By Melissa McLaughlin
Have You Met the King?
I never met our President. My tiny sphere of influence does not include the King or Queen of any country, for that matter. I’m just an ordinary person.
But there is a King who knows my name. And I matter to His kingdom.
In Isaiah 9:6-7 we read:
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. (ESV)
The promised Messiah has come and His name is Jesus Christ!
Though the Israelites longed for a political leader to deliver them from oppressive nations ruling over them, God’s plan was for the greater good.
God sent the Messiah, the Savior, to deliver His people from sin and bring salvation to every nation!
Jesus introduced a kingdom and a government that the people could not comprehend. Many still do not comprehend it today. What makes Jesus a different kind of King?
What Kind of King is Jesus?
One of the titles given to Jesus is Prince of Peace.
The title Prince is reserved for royalty, for a kingdom.
Peace is often considered the absence of war. Yet the Hebrew word for peace or “shalom” means something more.
True biblical shalom means an inward sense of completeness or wholeness. Although it can also describe the absence of war, a majority of biblical references refer to an inner completeness and tranquility. (Definition from Fellowship of Israel Related Ministries).
This King brought reconciliation and peace with God. Only through Him can we know soul peace, or shalom (Romans 5:1).
A King Forever
This King will reign forever. As God proclaimed through the prophet Samuel, Jesus is a descendant of King David’s line, and His throne will stand forever (2 Samuel 7:12-13). The government will be upon Jesus’ shoulder and He will reign with justice and righteousness.
To make His Kingship known, Jesus’ first sermon heralded His new kingdom, recorded in Matthew 3:2: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
We have a King, and He has a kingdom. He is victorious over sin, death, hell, and Satan. He rules now in heaven (Psalm 103:19).
One day, this King will return, establishing His kingdom in a new heaven and earth, and all will bow their knees to Him (Philippians 2:5-11).
Will we revere or reject this King?
Will You Meet This King?
Imagine meeting the President, the King, or the Queen of a country. We would certainly follow the expected protocols of respect due to their positions.
But we know- no important person is waiting to speak with me. They are not adding me to their social schedules. They don’t have time for an ordinary person like me. How about you?
However, there is a King who gave His very life to pay the penalty for our sins in the courtrooms of heaven. Who laid down His life so we could walk free and stand before His throne in peace, worship, and gratitude for all eternity. He delights in us and desires us to draw near Him. May we know Him as Savior before we meet Him as Judge.
What Kind of King?
What kind of King is Jesus?
A King who brings peace to your soul.
A King who brings peace on earth through His righteous, rightful rule.
A King whose kingdom is made of forgiven people, who are humble enough to bow the knee, accept His free gift of salvation, and obey Him as befits a King.
We have a King and His kingdom is near. He invites all to come. But it’s only by His blood.
Will you revere Him? I pray so. For this King died to save you!
What Kind of King is Jesus?
John 12:15 – “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
John 18:37 – Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
Revelation 19:11-16 – I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Here’s a beautiful song of Jesus as King: “How Many Kings” by Downhere
Other posts you may enjoy:
Peace on Earth! But What Kind of Peace Did Jesus Bring? By Melissa McLaughlin
New Life, New Hope, New Birth at Christmas and Always By Melissa McLaughlin
The Psalm That Inspired Joy to the World By Melissa McLaughlin
I also am glad that He knows my name. We long for Him to establish His kingdom here on earth and to rule and reign in righteousness.
With so much focus on Jesus as a baby and then seeing such evil in the world, we forget… We have a King! His name is Jesus! It is an honor to be in His kingdom and what peace to know all things will be put under His feet. He will reign in righteousness forever!
Beautiful post, beautiful song, I shared it with some friends. Thank you.
Thank you, Caz, for the kind words and for passing along. Our King is mighty and pours out powerful love toward us. Bless you!
Thank You Jesus for dying and rising for me and doing this very great sacrifice for me and anyone accepting You and Your salvation. Thank You that You have written my name in the Book of Life and made it so we will be together with You for eternity. I realy love this song and grew up with it only that it was sung in Swedish and a beautiful rendering of the song after the year I was born.
Amen and amen. What a wonderful God and Savior. It is such a privilege to have our names written in the Book of Life. We are saved by grace through faith, His body broken, His blood shed for us. Amazing grace!
Amen. This is one of my favorite songs. We are truly loved by Him. God bless you and your family.
This song always moves my heart. What kind of King would lay down His life for us? Only Jesus! Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Merry Christmas to you and your family, too. 🙂
It’s amazing, Melissa, that our King Jesus knows our name and reserves a place for us in His future kingdom, and gives us a role in His current kingdom that is unrecognized by many. What a special King He is who does so much for us as individuals and as a people. The first thing I thought of when I saw the title of this post is the song you mentioned at the end. I love that song. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
I love that song, as well. It reminds us how different King Jesus is from earthly kings. He used His greatness to pay for our sins with His own blood. There is no one else like Jesus. Sometimes we forget He is King and LORD of all. May we bow low as we worship Him and serve Him with our whole lives. God bless you!
I love that passage from Isaiah, it is one of my favorites. I love to ponder all those wonderful attributes of our glorious King. You message brought so much hope for me. Thank you Melissa
I agree, Yvonne. That passage from Isaiah is powerful and moving. It’s breathtaking to pause and ponder all these marvelous attributes of our King. No matter how dark our world appears at the moment, our King reigns forever in glorious light. He is our blessed hope! God bless you, Yvonne!
Thank you so much for this inspiring and intimate reflection. I am so grateful that God… the King of the Universe!… knows and wants me in his kingdom. His love is astounding and such a gift!
I love how you worded that, Jessica! It’s truly amazing that the King of the universe wants us in His kingdom. What a privilege! What an honor! What a blessing!
As glorious and mighty King is Jesus. Love these reflections to think about what kind of King would leave His throne for me. I appreciate your writings, Melissa. They are such a blessing as well as your heart for King Jesus.
“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 1:17 (ESV)
Hallelujah to the King of Kings! Thank you for sharing this powerful verse, Karen. These words echo with His majesty and power. Thank you for your kindness and encouragement, Karen. May King Jesus take His rightful place on the throne of our hearts each day.