The Spectacle of Another Kingdom

The Spectacle of Another Kingdom

From Westwinds by Westwinds Church

March 8, 2026 · 41 min

About this episode

This episode explores the misunderstanding of the disciples regarding Jesus' teachings and the nature of God's kingdom in contrast to the Roman Empire's hierarchy.

Why didn’t the disciples understand what Jesus was doing? Even after hearing his teaching, watching his miracles, and sitting with him at the Last Supper, they were still arguing about who would be the greatest. In this message, we step into the world of the Roman Empire to understand why. The entire system of Rome was built on hierarchy—power, status, and honor flowing from the top down. It shaped how people saw the world, how they understood success, and even how they imagined God’s kingdom. But Jesus was revealing something radically different. The kingdom of God isn’t built on power over others. It’s a kingdom where the greatest becomes the servant and where the one with all authority kneels to wash feet. On this third Sunday of Lent, the ancient prayer of the church is simple: God, help me see.

People in this episode

Host: Westwinds Church

Topics covered

  • discipleship
  • kingdom of God
  • servanthood
  • Roman Empire
  • Lent
  • power dynamics

Keywords

  • disciples
  • Jesus
  • kingdom of God
  • Roman Empire
  • Lent
  • servanthood
  • power
  • status
  • honor

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Roman Empire

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