All Glory Be To Christ Our King
Soli Deo Gloria
I think that within an American context or mindset, sometimes it can feel unnatural to consider a kingship as a position, or a monarchy as an institution. I mean, after all, our nation was founded by way of a rebellion against a king, and our government is set up as a democratic republic where the people actively have a role in how things are governed. We elect our sheriffs, board members, mayors, governors, representatives, senators, and presidents. Consequently, and subconsciously, we thus essentially condition ourselves into believing that leadership is something inherently ephemeral or temporary; something that is dependent on the will of the people. And sure, when it comes to how we are to govern ourselves as human beings, perhaps democracy could be the most optimal way of governance (time will tell). Yet, when we read Holy Scripture, we encounter a way of looking at leadership, specifically regarding God, that is a far cry from what we experience within the American political system.
Time and again, we see God referred to as “King.” He is not referred to as President, or Senator, or Governor, or so on. Yes, we must consider the time in which our Holy Scriptures were written—the term “president” was not even a distant thought within the mind of our Old Testament ancestors—but we must also remind ourselves that God revealed himself within that point in history for a reason, and that he wanted to make himself known as THE KING for a reason. Let’s just read from a few passages to see how prominent this Kingship language is throughout scripture:
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. 1 Chronicles 29:11-12
For the Lord Most High is to be feared, A great King over all the earth. … Sing praises to God, sing praises; Sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with a skillful psalm … Psalm 47:2, 6-7
Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.” Isaiah 44:6
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 1 Timothy 1:17
On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Revelation 19:16
And those are just five examples! I can promise you that there are, at a minimum, at least fifty other times when God’s kingship, kingdom, or kingly status are either talked about directly or alluded to.
So, what is the reason why God wants to be known as King? I have an idea:
Simply put: because He is King. Kings are not elected—God is/was not elected. Kings are not chosen by the people to serve as king through a democratic process, and in an ideal world they are not rebelled against or overthrown because they would rule justly and well. God, as the ideal King, is not elected and He does rule justly and well. And the parallel continues with the fact that kings are the wielders of supreme power and authority. If a king says “jump”, the only right response of his subjects are to ask “how high?”
The same is the case with our Lord! If there is a being that is the creator and ruler over the universe—and there is!—then we have to obey Him, we have no choice. Hypothetically, even if God commanded “cut off your right arm” we would have to listen because it is not for us to question Him. If we take a look at Scripture, questioning God is an obviously ridiculous thing:
“Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’? Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots!
Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’? Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you begetting?’ or to a woman, ‘With what are you in labor?’” Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and the one who formed him: “Ask me of things to come; will you command me concerning my children and the work of my hands? I made the earth and created man on it; it was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host.” Isaiah 45:9-12
What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? Romans 9:14-24
Now, all of that is a lot to take in and consider. As we envision and commit to heart the reality of God’s Kingship, our minds and emotions can run wild. However, we need to keep ourselves in check and prevent ourselves from sinfully reacting to God. Yes, we are called to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12-13), but we are not to only fear God and tremble before Him, acting as if He is some unrighteous, unjust, unapproachable monster. We must also love Him and know that he is the ultimate comfort and source of goodness.
I think C.S. Lewis sums up an appropriate, balanced way to view God in his novel, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe:
[Susan and Lucy, two of the main characters in the book, are talking with Mr. and Mrs. Beaver about who Aslan, the king of Narnia is, and Mr. Beaver answers…]
“Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion."
“Ooh” said Susan. “I'd thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
“That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs Beaver. “If there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”
“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.
“Safe?” said Mr Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
You may be wondering why there even needs to be a conversation about emotional responses or personal thoughts when it comes to Christ as King. After all, like we talked about earlier, if Christ is King—and he is—then the only rational, logical, consistent, and correct response is a complete and utter submission that results in a complete and utter obedience, regardless of what else we may think or feel. However, considering our personal responses is necessary and helpful because it allows us to 1) understand what God’s people were feeling during the years before Christ’s first coming, and 2) correct our own misguided feelings as we wait patiently for Christ’s second coming. So, let’s tackle that first point.
Prior to the coming of Christ, the Jewish people found themselves under the reign of the Roman Empire, which was another in a long line of occupations and invasions by other nations and kingdoms. Before the Romans, it was the Greeks and the Persians, and before the Greeks and the Persians, it was the Babylonians and Assyrians. It is safe to say that God’s people were in a relative state of distress and expectant—but maybe not too hopeful—waiting. In the midst of constant occupation, God’s children had to cling to the promises of a coming Messiah and King to deliver them. We can see some of these promises in the following passage:
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Isaiah 9:2-7
It is ironic to consider the fact that prior to Christ the children of God once again found themselves asking for a King. If we go back to 1 Samuel 8:5-8, we see the people of Israel quite literally reject God as their king and ask for a human king instead. Obviously, as we can see through the repeated occupations that followed, those human kings didn’t work out too well for them—and that is not to say that God was not working through each of those kings to accomplish his will, because he was! But in a very real sense, God’s children failed their way back to square one and were waiting for God’s deliverance yet again. Luckily, for them and for us, deliverance did indeed arrive.
If none of us can relate to any of the feelings that the Israelites probably felt during that time of waiting, then we may need to examine our own hearts and make sure that we haven’t depleted ourselves of all empathy or sympathy. But with that said, we need to also check ourselves and keep in mind that we are not to wait in desperation or hopelessness as they did. As I pointed out a moment ago, deliverance did come and our King arrived. Accordingly, as we find ourselves on this side of the resurrection of Christ, as we find ourselves waiting for His second coming, we are to act and react a lot differently.
Two of the passages that I find to be the most comforting and, I believe, provide the most insight and direction regarding our postures during this time are included below:
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39
It is a little easier to keep all of that in mind during Advent—which is a time of reflection and preparation for the second coming of Christ while celebrating his first coming—but we need to keep those above verses in mind at all times, no matter where we are in the Church liturgical calendar… especially when there is chaos, wars, and all of that good stuff occurring in the world. “All authority in heaven and on Earth has been given to [Christ]” and through Christ we are “more than conquerors.” That is victorious language for a victorious people. Christ is the ultimate leader and King that any of us could ask for. With Him, there is nothing to fear and it is through him that we are blessed with a New Heaven and a New Earth as Holy Scripture tells us:
· Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Revelation 21:1-4
Every Christmas, I make sure that my wife and I read that passage together so that we can always keep in mind the victory that is ahead. And one of the most amazing things to think about regarding the second coming of Christ and the restoration and Heaven and Earth is how monumental of an event it will be. For his first coming, Christ came clothed in all humility as an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes. Very few people were immediately aware of his arrival. But for his second coming, while still perfectly humble, Christ will instead return with a cry of command, the voice of an archangel, the sound a trumpet, and everyone, everywhere, will know that Christ has returned. And something that we should be excited about is that we as believers are going to be included in that return. I just quoted from some of it, but the rest of 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 reads:
· For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
We are reading an English translation, obviously, but in the Greek that words which we translate as “to meet” is “eis apantesin” are used throughout classical antiquity to mean more than just a simple meeting. That expression in Greek was typically used to signify how people would act when a king, or a ruler, or someone else of importance would approach a town or city. They would run out to greet them and then accompany them as they came into the gates. The exact same Greek words are used in the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25 when Christ talks about how the five prepared virgins had their lamps ready and that they were the ones who, after rushing out to meet the bridegroom, accompanied the bridegroom back into the wedding feast.
That’s what we have to look forward to. When our King comes back, we can look forward to rushing out and meeting him and then being at his side as he judges the world and restores everything back to its original, intended design. As we live our lives, that’s what we need to keep in mind: Christ is a King, and not only is he good at what he does, he is the best at what he does. The best, most ideal human ruler that any of us can think of either now or throughout history, pales in comparison to the kingship our Lord. He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love.
Thanks for reading.