My King
By Susan Klein
“Who is this king
of glory? The Lord strong and mighty…”
Psalm
24:8a (NIV)
The
late Reverend S. M. Lockridge was not only a Baptist preacher, but also held
doctorates and honorary degrees from a host of colleges, was a well-sought
after public speaker, and was passionately engaged in the civil rights
movement. He delivered his messages at crusades, revivals and conferences
around the world. His “most listened to” message is a six-and-a-half minute
description of Jesus Christ as his King. Whenever I need a good spiritual
boost, I refresh myself with these power-packed words. (If you’ve never heard
this message, you must take a few minutes to listen to it here.)
In
today’s casual society, I fear we sometimes misplace His crown on the back
shelf of our closets and forget the royal perspective of who Jesus really is.
Even our Christian music more often refers to Him as exclusively a “friend”
than a king. We go to Him as our Savior, our Defender and our Comforter in
times of need, all of which Scripture verifies He truly is. But, how often do
we intentionally think of Him as our reigning King? In the United States of
America, where we’ve never experienced a government ruled by a king, it’s hard
to truly comprehend “kingship” and all
of its implications.
The Collins English
Dictionary defines “kingship” in two ways: the position or authority of a king, or the skill or practice
of ruling as a king. Scripture says Jesus is (present tense):
1) the King of kings and the
Lord of lords (Revelation
19:16),
2) the King of Israel (John
1:49),
3) the eternal, immortal and
invisible King (1
Timothy 1:17),
4) the King of righteousness (Isaiah
32:1),
5) the King of glory (Psalm
24:7-8),
6) the King of the ages (Revelation
15:3).
Jesus is our ruling King, and we have been granted
the privilege of being His royal heirs. Though He will come back to rule over
the earth one day, He is already reigning over us at this very moment, sitting
at the right hand of God who has established His kingship. Other earthly kings
and rulers may try to take His place of honor, but they will be made a
footstool for His feet (Hebrews
10:12-13). King Jesus is the only One to whom every knee shall one day bow.
Is
Jesus your king?
GOING
DEEPER:
1. Reflect on Jesus’ kingship. Set aside some
time regularly to worship Him as your King.
2. To cement this concept even further, try
adding the title “King” before the name “Jesus” every time you read it in
Scripture.
FURTHER
READING:
Susan enjoys
teaching Bible studies, writing and mentoring. She and her husband Mark enjoy
opening their home to those in need, and are currently co-facilitating an
on-site small group studying 1 Corinthians at Oakwood’s Wednesday Night
Community.
