We Believe in Jesus Christ: King

We looked at Jesus as the Great High Priest who makes atonement for our sins being by the priest who intercedes with the sacrifice but also as the perfect sacrifice as our substitute.

Today we will look at how Jesus is the True King.

Kings and kingdoms are sometimes weird for us as Americans because we don’t have them. We are a democratic republic, and even though we acknowledge a President, it is us the people, or rather everyone 18 or over, who have the authority of who governs over us.

But its interesting that in nearly every history or legend there is this idea of a perfect coming King who will bring peace and justice to the land.

King Arthur legend for Great Britain - that when King Arthur pulled the sword from the stone and became king he ushered in a perfect Kingdom and Great Britain has a story that he will come back.

Even in today’s stories you will find a savior figure who will defeat evil, think of

Harry Potter defeating Lord Voldemort

Neo in the Matrix

Or one of my favorite movies as a kid, The Lion King. Simba will rise as king, defeating his uncle Scare and bring peace back to Pride Land.

I think these stories appeal to us, because there is an inner sense that we are waiting for a True and Perfect King who will bring peace and justice.

Transition

Jesus came preaching the coming Kingdom of God, but he was an unexpected King for the Jews.

Jesus the Unexpected King

Mark 1:15 ESV

and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

When Jesus began his ministry proclaiming this Kingdom. He was not speaking of something new.

All of the Jews were hoping and waiting for God’s Kingdom to arrive because all throughout the Old Testament we see the promises of a coming King and Kingdom.

In the Old Testament we see the promises of a coming King.

it is the promise of one who will crush the serpent, defeating the great enemy of mankind the devil.

Abraham is given the promise of a land and a people who would be God’s chosen people.

Moses is given the promise of a nation that would be governed by God’s perfect word.

Israel is then given a king in Saul followed by one anointed by God, King David

Even though David appeared to be the fulfillment of these promises. David received the promise that one of his children would be the eternal King who David himself would bow down to.

But after David’s death and the death of his son Solomon Israel fell into sin and brokenness eventually being taken over by other nations.

Eventually to be taken over by Rome which is where Jesus finds Israel

But, the people longed for this promise King and His Kingdom, because as they looked around they knew this was not the home God designed for them to have. God would send them a King who bring peace to the people of God and bring justice against the nations.

QUESTION

Have you ever felt that way?

Have you ever felt that you were missing something, that you were meant for something more, and nothing seems to satisfy that longing.

“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy the most logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” - CS Lewis, Mere Christianity

God has a home for his people. A Kingdom of righteousness and justice. A Kingdom where we are completely satisfied and cared for. And that Kingdom is ruled by a perfect King who fights for his people and cares for them.

However, for the people of Jesus’s day, they did not expect Jesus, this son of a carpenter, someone preaching a message of repentance, to be that King.

They wanted a king like David, who killed giants and defeated their enemies. They wanted a political and military leader to overthrow Rome.

TRANSITION

So, Instead of acknowledging Jesus as King they despised and hated him.

And the Jews were currently bein

Jesus the Despised King

The priests and pharisees, the religious and political leaders, actively plotted Jesus’s death until one of his own disciples betrayed him and handed him over to the High Priest.

The priests and pharisees actively plotted his death until one of his own disciples betrays him and hands him over to the High Priest.

Mark 14:60–65 ESV

60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” 61 But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? 64 You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. 65 And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows.

They questioned Jesus, brought false accusations against him, and beat him. You can hear their mocking.

They covered his face and hit him repeatedly saying prophesy, meaning if you are the Christ, the chosen King of God, then prophesy where this next punch is coming from.

They mocked him more by actually declaring him King of the Jews before they handed him over to the Roman officials. Ands once they did that hey demanded that he be crucified. Treat him like a criminal and nail him to a cross.

They then hand Jesus over to the Roman officials and say crucify him. Treat him like a criminal and nail him to a cross.

Mk 14:

Amazingly, Pilate, the Roman governor doesn’t believe that Jesus should die, because Jesus was innocent of any crime and so he tries to release Jesus.

Mark 15:9–15 ESV

9 And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

They said they would rather Barabbas, a murder released then Jesus. And they cry out louder, Crucify, Crucify him!

And so Pilate had Jesus scourged, meaning whipped, before nailing his hands and feet into a wood cross and hanging him up for all to see his broken body.

Mk 15:

And the people continued to despise him

Mark 15:29–32 ESV

29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.

Mk 15:29-

They hated Jesus.

But if this were a movie this would be where the hero would be throw off his chains and defeat the enemy.

And everyone is waiting and saying If Jesus truly is king he wont die. Listen to what they say

Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.

If he would just save himself then we would believe.

QUESTION

How often do we say things like that to God. God if would just help me out with this test then I will believe in you. If you would just let me go on this trip or not be in trouble with my parents then I will know you are truly God.

If you will just do want I want then I will believe

We are telling God, the Ruler of the Universe what he must do for us to believe in him.

Do you understand how ridiculous that is?

Why do we do this?

Because we don’t want him to be King of kings and Lord of lords, at least not over our lives.

It is easier if Jesus just dies, because then he is just another guy. There is nothing special about him. Nothing divine. No truth to his words.

He would have no authority over my life.

And he does die. He breathes his last breath, is stabbed in the side just to make sure he’s dead, and buried in a tomb

TRANSTION

But, Jesus doesn’t prove that He is King by escaping death, no. He proves that He is King by defeating death.

Jesus the True King

But, Jesus doesn’t prove that He is King by escaping the death, no. He proves that He is King by defeating death.

Mark 16:4–7 ESV

And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”

Mk 16:4-

The resurrection of Jesus proves that Jesus is the True King. He is the one ushering in God’s Kingdom, fulfilling every promise.

Jesus is the True King, not over a wordly kingdom, but over God’s Kingdom.

And this Kingdom is not a wordly kingdom but an eternal kingdom

This means our hope is not in finding supreme joy and fulfillment in this present world. We aren’t seeking a present kingdom that promises wealth, luxury and ease.

No, we are seeking a Kingdom, a home where our fears, temptations, and enemies are no more.

And Jesus has brought this Kingdom by defeating every power, every authority and every enemy.

That is why we can declare

1 Cor 15:54

1 Corinthians 15:54–57 ESV

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

“O Death where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin…

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”

No one else can give us that. It is only through the Lord Jesus, through King Jesus!

APPLICATION:

Now you have heard me say before, “Jesus is either LORD of All or is not lord at all”

This does not mean you have a choice of if Jesus is truly King or not. clearly states that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord

Philippians 2:9–11 ESV

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.

What it does mean is that you have a choice, a responsibility to either acknowledge him as king over every aspect of your life or you can reject him as King

He is either King over all of your life or none of it.

WARNING:

Psalm 2:10–12 ESV

10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 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.

If you choose that He isn’t King over you, you will either do it through out right hostility or by ignoring him. Most people make the choice by ignoring him. You will perish. You will receive the just wrath of God for your sins and your rejection of Jesus.

Don’t be like the religious people of Jesus’s day, don’t be like the people in the video. Acknowledge Jesus as Lord, remember what he says Repent and Believe the gospel. The Good News that I am your True King, I am what you have been longing for.

What does it practically look like:

Obey

Jesus says to forgive always, so forgive always

Jesus says to be pure, so be pure; guard your eyes, hold your tongue

We obey because we are being commanded by our King

If we take these as merely suggestions then we are not acknowledging Jesus as our King

Submit/Accept

We trust God in all situation, because we know that he is King over all situations.

This does not mean throw up your hands and say Jesus take the wheel. It means that when hard times come, when things happen that we don’t want we stay faithful! Because we know Jesus is Victorious!

Rely

We rely solely on Jesus. If we add anything to Jesus we are saying that that is truly our king. If we say all I need is Jesus plus .... this girlfriend or this boyfriend, college admission, or whatever. Then we are saying we truly don’t rely solely on Jesus. If Jesus is our King then he is our only need for purpose, satisfaction and fulfillment.

Jesus says “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.”

Expect

We excitedly, joyfully expect the coming blessings of Jesus. The forever Kingdom, the perfect fellowship with God, the glorious reality of life without suffering or disappointment. We will finally be home, where we were made to be. All because of our King.

PRAY

Psalm 2:10–12 ESV

Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 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.