But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” Numbers 13:30 (ESV)
Caleb’s name means bold, and he had bold faith and trust in God and God’s promises. In his faith he issued a threefold challenge to (1) immediately go up to the land as he had just done, (2) possess the land inline with God’s promise and (3) because they are well able to through Gods power and presence among them. For today’s conquest and advance of Gods kingdom we should have the direct and bold faith like Caleb and declare we are able to to take all God has promised and are not afraid to fight.
So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. Numbers 13:32 (ESV)
As opposed to faith these men displayed cowardice, dishonesty and no faith in God and his promises. A lesson for us that if we do not put our trust in God we will walk in sin and even cause others to sin. Romans 14:23
Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. John 18:37–38 (ESV)
Jesus has already made clear that his kingdom is beyond this world and that is is indeed a king, but not in the way the Jewish leaders or the romans would have perceived him to be as the Messiah. Instead Jesus focuses not on the positions men so easily gravitate towards, and focuses on purpose. His purpose for coming in to the word was to bare witness to the truth and to call those who are on the side of truth to himself… moving away from position to purpose and truth makes Pilate very uncomfortable. As followers of Jesus lets seek purpose not position.
Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. John 19:1 (ESV)
Don’t read this quickly, think about what Jesus went through for us
The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” John 19:7 (ESV)
Further evidence that is was clearly understood from Jesus’ time until now that Jesus was not just a prophet but the Son of God
Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.” John 19:11 (ESV)
Jesus affirms God’s sovereign rule even in the crucifixion. God rules over all political and military powers of the earth. Jesus is the true king.
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