2/22/26 “Kingdom Citizenship”
“Kingdom Citizenship”
John 18:33-37
As many of you know, the Winter Olympics are taking place right now over in Italy...
Have any of you been watching them on TV?
Personally, I’m more of a Summer Olympics fan....but I do enjoy watching some of the Winter Olympics as well...
I’ve always enjoyed the high intensity, fast-moving sports such as the luge....or speed-skating...or that one event where skiiers jump like 3 stories in the air before landing on the side of a mountain....(Aireals?)
Our daughter was watching the Olympics with us last week, I think her favorite event was snowboarding....
...Lisa enjoys downhill skiing and figure skating.
We were watching some curling the other day
Didn’t think I would enjoy it...but I actually did...it was like watching a combination of shuffleboard and bocce ball....all taking place on ice...
The Olympics are indeed a special time when athletes from all over the world not only compete for medals and personal best performances...
But they also compete for their country....their native land.
(except for that one female snowboarder who lives in San Francisco but competes for China....not quite sure what’s going on there.....?)
But, whether it's the Summer or Winter Olympics, the most moving moments of the games are always when the top three finishers line up on the podium....
...It’s there where the gold medalist gets to hear the Anthem of their homeland played for those in attendance at the medal ceremony ...
....and not only for those in attendance, but also for the millions of people watching on television from all over the world.
Many times, these gold medal athletes will break down in tears as they stand upon the podium’s highest point....processing the gravity of the moment....
....that their winning effort represented something bigger than themselves...
....Not only did they deliver a championship performance for their own legacy....but for millions of people from their home country who also experienced victory vicariously through their efforts.
It can truly be said that – at the Olympics – an athlete's identity is tied more to a place - than to a personality....more to a Kingdom community than to a sole singularity.
Speaking of ‘Kingdom’, Athletes are usually identified by the Kingdom from which they come.
We speak of “That German Skier”.....or “That American skater”
Well...In our passage of scripture for today, Jesus also mentions a Kingdom....His Kingdom.....the Kingdom of God.
For some context.....Our passage for today takes place just hours before the crucifixion.
....Jesus was just betrayed by Judas Iscariot....taken away (Kidnapped) and handed over to Pontius Pilate for questioning prior to his being taken away to his death.
In verse 33 (John 18:33) Pilate asks Jesus “Are you the king of the Jews?”
This was an important question, for if Jesus claimed to be a king, then – under Roman law – he would be guilty of treason against the Roman government...
Ceasar – of course - was to be considered the only King....and anyone claiming otherwise was subject to death.
Well.... in verse 37 (John 18:37) Jesus provides the answer to Pilate’s question when He says “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
Jesus is telling Pilate...and everyone listening....AND us today – that He indeed is a king....and that He is a king who came here to earth from another realm...
From an infinite dimension that exists outside of the constraints of our finite universe.
Verse 36 (John 18:36) speaks to this when Jesus says “My kingdom is not of this world”.....and that “....My kingdom is from another place.”
Jesus is more than just A king...He is THE king.
In fact....Jesus is King of all kings, and Lord of all lords.
He is saying – in no uncertain terms here in verses 36 & 37 – that He is the preexistent, incarnated Son of God.
...the eternal, second member of the Trinity - now in human flesh.
Jesus tells Pilate in verse 37 (John 18:37) that His kingdom mission was to “Testify to the truth”
Jesus’ mission was not a political one...but a spiritual one.
It was not a mission with any sort of social or economic agenda attached to it....
....there were no secret, revolutionary plans of overthrowing the oppressive, heavy-handed Roman government amidst the teachings of this humble Rabbi.
His sole mission was that of revealing to mankind the truth concerning the eternal kingdom of God
Jesus’ identity – and those of his followers – was tied to the spiritual far more than it was tied to the physical...
To put it another way, their citizenship was rooted in the kingdom of God to a much deeper degree than it was to the present earthly kingdom in which they lived.
I’d like all of us to take a moment and really think about that this morning.
This aspect of our faith – that our true citizenship is tied to the spiritual Kingdom of God - can often slip under the radar as we live our day-to-day lives in a primarily physical existence...
So often, we focus on purely the physical component of our kingdom identity....
We often think of ourselves as Americans....who just happen to be Christian.
Rather than viewing ourselves as Christians....who just happen to live in America.
We forget that – as believers – we belong to another kingdom....a spiritual kingdom that is far greater than any man-made, man-facilitated earthly kingdom.
When we were in Hawaii, Lisa and I would occasionally have to show our passports to local authorities in order to gain access to certain places.
On one of our excursions, we came across one man who had dual citizenship....he was a citizen of the USA, but he was also a citizen of Australia.
....He and his wife – who was from LaCrosse (both followers of Jesus, by the way) were in the process of traveling around the world for an entire year....
(Yes, I was a bit jealous....until I thought about living out of a suitcase for a year...then that jealousy began to subside)
Brothers and sisters....you & I also have dual citizenship.
Physically, you are citizens of the United States of America....
....and spiritually, you are citizens of the eternal - and unparalleled - kingdom of God.
As magnificent as our country is.....and - as we all know - it is the greatest country on the planet, for sure.
We must remember that our spiritual citizenship is of far greater importance than our physical citizenship...
The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 3:20 “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.....”
Many times, we think of the kingdom of God as Heaven....the place where Gods’ presence is the strongest...and where we will spend eternity with Him...
...and that is true....the kingdom of God does include heaven.
....But - scripturally speaking -the kingdom of God has an even broader meaning....a larger scope.
Here’s the best definition I could find:
“The Kingdom of God is the sovereign rule, reign, and active authority of God over all creation, established on earth through Jesus Christ. It is not a physical place or merely the church, but the dynamic, transformative presence of God’s will, currently existing in the world and hearts of believers, while awaiting future, complete fulfillment.”
Ok. Some of you are like....”What on earth does that mean”?
Well....to put it in simpler terms...it means that God the Holy Spirit is intentionally moving in this world, drawing people to Himself....AND that He resides in the hearts of all believers....no matter where they might be from.
...And because He resides in the believer...He has become the identity of the believer.
So....even though our physical citizenship is here in America....our spiritual – and eternal - citizenship is within God’s global kingdom....
....It’s a citizenship – a relational bond - that is shared with other believers from every corner of the world....
In the book of Revelation, the Apostle John describes seeing a great number of redeemed people before God’s throne....people from all different backgrounds, races, and ethnicities...
He describes it this way: “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9)
Last fall, when Lisa & I were in Arizona, we attended a Sunday morning church service at Calvary Chapel – Phoenix.....located in a multicultural neighborhood....
Sitting beside me was an African-American man...beside Lisa were individuals of Asian descent....in front of us was a Latino family....and behind us sat another Caucasian couple.
This verse from Revelation kept running through my head that morning....
....Souls from every nation, tribe, people, and language....worshipping God together.
I kept thinking to myself....this is a picture of what Heaven will be like.
Sometimes – here in the West – we are tempted to forget that many of the people we meet in heaven won’t look like us....or, at least what we looked like in our earthly bodies.
We sometimes have a tendency to ‘Westernize’....or, ‘Americanize’ our conception of what God’s kingdom looks like.....both now – and for eternity in heaven.
Many of you remember the 1956 film classic “The Ten Commandments” starring Charlton Heston as Moses....
An iconic film for sure....except that it contained elements that were heavily westernized to appeal to audiences here in America.
Watching the film, one notices the 1950’s style hairdos, fashion, and makeup....even dancing girls in contemporary fluorescent swimsuits.
....Not to mention Charlton Heston himself....
...he played the part wonderfully....but his skin color should have been a few shades darker to truly match what Moses would have looked like as someone coming from that part of the world...
Sometimes, we even fall into the trap of Americanizing Jesus himself...
We tend to think that since our nation was founded on the biblical principles of freedom, justice, morality, and faith in a creator...that we have somehow earned a status of privilege before a Holy and Righteous God....
The truth of Jesus’ message that He spoke of before Pilate is that we are all sinners in need of a savior...
That’s what he and others – like the apostle Paul – continually had to remind 1st century Jews who thought that just because they were linked ethnically to father Abraham, that they were somehow immune to the power of sin in their lives
Let’s not make that same mistake in our lives...
Let’s remember that Jesus is not specific to the people of just one country.
Back in seminary, there was a Japanese student in a few of my classes....
And one day he posted this question in one of the group chats:
He wrote: “Why do some Christians in America feel the need to blend the cross of Jesus Christ with symbols of America – such as the American flag....or a bald eagle....
He went on to say....What if you saw a picture of the cross draped in the flag of Japan....would that offend you?.....or the flag of Germany?.....Or the flag of Canada?
...And his final comment will stick with me for the rest of my life. He said “From reading scripture, I see that Jesus Christ is far greater than any government of man....and that he is saving people from many different nations, tongues, and tribes.....not just America?”
That comment hit me hard....It was a simple, yet profound, question.
As someone who grew up in a relatively conservative church where God & Country were often mixed like peanut butter and jelly....I was forced to admit that....he was right.
I would be offended at a picture of the cross of my savior draped and covered with a Japanese flag....or a Canadian flag....or a Green Bay Packers flag....or the flag of Maranatha seminary...or any other symbol of an earthly institution.
Jesus said to Pilate that His kingdom is not of this world....it is not aligned with governments or institutions of man....
It far higher...far greater...and far mightier than anything this earth could ever offer.
The kingdom of God transcends earthly systems of government – because God himself resides in the hearts of individuals who happen to live in various countries around the world.
A simple Google search will tell you that – as of 2026 - 2 out of every 3 Christians on earth today live somewhere below the Equator....
The continent of Africa alone now has more than 750 million professed Christians...and that number is growing at a rate of 2.5 percent every year....Praise God!....right?
We should be excited about that!
These are brothers and sisters who have surrendered to the same Jesus that you & I have surrendered to....
And they will be praising God for all eternity with you & I as well....
I once heard a pastor say this to his congregation:
“Did you realize that you have more in common with a believer who does not look like you, and who’s living on a rice paddy in Cambodia....than you do with your next-door neighbor who does look like you - and works at the same place you do...but who does not know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord & Savior.
The most important connection we could ever have with another person is the connection of faith in Jesus Christ....nothing else comes close.
It’s that hunger for the kingdom of God that draws God’s children together...we are all sheep of one flock....with Jesus as our great & merciful shepherd.
...It is the voice of Jesus that all believers recognize....and it is Jesus whom we follow without hesitation.
So...let me leave you with this today.
We live in an amazing country....do we not?
A nation that has – over the years – been the recipient of God’s grace to a degree that other nations simply have not experienced....
In the public square, our flag and national symbols are to be honored and revered as we thank God for His blessings – and for those brave men and women of the armed forces who have sacrificed so much for our country...
Some who have sacrificed their very lives so that our way of life may be maintained.
For all of us as Americans....the ideals of freedom, and liberty, and justice for all - should galvanize us as a citizenry adhering to the constitutional principles of our representative republic.
When the flag is presented - rise to your feet.
When the national anthem is performed – stand up & remove your hat.
When you meet a veteran on the street – thank him or her for their service.
When the poles are open – vote.
These are but the least we can do while living as citizens of the United States of America.
But – remember – we as believers are dual citizens.
We are also citizens of a higher kingdom – an eternal kingdom.
...A kingdom requiring its citizenry to abstain from idols – and give worship to only one name – the name of Jesus.
....a Kingdom requiring its citizenry to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength..
A Kingdom requiring its citizenry to treat others as we would want to be treated
A Kingdom requiring its citizenry to repent of personal sin and ask forgiveness from the creator of the universe...
A kingdom requiring its citizenry to pick up their cross daily, and sacrifice personal assets and ambitions – for the good of those around us.
...and A kingdom requiring its citizenry to tell others about our King.
That’s why I am so excited for what Scott and the Fellowship of Christian Farmers are doing all over this country...
They are telling others about the King....the King who rules an eternal kingdom of love, light, peace, and joy.
So....this afternoon, the Winter Olympics in Italy will come to a close...
The pageantry of the closing ceremonies will celebrate the coming together of many nations under the flag of Olympic competition...
If I understand correctly, the closing ceremony will be called “Beauty in Motion”
...As believers, let’s be reminded of what true beauty in motion looks like.
How the moving of God’s Kingdom is far more beautiful than anything else on this earth...
And – as the prophet Isaiah declared (Isaiah 52:7) “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, your God reigns!”
Let’s Pray.
