Thoughts for Easter
The Two Kingdoms

In the last week of His life Jesus spoke about the two kingdoms that all who follow Him live in. The Pharisees attempted to catch Jesus in a contradiction. Should we pay taxes to Caesar they asked? Procuring a coin, He asked “Who is pictured on the coin?” Upon their response, He uttered a line that should never be forgotten by any of His followers: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” [Mark 12:17 ESV]. The Pharisees marveled at Him and rightly so. They did not miss the import of what He said.

He did not say there was nothing that you owed Caesar. So much for Him coming back to impose the Messianic Kingdom that will depose Caesar. The Jewish leaders were chaffing under the yoke of Roman rule. They did not like that. When would David’s Kingdom return? They were looking forward to a position in that kingdom as religious leaders granting them secular as well as sacred power.

Note that Jesus does not create a tension between the kingdoms. Nor does He indicate that it is up to His followers to shape Caesar’s kingdom to look more like His. Why? Because His Kingdom is heavenly, spiritual and eternal and Caesar’s is earthly, secular and temporal. It would be foolish to attempt to mix the two. Sounds like a good argument for separation of church and state. And, it certainly does not fit with the theonomic and/or theocratic arguments afoot today for the future of the USA.

Jesus has ascended to be the King over all. But, He has not superseded the secular state. It has a place in the two kingdom paradigm. Caesar heads the civil government that wields the sword so as to promote good. Caesar’s work is not redemptive but provisional in order that the church can do its work of a redemptive nature. All falls under the overruling of King Jesus, but each kingdom has a role to play during this time of grace. Obviously, there is much disagreement on how the state and church interface, what kind of state is ideal or acceptable under the two kingdoms plan and what influence Christians should exercise over the state. But, one thing is certain…our Lord endorses the two kingdoms as our pattern and it is our obligation to make it work.