The Most Political Statement Ever Made

Jesus is King (Scripture)

Revelation 19:13, 16

“He [Jesus] is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. . . . On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

Isaiah 9:6–7

“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.”

Ephesians 1:20–21

“[God the Father] worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.”

Daniel 7:13–14

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

Revelation 17:14

“They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

Hebrews 1:3–4

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Revelation 1:5–6

“…from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Philippians 2:8-11

“And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 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.”

Revelation 15:3

“And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations!”

Matthew 28:18

“Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

1 Timothy 6:13–15

“I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.”

Jesus is Lord (Explanation)

One of the clearest and most fundamental statements that Scripture makes is the declaration that Jesus is king.

It is also the most political statement in all of Scripture.

The most political statement you could make right now is not “Make America Great Again,” “Biden/Harris 2020” or anything like that. No the most political statement you could possibly make is “Jesus is King”

But do we really understand the implications of the reality that Jesus is king? If you grew up in church you may have vague platitudes in mind, but you may not understand the full breadth of meaning to the phrase “Jesus is king.”

Part of our issue is that especially as Americans, we don’t have much of a conception of kings.

What comes to your mind when you think of a king?

Do you picture a man with a beard and a crown on a throne? Do you picture royalty like the queen of England? Do you think of the musical Hamilton and King George of England? Do you picture a tyrant?

We have so many different conceptions of what a king is, but are any of these reflective of what the bible means when it says, “Jesus is King”? Simply put, No. When the Bible says “Jesus is King,” it means something far more expansive.

This king, this Jesus, is different from any other king that has ever existed. Listen to how Colossians 1:15-20 speaks of King Jesus:

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

There is no king like Jesus.

This king created the world

This king commands the winds and the seas.

This king defeated sin, Satan, and all of the powers of Hell at the cross.

This king defeated death by stepping out of the tomb on the third day.

This king will bring perfect and utter justice in the end.

This king defeats all of his enemies

This king has no rival or equal.

This king commands your allegiance and mine.

The Gospel is the announcement of His coming Kingdom.

Every action you make, every breath you take, every atom in existence, and every second of time relates to the kingship of Jesus.

The fact that Jesus is king informs everything about our lives, including our our politics.

In light of that, now that we’ve set up the broader framework of “Jesus is King”, let me tell you where we’re going for the rest of our time together. We are going to look at how the fact that “Jesus is King” informs two things: first, we’ll see how Jesus is king informs our understanding of the government. Second, we’ll close by seeing how “Jesus is King” informs our response to the election and everything happening in our country right now.

Explain outline

Hang with me, I will address concerns about using Jesus is King later in the sermon

How Jesus as King Informs Our Understanding of Government

So, let’s begin by looking at how Jesus’s kingship informs our understanding of government.

Obviously, this is a massive topic. We can’t possibly say everything in our time together. Literally millions and millions of pages have been written on this, so we won’t even begin to scratch the surface on what the Bible has to say about government.

In light of that, my goal is to give you, not a 30,000 foot view, but something like 100,000 foot view of how Jesus as king informs our understanding of the government. I’m just trying to give you a few handles to grasp a hold of in our discussion. So with that note in mind, let’s dive in.

Before we can talk much about government, we need to define our terms. Here is my ultra-basic definition for how the Bible defines government:

Government is a temporary, provisional organization set up by God through humanity in order to bring justice and promote human flourishing.

Let me read that one more time.

If we had more time, I could give you dozens and dozens of verses that I believe support that definition, but for the sake of time tonight, let me give you just one passage to support this definition; maybe the most famous passage in all of Scripture about government. Look with me at Romans 13:1-7.

(Romans 13:1-7) “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.”

We could spend weeks breaking down this passage, but for our purposes tonight, I just want you to notice a few things and how they relate to our definition of government.

First, notice that all governmental authority comes from God. Verse 1 tells us that “there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” God is the one who gives authority to the government. Without Him they have no authority.

Daniel 2:21 confirms this when Daniel says that God “removes kings and sets up kings”

We even get a glimpse of this in Jesus words in the Great Commission. In Matthew 28:18 Jesus says, “All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to me.”

All authority has been given to king Jesus and all authority comes from king Jesus.

Second, notice that God has set up governments to bring about justice and promote human flourishing. Verses 3-5 of Romans 13 say:

“For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.” (Romans 13:3-5)

Governments are intended to bring justice, punish evil, and promote good.

Now, you might say, “But wait, there are many evil governments and rulers in the world who don’t pursue justice or promote good. What about them?”

When governments do that, they are straying from their created purpose. And when governments are run by fallen human beings then they will surely stray from their original intended purpose. And we can see examples in Scripture of God using those corrupt governments for good (for example, think of the book of Habakkuk where God says he will use the Chaldeans who bring justice to Judah). Obviously that’s a huge topic that we don’t have time to cover, but for our purposes I just want you to see that God sets up governments to bring justice, punish evil, and promote human flourishing.

Now, here’s an important implication for the things we just said about God giving authority to governments and putting them in place to promote justice and human flourishing and it’s this: we are called to submit to the government.

Romans 13:1-2 shows us this when Paul says, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.”

So if we fail to obey the government, we are failing to obey Jesus because King Jesus has commanded us to obey the government. Rejecting the authority of the government means we reject the authority of Jesus.

Now, to be clear, there is certainly a category for civil disobedience. All you have to do is look at Acts 5 to see that. But the times for civil disobedience are probably fewer and further between than we might think. Usually, civil disobedience is only called for when governments are directly and continually attempting to keep Christians from worshipping God, usually by means of extreme violence, like in North Korea where Christians are killed for worshipping God. Or civil disobedience might be called for when we are called to directly carry out clear and uncontested forms of immorality, like when Nazi soldiers were called to execute Jews.

So there are times for civil disobedience where, as Christians said in Acts 5, that we must follow God and not man,” but those occasions are probably less frequent than we might expect. We have to remember that when Paul was writing Romans 13, Nero was the emperor. I don’t know what you think of our president or any of the presidents who have ever sat in the White House, but none of them compare to the evil of Nero. Not even close. So we need to see that submission to the authorities should be our gut instinct as it was for the Apostle Paul.

So if avoid doing your taxes, you’re not being bold or brave. You’re just breaking the law and therefore resisting the government’s authority which means resisting God’s authority since He gave the government their authority. That’s why Paul specifically points out the practical example of paying taxes in Romans 13. As much as you and I might not feel this way on April 15th, praying taxes is an act of worship to God because you are obeying His commands and authority.

Finally, when I gave my definition of government at the beginning of this section, I said that government is temporary and provisional.

Again, if we had more time, I would flesh that out in detail, but for the sake of time, let me just highlight one set of passages that make sense of this.

When the Bible says in the Gospels and the book of Isaiah that Heaven and earth will pass away but God’s word will never fade, I think one of the implications of that glorious truth is that when Jesus comes again and ushers in the New Heavens and New Earth, there will be no more man-made governments. There will be no American President in Heaven. We won’t have a need for them! In a redeemed world with redeemed men and women, there won’t be a need for the government to promote justice or human flourishing because there will be no sin to punish and we will experience the maximal amount of human flourishing as we have unhindered communion with God. We will all joyfully and worshipfully be under the eternal monarchy of King Jesus.

So government is just a temporary and provisional institution set up by God through humanity to promote justice and human flourishing until Jesus’s return.

To be clear, none of what I’ve said about government is meant to promote passivity towards the government.

Men like Joseph and Daniel set powerful examples for us as men who served in prominent roles in secular governments who used their roles to promote justice and human flourishing, influence the government for good, and honor God. We can do the same today.

Even voting is a great way to promote justice and human flourishing as we seek to influence the government.

Plus, as the church, we can have a prophetic voice to call governments to rule with honor and integrity like the very God who gave them authority.

Everything I’ve said is just meant to give us a basic framework of the Bible’s view of government. And I know that was a lot and it was dense, but I think it’s important to talk about because 1.) I think it will aid our discussion of Jesus is king and 2.) I think Cable news and social media inform our political theology more than the Bible. I want to change that.

Jesus’s kingship impacts all of this understanding of government. King Jesus has all authority in Heaven and on Earth. The rulers and governments of the world only have authority because God has given it to them. All rulers and governments are meant to submit to God and honor Him. King Jesus shows us what true, godly authority looks like, by caring for the least of these, protecting the image of God in humanity, not abusing authority, living sacrificially, and pursuing justice. Jesus reigning as king means that we are freed up to pursue justice and goodness in our lives and through the government now. And Jesus reigning as king means that we have hope when the government fails to live up to its calling. One day the governments will all pass away and Jesus Himself will bring perfect justice to the world, even to the ungodly and unjust governments of world history. Jesus as king informs everything about our understanding of government.

So, let’s move to our final section together. How does Jesus reigning as King inform our response to everything going in our nation right now?

How Jesus is King Informs Our Response Right Now

The first way Jesus as king informs our response to everything going on right now is that we should have infinite hope because Jesus sits on the throne above all powers and principalities. Because Jesus is King, our ultimate hope in laws, judges, parties, or presidents. Jesus is the sacrificial king who did not abuse His authority but stepped down from heaven, took on flesh, lived a perfect life, died the death we deserved to die, paid the price for our sin, freed us from the oppressive principalities of darkness and Hell, and rose victoriously from the dead giving us the hope of eternal life. We have infinite hope with Jesus no matter what happens around us.

We need to tell the whole world about our King Jesus. They need to hear about Him so they can have hope and give Him their allegiance. We must declare to the world that Jesus is king.

Declaring Jesus is king is not passive. It’s not meant to be fatalistic or dismissive. It’s incredibly active. As subjects of King Jesus, we are given commands to carry out.

The first command is to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, strength, and mind.

I think this is where we can begin to answer the objections people have on social media about saying Jesus is King right now. Part of the way we declare that Jesus is king is by living as Jesus lived. Jesus lived sacrificially. He did not abuse authority. He care for the widow, the orphan, and the poor. He understands our plights and had the utmost compassion and love for those around him. He was not dismissive of the concerns of those around him but took those concerns seriously, even weeping with those who wept while fighting for justice on their behalf. We should do the same. Don’t dismiss the distress those around you might be feeling. Seek truth, but be there to walk alongside them. Care for them. Show compassion to them. Love them well. Pursue justice for them. That’s what we must do to care for our neighbors. That’s a major way we can declare that Jesus is king because Jesus did all of those things for us.

As I’ve prepared to preach this sermon, I spent a lot of time studying two of the most significant passages on the Bible’s view of government: Romans 13:1-7, which we looked at earlier, and 1 Peter 2:13-17. One of the most striking things I’ve noticed is that directly preceding both of those passages are verses that exhort Christians to live with kindness, love, and respect (even to those who persecute them!).No matter the results of the election, we are called to live with the utmost dignity and respect to everyone around us. Potshots on social media, unfriending people left and right, fear mongering, gossip, and harboring hatred for political “opponents” do not meet the biblical standard at all. We shouldn’t descend to the rhetoric around us. In the words of Peter: “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor” (1 Peter 3:17). Imagine how different (and more Christlike) the world might look if we did that!

The second command for us as subjects of King Jesus is the great commandment given by Jesus after His resurrection in Matthew 28:18-20.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me….(Now, notice the very first thing Jesus declares after proclaiming that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him)

He says, “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.”

The King of the universe has commanded us to declare the Gospel and make disciples. In this moment, this tense moment, we need to declare the hope of the Gospel to those around us.

Declaring the Gospel means heralding the good news about a coming king. So declaring the Gospel is proclaiming that Jesus is King and His kingdom is coming.

Are you proclaiming the Gospel? Or maybe the better question is this: What Gospel are you proclaiming? In your conversations and social media posts are you primarily declaring the advent and Kingship of Jesus or a political party or leader?

I think one way many Christians have failed in this political season is that we have made it seem like our hope rests in a political party or candidate. The way we post and talk, the things we get most animated and urgent about are not Jesus as King, but our political party of choice or our hatred for a political candidate. I’m not saying we can’t talk or post about those things, but if we were to poll the non-Christians in our lives and ask them the first 2-3 things the think of when they’ve thought of us in the last 6 months, what would they say? Would they first think of our political party of choice or the candidate we hate, or would they think of Jesus? I think many of us would be dismayed to hear the answer to that question. Many of us have made the world believe that our ultimate hope is in a politician rather than Jesus. Shame on us. May we commit tonight to declare the glory and kingship of Jesus.

Another way Jesus kingship informs our response is that no matter who sits in the White House, we as the church should have a prophetic voice to call the government to honor God in the way she rules and pursues justice and seeks to promote human flourishing. We should call for leaders to lead with integrity and compassion.

Because Jesus is king, we can take hope in knowing that this world isn’t ultimately our home. American is not ultimately our home. America and all of the nations of the world will one day pass away. As John Piper has said, they will one day be a “footnote in history,” but the kingdom of Jesus will endure forever. Our citizenship is ultimately in Heaven, not here. Philippians 3:20-21 reminds us this when it says "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself." We are sojourners and strangers to this world on a pilgrimage to a Heavenly Kingdom. Have you ever considered that when you pray the Lord’s Prayer that “God’s will be done on earth and it is in Heaven,” we are calling for the nations of the world, including our nation, to pass away and give way to Jesus Heavenly Kingdom which He will bring when He redeems this earth and our bodies one day. We should strive to bring justice and goodness to our country and the world right now, but ultimately our hope, allegiance, and home is founded by another king; King Jesus.

Lastly, Jesus kingship informs our response because it informs our prayer life. Our King Jesus prayed, and if the king of the universe prayed when he was on earth, then we should pray too. Paul gives us some helpful things to pray for in this season of political turmoil in 1 Timothy 2:1-2.

He says: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is pleasing in the sight of God…”

This is how we’re going to close our time together. In just a moment, we’re going to take some extended time to pray together for our nation, her leaders, her peace, her citizens, and the coming Kingdom of King Jesus. This is the most political and active thing we can do in this moment and I want to give us space to do that.

Let me pray for us and then we’ll pray in groups, and then the band will come back up to close us out with a song and our benediction.

Pray

Close with Group Prayer

Worship