KINGSHIP  OF  THE  LORD  JESUS  CHRIST

The most important thing to understand about the Kingdom of God is that it exists only because the Lord Jesus Christ is the King.  He is the Messiah, the Savior promised by the One True God in the Old Testament (Mt. 1:22-23; 2:6; Isa. 7:4; Mic. 5:2).  He is not only the King of the Jews, but also the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev. 19:16).  At the beginning of His life, wise men from the East came to Herod, asking where they could find the King of the Jews (Mt. 2:2)  At the end of His life, Pilate asked Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  He affirmed that He was (Mt. 27:11-12), and Pilate sanctioned His crucifixion on that basis (Mt. 27:37).

During the time of Jesus Christ's earthly ministry, the Jews rejected Him as their king and ridiculed Him (Mt. 27:28, 41-43).  They rejected Him for very obvious reasons.  They had expected a worldly kingdom and a king arrayed in worldly splendor; one who would deliver their nation from Roman domination.  Their rejection of Jesus Christ had long been prophesied (Psm. 118:22)  The Jews rejected the Lord Jesus Christ as their King, therefore many still believe that Jesus really did not fulfill the role of a King.  Regardless of what people think of Him either as a deluded impostor or a lunatic it does not change the truth that the Lord Jesus Christ is truly the King who fulfilled that role two millenniums ago. Here is the biblical evidence.

There are seven conditions that indicate the Lord Jesus Christ had truly and already fulfilled the role of the King of Israel.

1. The king of Israel must be chosen by God Himself (Dt. 17:14-15).  An angel came down from heaven and said these words to Mary, "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there will be no end." (Lk. 1:32-33)  The Lord Jesus Christ was actually chosen by God to become the King.  His coming in the flesh and His kingship is, in actuality, God Himself coming as the King in the flesh.

2.  God must indicate the person who is to be anointed as the king (1 Sam. 16;12-13; 1 Kn. 19:15-16).  God said, "I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.  I will declare the degree: The LORD said to Me, 'You are My Son, today I have begotten You.  Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession." (Psm. 2:6-8)  The word "Christ" is translated from the Hebrew "Messiah" that means the "Anointed One" (Psm. 45:7; Isa. 61:1)  The Lord Jesus Christ was anointed by God Himself (Lk. 4:18,21; Acts 4:27; 10:38; Heb. 1:9) 

3. According to the Old Testament prophecies the Messianic King must come from the lineage of David. (2 Sam. 7:16; Psm. 89:20-27; Isa. 11:1-16; Jer. 33:19-21)  In the book of genealogy of Jesus Christ He is called the "Son of David" (Mt. 1:1) to indicate He comes from a royal line and a true heir of David's throne.  Matthew's genealogy shows the Lord Jesus Christ's right to the Davidic throne through the line of Solomon and Joseph, the latter being the legal father of Jesus. (Lk 3:23)  His conception by the Holy Spirit shows Him to be the Son of God, the Eternal Word, who was with God and was God Himself manifested in the flesh. (Jn. 1:1,14)

4. The promised King must reign with justice and righteousness (Isa. 9:6-7; Jer. 23:5).  The throne of the true King of Israel must be founded on righteousness and justice (Psm. 89:14; Pro. 16:12).  Jesus Christ had been appointed to reign in righteousness (Heb. 1:8-9).  He came to fulfill all righteousness. (Mt. 3:15; 1 Cor. 1:30; Rom. 10:4)

5. The chosen King of Israel must save the people from their enemies.  This is the sign that God has anointed him as the true king (1 Sam. 10:1-2; 9:16).  Jesus Christ is the Only Savior of mankind (Acts 4:12; Eph. 5:23).  Just before His birth an angel announced: "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS (YAHSHUA in Hebrew), for He will save His people from their sins." (Mt. 1:21)

6. The King of Israel is required to write the Law and keep them (Deut. 17:18-20; 2 Kn. 23:24-25; 2 Chr. 31:21).  The Lord Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Law (Mt. 5:17-19).  Christ was born under the Law (Gal. 4:4); attended all feasts of the Law (Jn. 2:23; 7:2.10,37); and fulfilled all its types and shadows (Heb. 9:8,11-14; 10:1,11-14)  Through the Messianic ministry of the New Covenant the Lord says: "I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." (Heb. 8:6-10)

7. The King of Israel must have supreme authority over his subjects (Ecc. 8:2-5)  "Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." (Mt. 28:18)  After Jesus Christ had risen from the dead and is sitting in the heavenly places He is "far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come." (Eph. 1:21)  The Lord Jesus Christ is the King of kings and Lord of lords (Dan. 10:17 cf Rev. 1:5; 17:14).  Jesus is Lord of all (Acts 10:36; Rom. 19:11-13)

There can be no misunderstanding about the kingship of our Lord Jesus Christ.  When He called Nathaniel to become an apostle he answered Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!" (Jn. 1:49) Jesus did not deny it.  "Pilate therefore said to Him, 'Are you a king then?  Jesus answered , 'You say rightly that I am a king.  For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." (Jn. 18:37)  Here our Lord Jesus Christ confirmed that during His First Advent He actually came to become the King.  One week before His betrayal our Lord Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem as the King to fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah (Mt. 21:1-11; Zec. 9:9) 

It is because of the Jews' rejection of Jesus as their king some erroneously teach that He had failed in His role as the King.  They also falsely teach His Kingdom was not established during His First Advent.  Such errors are similar to the same mistakes that the Jews made two thousand years ago.  Because the Jews had rejected their true king our Lord Jesus Christ told them: "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder." (Mt. 21:43-44) It is of utmost importance that we recognize the Lord Jesus Christ as our King NOW!