Jesus: The Anointed King
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INTRO
INTRO
What would you do if you were king of the world for a day?
Imagine having complete authority over the whole world
You could
end wars
fix economies
rewrite laws
remove corrupt leaders
solve the problems that frustrate you most
But maybe that sounds like too much responsibility
So what would you do if you were president for a day?
You do not need control of the whole world
Just give you the authority to fix a few things in America
You probably already have a list
But maybe you do not even want that much power
You would just like your boss’s job for one day...
Because if you were in charge
you know exactly what to change to finally get things running the way they should
TENSION
TENSION
While that can be a fun question to think about, it also exposes something deep within the human heart
We like being in charge
We like deciding what should happen
We like determining what is right and what is wrong
And the problem is that this desire to be in charge often creeps into our relationship with God
See, most of us in this room would verbally affirm that Jesus is King
We believe that
We sing that
We preach that
We post it on social media
But the question is not merely whether we are willing to call Jesus King
The question is whether we are willing to be ruled by Him
Because we often want Jesus to be King in theory while we remain king in practice
When His Word
confronts our desires
corrects our decisions
calls us to do something we do not want to do
something inside us resists
And Psalm 2 this morning is going to show us that this resistance is not merely stubbornness
It is rebellion…
It is the desire to remove God from the throne so that we can sit there ourselves
But the good news is that Psalm 2 does not merely expose the reality of our rebellion
It also shows us how God responds to it and what we must do about it
TRUTH
TRUTH
Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
“Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.”
The Psalm begins with a question:
“Why?”
Why do the nations rage?
Why do the peoples plot?
And the question is not being asked because the Psalmist does not understand what is happening
It is a question of disbelief:
Why would anyone do this?
Why would created people believe they could rise against the God who created them?
Why would earthly kings think they could overthrow the King of heaven?
It is foolish
It is pointless
It is vain
But notice what the nations are actually fighting against
Verse 3 says: “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”
They look at the rule of God and see chains
They look at His commands and see restraints
They look at His authority and say:
“We would be better off without Him.”
They want freedom from God
But what they call freedom the Bible calls rebellion
R. C. Sproul - sin is comic treason against a holy God.
Sin is not merely making a mistake or failing to live up to our potential
Sin is rebellion against the rightful King
Every sin is a little declaration of independence from God
It is looking at the One who
created us
owns us
sustains us
and has every right to rule us and saying:
“I want to rule myself.”
And we see this rebellion in the world around us
Our culture looks at what God says about marriage, sexuality, identity, justice, life, money, and truth, and says:
“Let us burst these bonds apart.”
But we need to be careful that we do not hear these verses and only think about the world out there
Because this rebellion is not only found in nations and governments
It is found in us
It happens every time we know what Christ has said but decide that our way is better
Jesus says forgive
but we hold on to bitterness
Jesus says tell the truth
but we bend it to protect ourselves
Jesus says flee temptation
but we see how close we can get
Jesus says deny yourself
but we organize our lives around comfort
We may never say out loud, “I reject Jesus as King.”
But every time we knowingly resist His Word we are reaching for His throne.
And there is an important connection here to Psalm 1
Psalm 1 showed us the blessed man who meditates on the instruction of the Lord day and night
But the word translated “plot” here in Psalm 2 is the same word translated “meditate” in Psalm 1.
In Psalm 1, the blessed man meditates on how to live under God’s Word
In Psalm 2, the nations meditate on how to escape God’s rule.
One says:
“Lord, teach me Your way.”
The other says:
“Lord, get Your way away from me.”
And that gives us the first reality of Psalm 2
Our natural desire is to be the king
But there is a problem…
No matter how many nations gather
no matter how powerful their rulers appear
and no matter how determined their rebellion becomes
they are attempting the impossible
Verse 1 tells us that all of their plotting is in vain
So the question becomes:
How does God respond when the world rises up against Him?
Look at verse 4
He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord holds them in derision.
The nations are raging
The rulers are gathering
The kings are taking their stand
But God is sitting
not worried or phased
He sits in the heavens and laughs
Not because rebellion is harmless
Not because sin is funny
But because the thought that human beings could overthrow God is absurd
They are creatures attempting to overthrow their Creator
They are earthly kings attempting to remove the King of heaven
Their rebellion is evil, and it is also vain
But the Lord doesn’t just sit and laugh… he acts
Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
“As for me, I have set my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”
The nations say: “We will cast off His rule.”
And God says: “I have set my King and He is already reigning.”
God has established His King and their disapproval does not take Him off the throne
But who is this king?
I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
The King is not merely another earthly ruler
He is God’s Son
He is the Lord’s Anointed
He is the true King Psalm 1 was already pointing us toward
Last time we saw that the blessed man of Psalm 1 is Jesus
Now Psalm 2 shows us that the blessed man is also God’s King
And the New Testament affirms this
After Jesus rose and ascended the rulers continued resisting His reign by threatening His apostles
Peter and John after being freed from prison were commanded to stop speaking in Jesus’ name
When they returned to the church the believers did not interpret that opposition as evidence that Christ had lost control
They opened Psalm 2 and prayed
When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,
“ ‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers were gathered together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed’—
for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.
The church says Psalm 2 was fulfilled at the cross
Herod, Pilate, the Gentiles, and even the people of Israel gathered against God’s Anointed
They rejected Him
mocked Him
condemned Him
and crucified Him
Yet verse 28 says that even in their wicked rebellion, they accomplished what God’s hand and plan had determined beforehand
They were guilty, but God was sovereign
Their rebellion did not overthrow His plan; it accomplished His Plan
What looked like the defeat of the King became the victory of the King
And what does that victory mean for the king?
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
The same nations that rage against Him belong to Him
Every nation
Every ruler
Every person
Every inch of creation belongs to Jesus
And His kingdom is advancing even now
Through the preaching of the gospel, rebels are being brought into His kingdom
People who once resisted His rule are being forgiven, changed, and made His people.
But verse 9 also reminds us that rebellion will not continue forever:
You shall break them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
Jesus is patient, but He is not powerless
He is gracious, but He will also judge
The King who was rejected will one day return
The King who was struck with a reed will rule with a rod of iron.
And every rebellion against Him will come to an end
So Psalm 2 gives us a second reality:
Our rebellion cannot overthrow God’s King
We may resist Him
But God has already established His King
And if rebellion cannot remove Him, then the question becomes:
What should rebels like us do?
Look at verse 10
Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Notice the grace in those words
These kings have rejected God’s authority and plotted against His Anointed
God has every right to judge them
But before judgment comes, He warns them
The King they have resisted calls them to stop resisting
but to do what instead?
Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Instead of resisting the King we are called to serve the Lord with fear means recognizing who He is
He is not one option among many
He is not simply someone we invite into our plans when we need help
He is the King
He is holy
He is righteous
And He has every right to rule us
So we serve Him with fear
But notice that the verse does not stop there
It says:
“Rejoice with trembling.”
How does this work?
We tremble because He is the holy King
We rejoice because this holy King receives sinners
We tremble because He has authority to judge
We rejoice because He offers mercy to the guilty.
True worship is neither casual familiarity without reverence nor fearful distance without joy
We bow before Him with reverence because of who He is and yet we approach Him with joy because of what He has done
Then verse 12 says: “Kiss the Son.”
A kiss was a sign of honor, allegiance, and submission to a king
To kiss the Son is to lay down rebellion, stop fighting His rule, and confess:
“You are King, and I am not.”
And the warning is serious:
“Lest he be angry, and you perish in the way.”
Psalm 2 does not allow us to imagine that rebellion against Jesus is harmless
The same King who offers salvation will also bring judgment
But the final line of the psalm gives us good news:
“Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”
The refuge is not found away from the King
The refuge is found in the King
And this final line doesn’t just bring good news brings Psalm 1 and Psalm 2 together.
Psalm 1 begins: “Blessed is the man.”
Psalm 2 ends: “Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”
Psalm 1 showed us the blessed man
Psalm 2 shows us how sinners become blessed people
Who is the blessed man?
Jesus
Who are the blessed people?
Those who take refuge in Jesus
Last time, we saw that Jesus lived the Psalm 1 life we have failed to live
He never walked in the counsel of the wicked
He never stood in the way of sinners
He never sat in the seat of scoffers
He delighted perfectly in the Word of God
Jesus is the blessed man.
But at the cross, the blessed man stood in the place of Psalm 2’s rebels
The King of the universe wore a crown of thorns
The Eternal Son was mocked
The only righteous One was condemned as a sinner
Jesus suffered the judgment rebels deserve
but also rose from the grave and now reigns as King
So when Psalm 2 calls us to kiss the Son and take refuge in Him it is not calling us to earn mercy by submitting well enough
It is calling us to stop fighting the King who has made peace through the blood of His cross.
And that gives us the third and final reality of Psalm 2:
God’s King offers refuge to rebels
The King does not merely command rebels to bow
He invites them to come near
The King we resisted has become the refuge we need
He receives rebels
He forgives traitors
He welcomes sinners
And all who take refuge in Him are blessed
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
So having seen our rebellion, God’s unshakable King, and the refuge offered to rebels, how should we respond?
Psalm 2 calls us to do three things:
1. Realize the vanity of self-rule
1. Realize the vanity of self-rule
Sin tells us:
“You will be freer if you rule yourself.”
The world tells us that freedom means
following our own desires
defining our own truth
and refusing to let anyone tell us how to live
But self-rule does not produce freedom
It produces slavery
When I become the highest authority in my life then I become enslaved to
my desires
my emotions
my fears
my pride
and my need for control
We were not created to rule ourselves
We were created to live under the good rule of God
So ask yourself
Where am I currently fighting for control?
Where has Jesus spoken clearly, but I continue insisting on my own way?
Maybe it is your money
Your relationships
Your sexuality
Your anger
Your schedule
Your comfort
Your bitterness
Maybe there is an area of your life where you are saying:
“Jesus can rule everything else, but this belongs to me.”
But partial submission is still resistance
and it’s still in vain
So first, we must realize the vanity of self-rule
2. Repent of resisting Christ’s rule
2. Repent of resisting Christ’s rule
Verse 12 says: “Kiss the Son.”
That is a call to lay down your rebellion
To stop fighting
To stop defending your throne
To stop treating the commands of Jesus like chains that need to be broken
Repentance is not merely feeling bad about something you have done
It is turning from your rebellion and bowing before the rightful King
Some of us have been fighting Him openly
We know what He says and we have simply decided not to obey
Others of us have found more respectable ways to resist
We delay obedience
We make excuses
We rename our sin
We call bitterness discernment
We call greed wisdom
We call pride confidence
We call control responsibility
We call disobedience a struggle yet have no intention of turning from it
But the call of Psalm 2 is not to explain your weapon.
It is to lay it down
And for the Christian this is not a call to rededicate yourself or begin your relationship with Jesus again
Jesus has not stopped being your King
You have not fallen out of His kingdom every time you sin
Repentance is returning to the King who has already made you His own.
It is confessing:
“Lord, I have resisted Your good rule.
I have trusted my wisdom over Yours.
I have wanted Your throne.
Forgive me, and bring this part of my life back beneath Your rule.”
And for the person who has never trusted Christ, this is a call to surrender for the first time
Stop resisting Him
You cannot defeat Him
You cannot avoid Him
You cannot save yourself from His judgment
But the King you have resisted is offering you mercy
Lay down your rebellion and come to Him
After, realizing and repenting we now…
3. Rest in Christ’s saving rule
3. Rest in Christ’s saving rule
This matters because when we hear a sermon about submitting to Jesus, we can easily leave thinking:
“I need to do a better job making Jesus King.”
But Jesus is already King
And your hope is not that you will now submit perfectly enough to earn His favor.
The good news of Psalm 2 is: “Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”
The Christian life is not merely bowing before the authority of Christ
It is resting beneath the protection of Christ
It is remembering that the hands that hold the rod of iron are the same hands that were pierced for sinners
So when you see the ways you have resisted Him, do not hide from the King
Take refuge in the King
Do not minimize your sin or defend your rebellion
But do not believe that your failure has made Christ an unsafe place for the repentant
Christian, you are not saved because you have submitted to Christ perfectly
You are saved because
Christ submitted perfectly to the Father
bore the wrath your rebellion deserved
and rose again as your victorious King.
And because you belong to Him, His rule is not against you
His rule is for your good
He rules to protect you
He rules to correct you
He rules to lead you in the way of life.
You do not have to control every outcome
You do not have to sit on the throne
The throne is occupied
And the One sitting upon it is
wise
good
righteous
and gracious
Because of that… you can rest
CLOSING
CLOSING
We began this morning by imagining what we would do if we were king
But Psalm 2 leaves us with a far more important question: What will you do since Jesus is King?
His throne is not vacant
His kingdom is not threatened
His plans are not failing
And His reign is not waiting for our approval
The only question is whether we will continue clutching a crown that never belonged to us or come empty-handed to the King who gave Himself for rebels.
One day, every person will bow before Jesus
But today, He invites us to bow and be welcomed
To surrender and be forgiven
To kiss the Son
To discover that the King before whom we tremble before is also where refuge is found
So church may God give us the wisdom to stop fighting the King and have faith to take refuge in Him
