Our Ultimate Ruler

OUR ULTIMATE RULER

JOHN 18:28-38

THE BIRTH OF A ROYAL BABY IS ALWAYS AN EXCITING EVENT FOR THE NATION, AND FOR THE WORLD. I REMEMBER THE HAPPINESS THAT SURROUNDED THE BIRTH OF WILLIAM AND HARRY FOR PRINCESS DIANA AND CHARLES. A TOWN CRYER STOOD OUTSIDE BUCKINGHAM PALACE AND ANNOUNCED WILLIAM’S SAFE ARRIVAL. AT THE HOSPITAL GREAT CROWDS CHEERED AS CHARLES AND DIANA BROUGHT HIM HOME. PEOPLE DANCED IN THE STREETS AND THERE WAS MERRIMENT AND SINGING IN THE PUBS ACROSS THE LAND. IT WAS JUST LIKE A SCENE FROM CORONATION STREET.

THE SCENE WOULD BE LATER REPEATED AS KATE AND WILLIAM ANNOUNCE THE BIRTH OF THEIR FIRSTBORN, ANOTHER CROWN PRINCE, AND THE CARES OF THE WORLD SEEMED TO VANISH IF ONLY FOR A MOMENT.

THE ARRIVAL OF BABIES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A BIG THING IN MY FAMILY. MY DAD TAUGHT US HOW TO HOLD A CHILD PROPERLY. YOU HAD TO SUPPORT THEIR NECK, BUT LIFT THEM SUFFICIENTLY UP ON YOUR SHOULDER SO THAT THEY COULD LOOK AROUND. A CRYING BABY, ANY CRYING BABY, WAS CONSIDERED A CHALLENGE TO HIS BABY HOLDING SKILLS, AND IN MOST CASES HE COULD CALM THE INFANT DOWN. IN FACT IT WOULD WORK SO WELL THAT THE BABY WOULD WANT THAT FROM EVERYONE.

TO PUT A BABY TO SLEEP YOU HAD TO LAY IT ON IT’S STOMACH ON YOUR ARM. YOU COULD STILL SUPPORT THE NECK BUT IT LEFT YOUR OTHER ARM FREE TO RUB THE BABY’S BACK OR TO USE YOUR INDEX FINGER AS A SOOTHER IF THE BABY WAS TEETHING. FEW BABIES COULD RESIST WHAT WE CALLED THE ROCK AND WALK. THEY ALSO SOON COME TO EXPECT THIS FROM EVERYONE.

WE USED TO CALL IT “GRANDPA SPOILED.” DAD WOULD SIMPLY SAY “IT MUST BE HARD FOR A BABY TO TRAIN AN ADULT IN THE PROPER WAY TO HOLD THEM.”

A BAY’S ARRIVAL IS EXCITING, BUT THERE WAS NO EXCITEMENT IN BETHLEHEM ON THE NIGHT THAT JESUS WAS BORN, AT LEAST NOT FOR THAT ROYAL CHILD. THE ROMANS CREATED KAOS AS A RESULT OF THE CENSUS, AND WHETHER IT WAS EXCITEMENT OR BEWILDERMENT ON THE PART OF THE SHEPHERDS WE DON’T KNOW.

WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT A KING, THE KING WAS BORN IN BETHLEHEM. HIS PALACE WAS A BARN AND HIS ROYAL DRESS WAS SWADDLING CLOTH. THERE WAS HEAVENLY FANFARE AS THE ANGELS PROCLAIMED HIS ARRIVAL TO THE SHEPHERDS, BUT IN THE TOWN, NO ONE PAID MUCH ATTENTION TO THE NEW ARRIVAL.

THIS CHILD WOULD GROW UP TO BE A KING WHO WOULD CHANGE THE WORLD. THE WORLD WHEN HE WAS BORN WAS RULED BY THE IRON HAND OF THE ROMANS, INTO WHICH HE PROCLAIMED A MESSAGE OF A COMING KINGDOM OF PEACE.

IN TODAYS WORLD THERE ARE NOT MANY KINGDOMS AND THE KINGS IN THEM ARE MERELY FIGUREHEADS. OUR KING WILL REIGN IN WISDOM AND MIGHT FOREVER IN A KINGDOM THAT WILL LAST FOREVER.

EPHESIANS 1:22: AND GOD PLACED ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET AND APPOINTED HIM TO BE HEAD OVER EVERYTHING FOR THE CHURCH.

THE QUESTION WE FACE TODAY IS WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SAY THAT JESUS IS OUR ULTIMATE RULER OR KING?

THE WORD “ULTIMATE” BRINGS MANY THINGS TO MIND. WE MAY THINK OF PERFECTION, SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE TOPPED, A PERFORMANCE AT THE OPTIMUM LEVEL, IT CAN’T GET ANY BETTER. I’VE LEARNED THAT “ULTIMATE” IS A RELATIVE TERM, AND IS SUBJECTIVE TO THE MIND OF THE INDIVIDUAL. ALL TOO OFTEN THAT WHICH WE FEEL IS AN “ULTIMATE” PERFORMER OR PERFORMANCE IN ANYTHING, IS ECLIPSED BY THE PERFORMANCE OF ANOTHER THE NEXT DAY, OR LEGITIMATELY CALLED INTO QUESTION IN COMPARISON TO ANOTHER.

WHAT MAKES JESUS THE “ULTIMATE” RULER, THE RULER THAT IS BEYOND ALL OTHER RULERS? LET’S TAKE THE REST OF OUR TIME THIS MORNING AND EXAMINE THIS.

POINT ONE: JESUS IS THE IMAGE OF THE FATHER

WHEN PAUL WAS SPEAKING TO THE COLOSSIANS, HE MADE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT.

COLOSSIANS 1:15-20:

15 THE SON IS THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD, THE FIRSTBORN OVER ALL CREATION. 16 FOR IN HIM ALL THINGS WERE CREATED: THINGS IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH, VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE, WHETHER THRONES OR POWERS OR RULERS OR AUTHORITIES; ALL THINGS HAVE BEEN CREATED THROUGH HIM AND FOR HIM. 17 HE IS BEFORE ALL THINGS, AND IN HIM ALL THINGS HOLD TOGETHER. 18 AND HE IS THE HEAD OF THE BODY, THE CHURCH; HE IS THE BEGINNING AND THE FIRSTBORN FROM AMONG THE DEAD, SO THAT IN EVERYTHING HE MIGHT HAVE THE SUPREMACY. 19 FOR GOD WAS PLEASED TO HAVE ALL HIS FULLNESS DWELL IN HIM, 20 AND THROUGH HIM TO RECONCILE TO HIMSELF ALL THINGS, WHETHER THINGS ON EARTH OR THINGS IN HEAVEN, BY MAKING PEACE THROUGH HIS BLOOD, SHED ON THE CROSS.

IN THIS PASSAGE PAUL ASCRIBES TO JESUS A QUALITY THAT NO OTHER MONARCH COULD OR CAN EVER ACHIEVE WHEN HE SAYS THAT THE SON IS THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD. WHAT HE MEANS IS THAT THE CHARACTER, THE EMOTIONS, THE WISDOM AND POWER THAT JESUS DISPLAYED IN THIS WORLD, ARE CHARACTERISTICS ALSO SEEN IN THE FATHER.