That's My King

Jesus is King.

It’s something you and I are accustomed to hearing if we have any background in the Church and in God’s Word. It can almost feel casual to me if I’m not careful. Declaring anyone the “king” is a big deal, right?

For many of us, it doesn’t carry the weight or power that it once did, especially in the days of Jesus’s earthly life and ministry. If you remember, it was the claim that Jesus was the “King of the Jews” that enraged the political leaders and was the center of the accusations against him, which ultimately led to his death. We see it in Luke 23:2:

“We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a King.”

Jewish leaders believed Jesus was a false Messiah and that any claim to divinity or kingship was blasphemous, threatening the rule of the Roman Empire. And yet, Jesus did not deny his kingship. In John 23, when Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus responded, “My Kingdom is not of this world.” In other words, his kingship was not limited to his life on earth or that time in history.

Jesus is King…let’s give thought to this together. As you consider leading this song and declaring Jesus as King, take a look at these three passages about the kingship of Jesus: Matthew 21, Philippians 2 and Revelation 19.

First, Matthew 21 shows us Jesus as the Humble King.

We see the Palm Sunday scene of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling Zechariah's prophecy that the king would arrive on a donkey, accompanied by the declaration, “Behold your king is coming to you”.

This King was not what the people expected. He was humble; he offered salvation not by force or might, but by sacrifice. King Jesus described himself in Matthew 11 as “gentle and lowly,” inviting the needy to come to him – the only one who could offer true rest for weary souls.

This King did not come to overthrow kingdoms of man but, instead, to overthrow death itself so that he might offer life. King Jesus came to give life to all who would receive it – not as a conquering King, but as one who lays down his very life.

“He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8)

This brings us to Philippians 2, which displaysJesus as the Exalted King. He came in humility to lay his life down for sinners, and because of that, the Father raised him up to a place of supreme honor. Philippians 2:9-11 says it like this:

“Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Here, Paul explains what Revelation later confirms: that the lowly, humble King is exalted above all as the only King before whom every knee will bow, declaring him Lord for all eternity.

Jesus came as a humble King, was exalted as the eternal King, and in Revelation 19, he is revealed as the Righteous King, who will come to judge the living and the dead (2 Timothy 4:1, Romans 14:10).

This is a drastically different picture of Jesus than the one we saw riding on a donkey in Matthew 21. John’s vision of the Christ the King at the day of judgment is laid out in Revelation 19:11-16:

“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”

This is the same Jesus.

Lowly. Exalted. Righteous.

Humble. Worthy. Holy.

That’s My King!

The good news today is that it's not too late for anyone who puts their trust in this King to be saved from the judgement that our sin requires. This is the King who paid the penalty on our behalf and invites us to belong to him. It’s not too late. John Piper says it this way:

“Here is the concluding declaration and invitation: Jesus came the first time, and he is coming again, as the king over all kings. King of Israel, king of all the nations, king of nature and the universe. Until he comes again, there is a day of amnesty and forgiveness and patience. He still rides a donkey and not yet a white warhorse with a rod of iron. He is ready to save all who receive him as Savior and Treasure and King. Come to him. Know him. Receive him. Live your life in allegiance to him.”

Amen.