"My Kingdom Is No Part of This World" - DID JESUS SUPPORT THOSE WHO WANTED INDEPENDENCE?

 Many Jews to whome Jesus preached really wanted to be free from the Romans.  Jewish Zealots, a fanatical group, did all they could to make these feelings even stronger.  Many of the Zealots  followed a man named Judas the Galilean, who lived about the time of Jesus.  Judas was a false messiah, who misled many.  The Jewish historian  Josephus said that Judas urged the Jews to fight against Rome and called those who agreed to pay taxes to the Romans "cowards." The Romans eventually put Judas to death.  (Acts 5:37)  Some of the Zealots even became violent to achieve their goals.

Most of the Jews were eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come.  They thought that the Messiah would free them from the Romans and would make Israel  a great nation again.  ( Luke 2:38; 3:15)  Many  believed that the Messiah would establish a kingdom on earth in Israel.  When that happened, all the Jews who lived in different placers around the world would return to Issrael.  Even John the Baptist once asked Jesus:  "Are you the Coming One, or are we to expect a different one?  (Matthew 11:2, 3)   Perhaps Josh wondered whether someonw else would come to free the Jews.  Later, two disciples met Jesus on the road to Emmaus after he was resurrected. They said they had hoped that Jesus was the one whgo wouldl free Israel.  (Read Luke 24:21.) Soon  after that, the apostles asked Jesus:  "Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?" - ACTS 1:6.

Next time: "My Kingdom Is No Part of This World" - DID JESUS SUPPORT THOSE WHO WANTED INDEPENDENCE? 

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