[2026. 10. 18.] A Kingdom Not of This World | John 18:28-40

[2026. 10. 18.] A Kingdom Not of This World | John 18:28-40

Sermon by Rev. Jinkook (Danny) Sohn (Hope of Heaven Baptist Chuch) 

 

2026. 10. 18. 주일예배 설교- 요한복음 강해 53
본문: 요한복음 53
제목: 세상에 속하지 않은 나라

설교자: 손진국 목사 (하늘소망교회)

 

Today's passage shows Jesus after He was questioned by the high priests Annas and Caiaphas. He is led to the palace of Pilate, the Roman governor who held final authority over execution in Judea. It is the most famous trial in human history.

Before looking at today's Bible verses, I want to tell you about a famous trial in 16th-century English history. It was the trial of Sir Thomas More, author of Utopia. At that time, King Henry VIII ruled England, and Thomas More was the king's favorite official, holding the highest position as Lord Chancellor. But King Henry VIII wanted to justify his political divorce and remarriage. So he put the church under state control, declared himself supreme head of the church, and demanded all high officials sign and approve this law.

If Thomas More had simply signed, he could have kept his wealth, honor, and top position. Watching the king's mood, many politicians and religious leaders quietly signed and compromised, saying, "Following the king's will is best for national peace and interest." They chose the power and stability of the world's kingdom. But Sir Thomas More knew that doing this was wrong before God and meant abandoning the truth, so he refused to sign until the end.

The king imprisoned him and sent close friends and even his wife to persuade him. They pleaded with tears, "You can live if you sign just once. Why be so stubborn and make your family suffer? Just compromise." But Thomas More left a famous statement and never compromised: "I die the King's good servant, but God's first." In the end, he kept the truth and was beheaded at the Tower of London. Sir Thomas More chose God's invisible kingdom instead of the visible kingdom before his eyes.

It is easy to talk about God's kingdom when we have nothing to lose. But when a crisis threatens our position, honor, safety, and life, the kingdom we truly belong to is revealed.

Governor Pilate and the Jewish religious leaders knew Jesus was innocent. Yet they compromised and handed Him over to be crucified just to keep their political power and peace. As we look at Jesus, Pilate, and the Jews today, I hope we reflect on which kingdom is the real kingdom we belong to.

 

1.   A Kingdom Ruled by Truth

Jesus is taken to Pilate's palace and questioned. In verse 33, Pilate asks Him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" ([Verse 33] Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?") Why did Pilate, a Roman governor, ask this? The crime the Jewish leaders accused Jesus of was blasphemy.

[Mark 14:61] But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?" When asked, [Mark 14:62] "I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." To this answer, in verses 63-64, [Mark 14:63-64] The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked. "You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?" They all condemned him as worthy of death. They decided Jesus must die for blasphemy. But since blasphemy was a religious matter, they could not execute Him under Roman law. So they accused Him of claiming to be a king and standing against Rome. In the Roman Empire, calling oneself 'king' other than Caesar was treason—a serious crime. So Pilate, guarding the order of his worldly kingdom Rome, asked, "Are you the king of the Jews?"

Jesus' answer to his question is amazing. [Verse 36] Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place."

Here, Jesus says, "My kingdom," without denying He is a king. But He clearly states His kingdom does not belong to this world and explains how it differs from worldly kingdoms. What is the difference? Jesus says, "If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders." Worldly kingdoms use force to fight, conquer, and rule, but Jesus' kingdom is different. That key difference appears in verse 37. [Verse 37] "You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

Jesus clearly states His purpose for coming: to testify to the truth. Truth is the core value in Jesus' kingdom that moves and rules it. People belonging to the world value money, status, honor, and power, but ignore the truth. Why? Because those in the truth gain true freedom. [John 8:32] Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Those belonging to the truth listen to Jesus' voice because He Himself is the truth.

Even in a life-threatening crisis, Jesus never made political compromises with the world. He did not give in to worldly power, but testified only to God's kingdom ruled by truth.

Think about Yun Dong-ju, a Christian poet of our nation. During the dark era of Japanese colonial rule when forced name-changes peaked, many compromised with the world to survive and avoid persecution. But even in that darkness, Poet Yun Dong-ju kept his conscience before God and wrote his famous confession: "Wishing to have no speck of shame toward heaven until the day I die"—from his poem Foreword (Seoshi). Rejecting worldly wealth, honor, and power, he walked the path of the cross, looking to God's heavenly truth.

Faith means viewing the world through God's kingdom of truth, not viewing our lives through worldly eyes.

Where do we belong today? I pray that all of you will remember the Lord's kingdom is ruled by truth, not power, and live placing your hope in God's kingdom rather than worldly success.

[Application] Am I following worldly success right now, or am I following the kingdom of truth? Is my life guided by worldly values, or by God's Word?

 

2.   A Kingdom Collapsing Through Compromise

When Jesus said, "I came to testify to the truth," Pilate asked Him in verse 38, "What is truth?"

[Verse 38] "What is truth?" retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him."

"What is truth?" sounds like a deep question. But Pilate did not ask because he really cared about truth. He walked straight outside without waiting for Jesus' answer, evading truth with cynicism. To Pilate, trapped in a worldly mindset, truth was merely a useless concept bringing no benefit. What mattered to Pilate was not 'truth,' but 'his political power and standing in the world.'

Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, since His kingdom did not oppose Rome with force. So in verse 38, he declared to the Jews, "I find no basis for a charge against him." But he lacked the courage to release Jesus, fearing a Jewish riot that could threaten his position.

So Pilate offered a cheap compromise. Using the festival custom of releasing a prisoner, he asked whether to release Jesus or 'Barabbas,' a violent rebel and robber. Pilate expected the Jews to choose innocent Jesus over a notorious robber. But he was mistaken, and it was merely an attempt to escape responsibility.

How did the Jews respond? [Verse 40] They shouted back, "No, not him! Give us Barabbas!" Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.

Unwilling to risk his worldly position, Pilate tried to compromise. The result? The robber Barabbas was set free, and Jesus, the truth, was sent to die on the cross.

What about us today? In daily work and routines, when facing hard realities, do we know God's Word yet quietly avoid it and compromise out of fear? Saying "This much is okay," "How can anyone live so strictly today?", or "You have to compromise to avoid loss," we tend to compromise with worldly ways.

Remember: if we fear people and avoid truth for worldly benefit, we may gain temporary comfort, but ultimately lose spiritual strength and faith. There is no middle ground before God. The worldly kingdom seems to succeed through compromise, but actually collapses through it. I pray that you choose the holiness of God's kingdom over the comfort of a collapsing world.

[Application] In what area of my life am I avoiding truth out of fear of loss or disadvantage? Am I trying to escape immediate problems through shortcuts and compromise?

 

3.   A Kingdom Completed Through Substitution

The last verse, verse 40, ends with a short and shocking sentence. [Verse 40] They shouted back, "No, not him! Give us Barabbas!" Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.

Instead of innocent Jesus, the robber Barabbas is set free, and Jesus, who did no wrong, is dragged away to bear the cross in Barabbas' place.

Who was Barabbas? A robber who rebelled against Rome, used violence, and stole from people. He deserved to die on the cross. On execution day, the prison door opens and soldiers call his name: "Barabbas, come out!" How terrified Barabbas must have been, expecting death on the cross!

But what happened? Soldiers unlocked his chains and said coldly, "Go. You are free."

When he walked out, what did he see? He must have seen Jesus, who had no sin at all, carrying the cross in his place up Golgotha hill. What does this mean? The freedom Barabbas received was not earned, but came entirely by the Lord's redemptive grace of dying in his place.

C.S. Lewis once said: "The cross shows how wicked a sinner I am, and at the same time, how immensely loved a being I am."

Who is the robber Barabbas in today's story? Barabbas is us. Daily ignoring truth and compromising with the world, we deserved to die under God's judgment. But God's sinless Son was judged in our place on the cross. God's kingdom is not earned by human power or status, but is completed and given as a free gift through the Lord's 'substitution'—His grace of dying in our place.

Even if we stumble before temptations and compromise through weakness, the Lord's love on the cross never changes. Do not hide in shame. Step forward boldly to the cross, saying, "Lord, I am a sinner like Barabbas. But I rely entirely on Your grace of taking my place."

The last verse, verse 40, ends with a short and shocking sentence. [Verse 40] They shouted back, "No, not him! Give us Barabbas!" Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.

Instead of innocent Jesus, the robber Barabbas is set free, and sinless Jesus is led away to bear Barabbas' cross.

What kind of person was Barabbas? A robber who rebelled against Rome, used violence, and stole from people. He deserved death on the cross. On execution day, soldiers opened his cell and called, "Barabbas, come out!" How terrified Barabbas must have been!

Yet soldiers unlocked his chains and said, "Go. You are free." Outside, he likely saw sinless Jesus carrying his cross up Golgotha. What does this mean? His freedom came not from merit, but entirely from the Lord's redemptive grace of dying for him. C.S. Lewis said: "The cross shows how wicked a sinner I am, and at the same time, how immensely loved a being I am."

The kingdom of God that we believe in is not gained through power or qualification like the world, but is completed and given to us solely through the Lord's 'substitution.' Though we stumble, His love on the cross never changes.

Therefore, do not run away from the Lord in weakness and shame. Boldly go to Him, saying, "Lord, I am a sinner like Barabbas. But I rely on Your grace of bearing the cross instead of me." Relying on that amazing love of the cross that completed God's kingdom by dying for us, I pray in the Lord's name that all of you live boldly in the truth.

[Application] With what kind of heart do I stand before the grace of the cross that saved my life? As a citizen of God's kingdom and not the world's kingdom, what will I decide to do this week?

 

 

하늘소망교회(담임 손진국 목사)는 뉴질랜드 오클랜드 북부 실버데일에 세워진 한인교회로 '하나님의 마음으로 사람을 살리는 교회'입니다.

Hope of Heaven Baptist Church (Senior Pastor: Rev. Jinkook Sohn) is a Korean church established in Silverdale, Auckland, New Zealand. It is a church that saves people with the heart of God.