Jesus the King

Colossians 3:11 informs us that “Christ is all, and in all,” and the Word of God gives us many details explaining what that means. Jesus is described as Alpha and Omega, Bread of Life, Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and Saviour, but perhaps King is one of Jesus’ most important titles. He is called King of the Jews (Matthew 2:2), King of Israel (John 12:13), King Eternal (1 Timothy 1:17) , King of the saints (Revelation 15:3), and King of Kings (Revelation 17:14).

A study on Jesus as the Christ uncovers further argument that Christ is not Jesus’ last name; rather it implies that He is indeed King. Christ in Greek is christos, meaning “the anointed” which is connected to the Hebrew mashiach or Messiah. In the Torah, mashiach meant “to pour oil,” but by the time of the prophets it had changed to mean “the anointed person” or “God’s king.” Accordingly, we should read a passage such as Acts 17:2,3 in this manner, “Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that [the King] had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, This Jesus whom I preach to you is [the King].”

Perhaps the greatest attestation to Jesus the King is His own answer to Pilate in John 18:36-37. Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are you a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

To those of us living in the twenty-first century, what does it mean that Jesus is king? Does it really make a difference in who we are and how we live?

Look at this story, which by first appearance comes from a carnal novel, but is found in the book of Judges.

In the mountains of Ephraim lived a Levite who had taken a woman from Bethlehem as his concubine. This woman was unfaithful in her role and returned to live in her father’s house. After four months, the Levite traveled to Bethlehem with a servant and a few donkeys to retrieve his concubine. Unfortunately, they got a late start on their journey back to Ephraim and found themselves in Gibeah, a Benjamite town, a place where you did not want to be caught out in the open after dark. An old man took pity on the three travelers, inviting them to spend the night in the security of his home. What was supposed to be safety turned out to be destruction when perverted men of the city misused the concubine so dreadfully that the Levite found his companion dead on the doorstep the next morning. This evil deed so upset the Levite that he seems to have lost all proper reasoning. Dismembering the concubine into twelve pieces, he sent a gory gift to each tribe in Israel.

The incident swiftly catapulted into a national issue when all the tribes of Israel except Benjamin gathered in Mizpah, ready to repay this atrocity. Massive war ensued, with 400,000 Israelites battling against 26,700 Benjamites, including 700 left-handers who could sling a stone at a hair and never miss. In the conflict, 25,000 men of Benjamin lost their lives, nearly annihilating the tribe.

Now instead of being furious, the other Israelites were grieved, especially when they considered their vow to withhold any of their daughters from the Benjamites. What a shrewd plan the elders devised! In an upcoming Israelite feast the men would conceal themselves in the vineyards, watch for the daughters of Shiloh making their way to the festival, rush out to capture a wife, and take her back home. A win-win situation for everyone: the men of Benjamin would procure the wives they needed, and the dads of Israel would not violate their vows.

The purpose of this account is not easily understood unless we notice the first words in the story. Judges 19:1 says, “And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel…” The very last words from this story add indisputable emphasis to what transpires when humanity has no king except their own unfettered desires. “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25).

However, the Old Testament gives us the positive as well as the negative. Psalm 72, a foreshadowing of Jesus the King, tells us what life looks like under a godly king. Righteousness is in that kingdom and justice is brought to the poor. The people are at peace. There is freedom and victory because the oppressor is conquered. Those in the kingdom have precious value. Best of all, this kingdom is constant, not vacillating from Democrat to Republican to Liberal to Progressive Conservative, but the same King reigns forever.

The abundant blessings we enjoy when Jesus is King is a prominent theme in the New Testament also. In the King we are made alive (1Cor. 15:22), in the King we have been adopted (Eph. 1:5), in the King we have been redeemed (Eph. 1:7), in the King we sit in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6), and in the King we partake of His own nature (2 Peter 1:4). Truly, life under King Jesus brings immeasurable joy and abundant riches!

Nevertheless, humanity has a long history of endeavoring to divorce the blessings of citizenship in the kingdom of such an unequaled King from the responsibility of walking in obedience to what the King requires from His citizens, for where there is a King there is law. No, not the Mosaic law which is utterly unable to save, but the law of Christ, or the law of the King (Galatians 6:2; 1 Corinthians 9:21). The Nicolaitans are a classic example of those who professed Christianity but lived lives parallel to that of the Israelites without a king. Irenaeus wrote, “The Nicolaitans lead lives of unrestrained indulgence. The character of these persons is plainly pointed out in the Apocalypse of John. It shows us that they teach that it is a matter of indifference to practice adultery and to eat things sacrificed to idols.” We may shake our heads at the foolish reasoning of the Nicolaitans, but we do well to remember that within us resides the same flesh desiring to deceive us into believing that having Jesus as our Savior is all that counts and nothing else matters, when in reality we cannot claim the blessings of a Savior without accepting obedience to a King.

What does God see when He looks at my life? Does He see someone of whom it is said, “There is no King in his life!” Or does He see a life surrendered in glad submission to an unrivaled King and walking with indescribable joy in an incomparable kingdom?