His Majesty!

I have never met a king, or a prince, to my knowledge. With my American background that resists respecting one person over another simply because of his bloodlines, I'm not sure it would matter much to me anyway. I believe that it is the way a person lives that earns honor, not who his father is. Why should someone be given authority because of his DNA? When I see the mess of the House of Windsor (England's royal family) I am quite thankful that I live in a republic where the citizens choose a leader, handing him authority to 'rule' on a temporary basis! If we elect a man to our Presidency who turns out to be a fool, we can turn him out of office in a few years. But, if a monarch sires a fool, he rules anyway- for life! OK, so I'm not much on royalty. But I serve a King! His name? Jesus Christ.

Much is made of His royalty in Mark's Gospel, chapter 15, but not in a good way. We learn that those who dragged Jesus before Pilate, the Roman governor, accused him of rebellion, of claiming authority as the "King of the Jews" that was not truly his in their opinion. Pilate asks Jesus point-blank - "are you the King?" Jesus acknowledged that he was, but not as a rival for Rome's political authority. He said, “I am not an earthly king. If I were, my followers would have fought when I was arrested by the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36, NLT) Later the governor takes Jesus before the mob and asks, "What shall I do with this king?" The tone is obviously one of mockery. The soldiers who took him from Pilate turned sadistic and beat him. Mark says, "They dressed him up in purple and put a crown plaited from a thorn bush on his head. Then they began their mockery: “Bravo, King of the Jews!” (Mark 15:17-18, The Message) The final indignity was the sign that hung above his head on the cross - "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."

Is He your King - in truth, in honor, and with full authority?
Is He Lord of life, or simply "Lord" of convenience?

The Kingdom of Christ for many is just a matter of talk. They may sing of His reign, say the creed that acknowledges His Kingly authority, but their life shows that they are in contempt of His authority, much in the way that I have little regard for the royals of England. While they are not spitting on Him, nor physically mistreating Him, those who profess to serve Him, but show no submission to Him, are abusing the King much the same as Pilate and his soldiers did. Their lack of submission mocks Him before the world.

He is my King of life! He has complete authority to send me where He will, to use me as He wishes, to make any and all demands of me as His loyal subject. I bow my head, bend my knee, and confess that He is Lord. And He welcomes me into His Kingdom. The crowning moment of my existence will be when I kneel before Him in Heaven.

We are much drawn to the humble Savior whose portrait is painted for us by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John! We love the stories of the Man who was born in a Manger, the Carpenter, the One who took children in His arms, the bleeding Savior of the Cross - and rightfully so. But let us not forget that He is crowned the King and as such, stands to judge the earth! Let us take up His name, serve Him, and make a Kingdom difference in this world - for His honor and glory.Here's the portrait of the King that John paints in the book of the Revelation.

Meditate on the majesty of Jesus as you read his description.

"He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest.
His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow.
And his eyes were bright like flames of fire.
His feet were as bright as bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves.
He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was as bright as the sun in all its brilliance.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead.
But he laid his right hand on me and said,
“Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one who died. Look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave." (Revelation 1:12-18, NLT)

Hallelujah, Thine the glory! Hallelujah, Amen!