In the previous two articles we have considered
Jesus as the Prophet who was to come (Deut. 18:15-19) and the perfect
Priest (Heb. 6:20-7:17). It is the purpose of this study to consider
Jesus as the King of kings. In Biblical times the king was the supreme
authority of his nation. In addition to governing his people effectively
and justly, a king's work consisted primarily in two areas: maintaining
peace within his borders and protecting his subjects from outside
attacks. To the average Jewish mind, the Messiah was going to be a
powerful king who would deliver the Jews from the earthly bondage
of the Romans and restore the former wealth of Israel. However, Jesus
Christ was far better than the expectations of the Jews. Although
he never sat upon an earthly throne or commanded an earthly army,
Jesus is the King of kings (Rev. 17:14; 19:16).
King God Rejected
"King" was a common title for God in the
Old Testament as the Psalmist reveals. "Lift up your heads,
O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King
of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong
and mighty...Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up,
ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is
this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory"
(Ps. 24:7-10 cf. Ps. 10:16; 47:7; 89:18). God, Israel's intended
King, dwelled with them between the cherubim on the ark of the covenant
(Ps. 99:1). However, it was not long in their history that Israel
no longer appreciated God as their King. In the days of the judges,
each made himself to be a king, "doing that which was right
in his own eyes" (Jgs. 21:25). The oppression from foreign
nations and God's continual rescuing them through the judges should
have "knocked some sense" into them, making them realize
that they needed God as their King. Instead of looking to God, however,
they admired the kings of other nations and demanded of Samuel,
"Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations...that
we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge
us, and go out before us, and fight our battles" (1 Sam. 8:5,
20). In asking for an earthly king, they tragically rejected God
(1 Sam. 8:7).
King Messiah Promised
Although God allowed his people to have human kings,
these kings failed to meet their true needs. Most of the kings,
especially during the divided kingdom, were corrupt and lead the
people further and further away into apostasy. In fact, their trust
in earthly kings contributed greatly to their captivity. "O
Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help. I
will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy
cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?
I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath"
(Hos. 13:9-11). To remedy this failure of human kings, God promised
that he would once again rule his people as King, only this time
it would be in a much greater way. His coming King would be from
the lineage of David (Jer. 23:5), and His kingdom would be everlasting
(Dan. 7:13-14).
Jesus is that promised King. The angel announced to the pregnant
virgin concerning the child within her, "He shall be great,
and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall
give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign
over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall
be no end" (Lk. 1:32-33). Following the birth of Christ, wise
men came to Jerusalem asking, "Where is he that is born King
of the Jews" (Mt. 2:2). During Christ's ministry, some of the
people who came to the feast, "when they heard that Jesus was
coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went forth
to meet him, and cried Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that
cometh in the name of the Lord" (Jn. 12:12-13). Even at His
trial, Pilate knew that Jesus was the King (Jn. 18:37). We may not
think that a king would have to suffer for being king, but the King
suffered unto death for being the King. The multitudes accused Him
of "perverting the nation" because he called himself the
King (Lk. 23:2). The soldiers humiliated him with a crown of thorns
and purple robe, mocking, "Hail, King of the Jews!" (Jn.
19:2-3). In fact, the sign that gave the reason for His executed
read, THIS IS JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.
In spite of many who rejected the true King Jesus,
others accepted Him as the King of kings. "Nathanael answered
and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the
King of Israel" (Jn. 1:49). Jesus is the King of kings, whether
we accept Him or not! May God help us all to accept His rule and
be faithful members of His everlasting kingdom
©Brian Kenyon
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