Competing Kingdoms

Throughout history Israel has been a land of obsession for various people groups. Today, in an area the size of New Jersey, there are Arabs and Jews who comprise a myriad of religions and languages. each wants to take the land for their own Kingdom. Such a small part of the world seems to dictate much of man's battles and search for peace.

This is a picture of Caesarea Philippi. This town is now in ruins and has had many occupiers and names across history. It only has this name for a short time around the time of Jesus. It was a seminal point of pagan worship for the Romans. It is in the very northeast of Israel, on the main road called "the way of the sea" on route to Damascus. It was 25 miles north of Capernaum as the crow flies. totally out of the way from where Jesus called His disciples. Yet, this is where He takes them after his initial instructions about the Kingdom.

Imagine Jesus and His disciples viewing this Arab/Roman sacred pagan place and asking His disciples, "who do you say I am?" The correct answer based on Jewish history and prophecy would have been, "you are the anointed One of Israel." But, this was not Peter's answer.

Peter said, "you are the Son of the living God." Jesus replied "correct." But Jesus said more. He explained to His disciples that Peter could never have known this through human processes of logic and reasoning. The only way peter could know is that God told him. This idea Peter had was through revelation, not observation.

Jesus then something even more amazing. he said that it is on this revelation that God will build His church. But more, "the gates of hell will not prevail." They were looking at what the world claimed to be a fortress of Hell that was a force unequal in all the world. Then He said, "I will give you the keys to the Kingdom." 

Jesus speaks of a Kingdom that is not part of the fight for this land. Israel represents man's quest for a kingdom that man can govern and call its own. Jesus brings to us a competing Kingdom. One that is not subject to man's pursuit, but one that is the provision and privilege of God Himself.

Man s knocking himself out competing for the land of Israel. All the while God provides his eternal Kingdom. This was the message of Jesus. The competing Kingdom and He gave the keys to His disciples at Caesarea Philippi.

This was my day's pondering. Maybe you can think about the Kingdom Jesus ushered in when all the world is focusing on the land of Israel.