Christ The King Series

Pilate’s announcement of Jesus as the King of the Jews was not novel or sincere. Jesus was not king because Pilate or the crowd declared him so or because the disciples acknowledged him so. The wise men that sought the King of the Jews at his birth had already proclaimed baby Jesus the King of the Jews (Matt 2:2) and had beaten Pilate to the punch thirty three years ago. Unlike popular kings such as King Saul and King David, Jesus was born king of the Jews, not anointed by a prophet (1 Sam 10:1, 15:1, 15:17, 16:12), by the people (2 Sam 2:4, 2:7) or the elders (2 Sam 5:3). He was king of the Jews, but he was not slavish to Jewish or Gentile political views or personal interest. Unlike earthly kings that could collapse or end, Jesus was born of royalty and for royalty, and not born into royalty.

Jesus was a king of his own choosing and making. He was the king of the people, but he refused to be made king by the people. His sovereign empire extends to all the peoples of the earth, not just his own people or race. While He is the King of the Jews, His kingship is over all land, realm, people and countries. He is not merely King of the Jews; He is the King of the earth (Ps 47:7, Ps 47:2-3, Zech 14:9) and King of the nations (Jer. 10:7).

To the end, Jesus’ kingship was unique. The Sovereign King chose to ride in a donkey, and not in a chariot (Matt 21:5). He was the Chosen King, but not the people’s choice. He chose the unattractive duties of healing the sick, defending the helpless, ministering to people and mending broken lives, not dining with dignitaries, drinking fine wine or dressing like royalty. After feeding five thousand people, Jesus withdrew again to a mountain by himself when he knew that the people intended to come and make him king by force (John 6:15). Kingship was in his blood, but not in his ambition.

Jesus Christ is the Shepherd King

King Solomon once told a skillful craftsman: “I desire a ring with an inscription on the inside to be made for me.” The craftsman replied, “Of course, it shall be done. But tell me, what is the inscription you desire?” The wise king said, “Ah, that is for you to decide. I want you to inscribe words that will make me happy when I am sad, and the same words should also make me sad when I am happy.”

The king turned and walked away, leaving the perplexed craftsman to ponder over the strange assignment. Three days later, the craftsman appeared before the king and handed him a simple, silver band. “This is the ring you ordered,” he said. The king asked the craftsman, “Does it have the words that will make me happy when I am sad? And will those same words make me sad when I am happy?”

The craftsman handed the king his ring and said, “See for yourself.” King Solomon inspected the ring, nodded approvingly at the four words inscribed on it that say “THIS TOO SHALL PASS.” (Stella Wolf, SENIOR LIFE).

Jesus the king gave His people the greatest gift a king can give: his majestic life for their mortal lives. To that end, he was stricken, scorned and slain - the king dying for his subjects, the monarch for the masses, royalty for commoner and divinity for humanity. While some kings would volunteer to die for their subjects, none would premeditate or design that kind of kingship. He is the great Shepherd of the sheep (Heb 13:20), the Shepherd and Overseer of souls (1 Peter 2:25), the good shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep (John 10:11). The Good Shepherd reigned over the hearts and minds, not the flesh and blood, of His people.