Episode 1226: A Kingdom Not of This World

War has been part of human history since the beginning, and it still shapes the headlines and our hearts today. But how should followers of Jesus think about war? In this episode of 10:10 Thrive, we turn to Jesus’ words and actions to find His radical guidance. From His declaration before Pilate that His kingdom is “not of this world” to His command to Peter to put away the sword, Jesus reveals that His kingdom is not built on violence but on peace, truth, and sacrificial love.

We explore how Jesus reframes victory itself—not as defeating enemies but as reconciling with them. His call to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us confronts the very logic of war, which depends on hatred and destruction. Instead of glorifying violence, He blesses the peacemakers and calls us to embody reconciliation in a broken world. At the cross, He absorbs the violence of humanity into Himself and shows that real power lies in forgiveness, mercy, and resurrection life.

In our “Get Deep” section, we ask what this teaching reveals about Jesus’ character and mission. He is the Prince of Peace, the reconciler of enemies, and the King who reigns not with armies but with a cross. Finally, we turn to our lives today: how can we pray for peace, reject hatred, become peacemakers, and bear witness to a kingdom not of this world?