My Kingdom Is Not Of This World. John 18:36. Christian Abstract Art
”Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”  John 18:36


While creating this piece I wrestled with what Jesus must have been experiencing when he spoke these words to Pontius Pilate the Roman governor of Judaea.  Jesus' disciples had deserted him and ran for their lives.  Peter the "Rock", had denied evening knowing him three times.  And now the very people whom he had come to save were preparing to torture and execute him.


How the angels in heaven must have been eagerly listening to hear their King ask for protection against these wicked men. If Jesus had asked his angels for help it certainly would have been a very short battle.  Recall in 2 Kings Chapter 19 that one angel killed more than 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in a single night?


Jesus left His Kingdom in heaven where He sat in Glory at the right hand of the Father so that we would have a way to escape the eternal torment of hell.  There was no other way for our sins to be forgiven. In God's Kingdom the price for sin is eternal death. Only the blood of a sinless man can cover our transgressions and pay our sin debt to God.


Jesus loves us so much that he laid down his own innocent life to pay for our sin. Such a sacrifice is too great for me to understand. He needs me for nothing- yet for some reason He loves me enough to die for me. How terrible the eternal horrors and torment of hell must be for the Living God to sacrifice His Only Son to pay the price for our forgiveness and freedom.


"By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."  1 John 3:16

My Kingdom Is Not Of This World. John 18:36, VerseVisions X Collection. Mixed media on canvas. Copyright © 2010 by Mark Lawrence. All Rights Reserved.

Enjoy Mark Lawrence’s biblically inspired modern sacred art, translated into large and colorful canvases in his unique abstract-expressionist contemporary artwork style.