that the cross has made upon their lives.

Jesus was the author of creation, so the fact that he would also be its redeemer is fitting, but the world did not recognize him. He was born in a stable, not a palace, and following Jesus requires each person to look in places we do not expect—uncomfortable places. Would you recognize Jesus if he were to come today?

We may well be surprised by the lack of recognition that Jesus encountered during his lifetime. Many are convinced that if we had seen the miracles Jesus performed, we certainly would’ve become one of his disciples. But following Jesus has always exacted a price. The Kingdom of God cannot invade your heart if you are clinging to the kingdom of this world. But our experience on earth can leave us with more confusion than certainty.

Jesus was the answer to every question that was worth asking: WHERE (with God); WHEN (before the beginning); WHO (the logos, the divine word of God); WHAT (the light that shines in the darkness); and WHY (for God so loved the world ¹). We may be tempted to raise a litany of other issues or topics, but they fade from our minds as we consider the cross. What are the questions your heart is asking? What are the things occupying your thoughts, anxieties, and fears? Will Jesus be enough to overwhelm every question that might bring doubt to your mind?

Telling a story with a happy ending in the midst of a challenging season is hard. We all have bad days, but what happens when you cannot see the light at the end of the darkness? For many people, the night does not bring sleep as they worry about uncertain futures. Their despair returns when they wake and realize that wasn’t just a dream—this is actually life. Maybe you have sat upon the floor of your shower as tears blend with the falling water. In these valleys of the earthly kingdom, only the sight of the cross can fix our perspective.

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

JOHN 1:12 NIV

John discussed lots of challenges in his writing, but he neglected to mention far more. ² If he’d written his Gospel earlier in life, he might have provided additional information, but time has a way of honing our perspective. As we grow older, we realize that what we’d once viewed as painful has given us strength.

Every challenge in life is either continued context or the final conclusion, depending on when you choose to end your story. We each have the choice to add another chapter to our tale or let it terminate. Will our testimony be one of overcoming obstacles or encountering dead ends?

Each Christian has been dealt a different hand of cards, but all of us have won the grand prize. The reality of our great salvation is the climax of every believer’s story. Faith is being able to process the kingdom of earth as a citizen of heaven.

In the remaining pages of this book, we will examine the difference between two kingdoms that vie for your allegiance. Your decision will ultimately come from your answer to one simple question: Who is Jesus to you, and how is that going to affect your life?

2

IMMERSED IN REGRET (1:19–34, 3:22–36)

Think about what it must have felt like to be John the Baptist. He had a thriving ministry as he prepared hearts for the coming of the Christ, but shortly after the Messiah was revealed, he found himself in prison. He longed to see the ministry of Jesus, but he could only hear the tales from the messengers that visited him in jail.

The story of John the Baptist comes at the beginning of John’s Gospel (1:19–34) and concludes as Jesus begins his public ministry (3:22–36). In between, we see Jesus gather his own followers as the spotlight shifts away from that eclectic voice in the desert. Thousands had come to the wilderness to repent of their sins and prepare their hearts for the savior. But John was never interested in crowds or popularity. He wanted to see the Kingdom of God come to earth.

John’s attitude of deference shows us we should never be afraid of someone else’s success. If your personal accomplishments are devoid of elevating others, you will be forgotten by history. Legacy is only achieved when your ceiling becomes someone else’s floor. ¹ John knew his role in the plan of God and was comfortable in his own skin. (He must have been if he was able to wear camel’s hair!)

He must become greater; I must become less.

JOHN 3:30 NIV

We learn in the other Gospels that the Baptist was a relative of Jesus, ² making it extremely likely they knew one another. John and Jesus would have interacted at countless holidays and gatherings. I wonder if they ever discussed theology or issues of their faith or if John was present on that long pilgrimage to Jerusalem when the boy Jesus stayed behind in the temple courtyard. ³ More importantly, did John ever wonder if Jesus was the Messiah prior to when he saw the dove land on him after his baptism? ⁴

Did John the Baptist realize his role in history while he walked the earth? Did he fully understand that his ministry was the fulfillment of the prophecy regarding Elijah’s return? ⁵ See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. ⁶ The religious leaders came to John and demanded to know his identity, but he denied all assertions and deflected the attention toward the coming Messiah. Rather than arguing with them, he simply quoted Scripture. Even in apologetics, it is important to seek the Lord and let the Word of God speak.

The Jews claimed to be looking for the Messiah but were blind to what he would look like. They imagined a conquering king that would free them from the bondage of Rome, but Jesus came to bring a different type of liberty. In a world full of problems, assuming that the Lord should provide a certain set of solutions is easy. We imagine Jesus is like us rather than seeking to be like him. This type of Messiah will never be enough for those that make God in their own image.

Sometimes, life doesn’t go the way we expect, and we find ourselves wondering if the Lord is going to act. John had proclaimed that Jesus was the Christ, but he remained in prison, awaiting execution. I wonder if he struggled with why Jesus wasn’t setting him free or making a more overt political move. In those last moments on earth before he was beheaded, John sent messengers to Jesus, asking if he was the one for which the Jews had been waiting or if they should expect someone else. ⁷

Perhaps you can relate to John. You’ve followed the Lord and trusted his guidance, only to find yourself in a place where you feel trapped. In those dark moments, you might even question your faith and wonder whether you should have made different decisions. Was it worth it? Did you deprive yourself of certain earthly pleasures all those years only to be left empty-handed at the end?

The word baptize is a transliteration from the Greek language which means to immerse. ⁸ John dunked people in the water and raised them to new life. The old was gone, and the new could emerge. ⁹ The people that came to John to be baptized had to humble themselves and admit that life entailed more than they understood. They were required to open their hearts and recognize that they had a need. The fact John was baptizing at Bethany was not a coincidence. That was the same place Jesus would someday raise Lazarus from the dead.

What needs to change in your heart for you to be open to what the Lord wants to do in your life? Are you able to immerse yourself in the resurrection power of the Lord and let doubt and unbelief be washed away?

3

YOUR CHAPTER ONE (1:35–42)

The first step is often the hardest. If we knew about all our obstacles ahead of time, we might never have the courage to set out. The Scripture is full of great beginnings,