Jesus, Universal King! John 19:19-22

Text:  “And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords.

Revelation 19:16.

          “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.  Who is this King of glory?  The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle…the Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory.”

Psalm 24:7-10.

Good morning, Christian subject of the King!  In a political and national sense, you and I are political and national subjects of many various sovereigns - be it a Queen, or a King, or a President, etc.  However, in the Spiritual realm, we can only be subject to ONE KING - King Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living Lord God.  Hallelujah!  Praise and glory to His Name!

“Thine, O lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the Heaven and in the earth is Thine; Thine is the Kingdom, O Lord, and Thou art exalted as Head above all.  Both riches and honour come of Thee, and Thou reignest over all; and in Thine hand is power and might; and in Thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.”  (1 Chronicles 29:11-12)

As Bible-believing Christians - we fully endorse the full separation of church and State.  There can be only ONE Head of the Christian church - King Jesus Christ!  All true Christians owe our full allegiance to Him alone.  Christ is Lord of the Christian.  Christ is our Holy King!

“But I would have you to know, that the Head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the Head of Christ is God.” (1 Corinthians 11:3)

“And hath put all things under His (Christ’s) feet, and gave Him to be the Head over all things to the church, which is His Body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.”  (Ephesians 1:22-23)

“For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the Head of the church; and He is the Saviour of the Body.  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.”  (Ephesians 5:22-25)

These three verses quoted, are a threefold authority from God’s infallible Word that, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, was, is, and will always be, just as Pilate wrote according to our Bible reading for today - “Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews.”  He is King of all kings and Lord of all.

“Pilate therefore said unto Him, Art Thou a King then?  Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a King.  To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.  Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice.”          (John 18:37)

However, not accepting Christ Jesus as their King, and not desiring such a title to even be nailed to His Cross of Crucifixion - the chief priests of the Jews petitioned Pilate to write instead, “He said I AM King of the Jews.”

Pilate refused the change in the wording already written in the three main languages of the time - Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.

Yet, unknown to the unbelieving Jewish religious leadership, or to the Roman Governor occupying the land of Palestine - the wording the Jewish religious leaders desired was even more authentic in nature!  For Jesus had indeed said ‘I AM King of the Jews.’

He was, is and always shall be the great Lord Almighty, and King of all kings - I AM, the all-sufficient Creator Lord God Almighty!  Glory to His Name!     (Hebrews 13:8)

“And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is His Name?  What shall I say unto them?  And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM; and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”  (Exodus 3:13-14)

“So Christ was once offered (upon the Cross) to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto Salvation.”  (Hebrews 9:28)

Thought:  The Lord Jesus Christ is our universal and exclusive King - but I wonder, are you and I willingly and truly subjected to His will?  I hope so.