the King

The King   - Jeremiah 23:1-6; Colossians 1:11-20; Luke 23:33-43

 

“ who delivered us ( the Father) from the authority of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His Son of His love”  1:13

 

Who is the King?  God the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.  We are in this kingdom and have “ redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”

 

Dr. Hodge said that the kingdom of Christ is “ spiritual, catholic and absolute.”  It is not a kingdom of this world, but nonetheless he said to the thief on the cross, “ Today shalt thou be with me in paradise”

 

Here is the question for this Sunday,” What does this kingdom mean for us now----and how does Christ help us as a king?”

 

We can rightly ask this knowing it does not look as though anyone is in charge when we see the chaos of our world.   Then we see the tragedies of the physical storms of this age .  People as well have their own difficulties and seemingly endless problems .  It has seemed so, since His Resurrection and Ascension.

 

So today we ask the deep question if Christ is a King----and we know He is, then how does that work for me as I go through the days of this life?  It certainly does not look like my life has someone guiding….it seems that personalities and powers not under God’s overruling have control.  There are injustices that occur on a daily basis.  This question of Christ as King is relevant to our faith----if our faith is simply a set of liturgies or catechism questions ( and we barely learn those any longer----some churches do not even require confirmation ).  How does the question of Christ answer my questions about the purpose of life and its meaning and its direction?

 

“ How doth Christ execute the office of a King?”  The Scots catechism answers rightly , “ Christ executeth the office of a king, in subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all His and our enemies.”  Shorter Catechism no. 26

 

“ Subduing us to Himself”  Christ’s scepter is not so much the symbol of His power as of our salvation.  We are born into a state of rebellion against God and Christ; one of the leading offices of Christ is to subdue us.  We are converted by His royal law and love.  He is as we heard in Jeremiah, “ The LORD our Righteousness” 23:6

 

His purity is given to us and exchanged for our clothing of unrighteousness.  “ In ruling and defending us”  Having subdued us, Christ rules us.  We are proud to confess that we are not our own.  Things we would continually do were we our own, we do not do because we are Christ’s.  He defends us as a priest on His throne, that is to say, He is an intercessor whose power is nothing short of the power of a sovereign.

 

“ O LORD OUR GOVERNOR WHOSE GLORY IS IN ALL THE WORLD….we pray in morning prayer….”  Another prayer says it this way, “ ALMIGHTY GOD who alone gavest us the breath of life, and alone canst keep us alive in us the holy desires thou dost impart, we beseech thee, for thy compassion’s sake, to sanctify all our thoughts and endeavors.”

 

“ restraining and conquering all His and our enemies.”  The spiritual foes are sin, Satan and death ---which Christ conquers.  The temporal enemies are all opposers and persecutors of the cause and people of Christ.  The letter of the Apostle to the Colossians so tells us of all this: “ For by Him were all created, that are in heaven, and that are in the earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him.  And He is before all things and by Him all things consist.” 1:16-17

 

Let me recall the words of Shakespeare who in his writings said this about a kings and he was talking about good kings: “ the king-becoming graces are justice, verity (truth), temperance ( self-restraint in conduct), stableness, bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness, devotion, patience, courage, fortitude.”  We could find verses in the Bible to tell us these are what a King should be and as subjects of this King we should be like this too!

 

Let me summarize and conclude with the words of my favorite hymn if not my most favorite :” The King of love my Shepherd is, Whose goodness faileth never. I nothing lack if I am his, and He is mine forever. Perverse and foolish oft I strayed, But yet in love He sought me, And on His shoulder gently laid, and home rejoicing brought me.”  “ And so through all the length of days Thy goodness faileth never: Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise within thy house forever. Amen.”