"Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, 'Are You the King of the Jews?' Jesus said to him, 'It is as you say.'" (Matthew 27:11)
If you look at the narratives of Jesus before Pilate, you will discover that it was not Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior that bothered Pilate. It was, "Are You the King of the Jews?" It was a question affecting Rome's rule in Israel, "Are You the King...? In other words, Are you involved in treason against the Government of Rome? There cannot be two kings.
Now this does not get much billing among "evangelicals" who have a sort of Biblical tunnel vision. Over the generations they have developed a sort of catechism on what is the get-saved-today message. It amuses me, or rather, saddens me to listen to all the media pundits talking about "the evangelical vote in Iowa." So very many people who take the "evangelical" name tag are not. They are "get-saved-today people who carry their Bibles, quote favorite "evangelical passages" for their own catechetical purposes, but endorse political candidates who are not Followers of Jesus and have non-Kingdom principles. Now we are hearing of more of their leaders "endorsing" such. Evangelicalism is more than touting "The Four Spiritual Laws."
When you encounter the claim of Jesus Christ that He is, "the King of the Jews," You are encountering someone who is declaring to the world that, yes, He came to, "seek and to save." He also came to rule. If you only see the "sinner's prayer" in the Cross, perhaps you need to read more of the Bible. Jesus' Death and Resurrection fulfilled the Biblical statement, "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the Devil." And I can tell you, my friend, there are many, "works of the Devil," in the Earth. Paul did not limit himself in his "missionary journeys" to the synagogues, the market places, etc. He also went and proclaimed Jesus and His Kingdom before city and empire officials. "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king----- Jesus." (Acts 17)
Modern "evangelicalism" needs a face lift.
Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You that You destroyed all, "works of the Devil." Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
