Day 9: A Kingdom Not of This World
Naomi Brown (John 18:28–38)
I love how John, in the passage we are looking at (v. 28), begins with the irony of the Jewish leaders. They won’t enter the place where Pilate resides because they don’t want to be defiled and miss the Passover meal. Yet, they are sending Jesus to the Romans because, by law, they could not execute Him, but the Romans could.
The Passover meal was meant to remember the liberation God brought to the Israelites, and part of it involved reflecting on the Messiah to come. These leaders had studied the prophecies, knew the Torah, yet they could not recognise what was right in front of them—the long-awaited Messiah! Instead, they were lingering outside an ‘unclean’ place, waiting for Pilate’s answer about whether Jesus could be sent to His death.
When Pilate questions Jesus about whether He is a king, I think the way Jesus answered was very clever. His answers were not threatening to the Roman Empire—otherwise, Pilate would have had grounds to arrest Him under Roman law. Instead, Jesus says His kingdom is not of this world.
In fact, we see in Romans 14:17 that His kingdom is righteousness, joy, and peace—basically the opposites of what the Roman Empire stood for.
Righteousness: Living in right relationship with God—aligned with His will, character, and ways—resulting in a life that is upright, just, obedient, and approved by Him. In the New Testament, it reflects God’s perfect moral integrity, the saving status granted to believers in Christ, and the Spirit-wrought life that conforms to God’s standards.
Joy: Joy in the New Testament is more than an emotion; it is the settled, Spirit-given delight that arises from the redemptive acts and abiding presence of God. It is rooted in divine initiative, experienced in the believer, and expressed both now and in the age to come.
Peace: Peace describes wholeness, harmony, and well-being granted by God and experienced among His people. In the New Testament, it is never a mere absence of conflict; it is the positive, covenantal state that flows from God’s redemptive work in Christ and is applied by the Holy Spirit to individuals and communities.
That is the kingdom Jesus was speaking about—the one we get to be part of. It was not like the culture of a king at the time. The Roman Empire’s primary goals focused on territorial expansion, wealth, border security, and enforcing Roman peace to maintain stability. Yet Jesus came with something different, something countercultural: a kingdom of righteousness, joy, and peace; a kingdom where love is at its centre—a love so strong that the ultimate sacrifice was made so that we may have access to that kingdom.
What a kingdom that is! You and I get to live in it. We enter this kingdom, and all these blessings are ours:
Righteousness, because He made a way for us. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." We are the righteousness of God!
Joy, beyond circumstances. We don’t have to rely on earthly joy; we receive the joy that is rooted in Him, not in our own strength. Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Peace, because He is the Prince of Peace. His kingdom brings peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7), a peace that goes beyond circumstances, bringing wholeness and security.
Wow—God made a way for us to be part of that kingdom!
Activation
Declare over yourself today:
I am the righteousness of God.
I have joy that is rooted in Him and what He has done, in His strength.
I have peace that passes understanding.
Let it sink in. That is the kingdom you are a part of. If you don’t fully believe it yet, keep speaking it over yourself until every fibre of your being believes it. Maybe there is circumstances you are facing that you get to speak this truth into.