| On one occasion religious leaders, called Pharisees, | | | | you will see absolutely nothing. |
| approached Jesus to ask Him when the kingdom | | | | When Jesus Christ the King comes, it is not |
| of God would come. | | | | spectacular in a politically physical sense. |
| He answered by saying that the kingdom of God | | | | When Jesus moves in His church, rescuing and |
| will not appear with visibly observable signs. | | | | renewing individuals, it is seldom a great national |
| The word 'visibly' is the medical term for the | | | | success story. |
| observation of symptoms. Jesus is speaking very | | | | Everything does not suddenly change for the |
| precisely and carefully and accurately in His reply. | | | | better. Some things improve. Some things don't. |
| He knows what they are up to and they were up | | | | No man can catch the kingdom of God and put it |
| to no good. They were revealing something of | | | | in a box, but it certainly comes crashing through |
| the sin in their hearts, | | | | at times, in the most unusual and surprising ways, |
| These men were looking for a visible physical | | | | but it cannot be confined to any one nation, nor |
| kingdom or nation, a different kind of country, like | | | | to any one place. |
| England, Wales or Scotland or Canada or the | | | | What concerns Jesus most of all is if people are in |
| United States of America. If only the White | | | | the kingdom. That remains a major concern. It |
| House in Washington would take careful note | | | | ought to concern each of us. |
| regarding what Jesus taught, and not just | | | | Jesus wants you to be in the kingdom and not |
| selective parts! | | | | outside, and these religious leaders were clearly |
| They were actually narrow nationalists expecting | | | | outside. |
| Jesus to bring in an independent Israel, sweeping | | | | Most of them remained outside, and did not want |
| away the Roman ruling authority. This is how they | | | | to go in. That is what I find to be so astonishing. |
| thought, and this is how many think today, as | | | | They were just not interested in what the Son of |
| people look for a kingdom in that sense of being | | | | God had to say on this important matter, and of |
| politically free and independent. | | | | course, many are are equally uninterested and |
| Jesus teaches these Pharisees, and us, that if you | | | | disinterested in these present times. |
| look in the wrong place and in the wrong way, | | | | |