Jesus Is The Best King

Compared to the history of the world, the United States is not really all that old of a country.  Yet, we all have our favorite presidents from over the years.  Maybe you like Washington, Lincoln, JFK, Obama, Reagan, Trump or Biden.  As you think about rulers of the world who would you pick to be the most influential?  Lincoln, Stalin, Hitler, Charles the Great, Nebuchadnezzar?  Today is the last Sunday of the Church Year and it has been called “Christ the King” Sunday.  Above all other rulers is Jesus Christ as the Bible says, “Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth” (Rev 1:5).  Jesus is better than any president, the Caesars or Czars, better than dictators or any men of power, Jesus is better than them all.  Actually Jesus Christ in a class of rulers all by himself. The supreme ruler or ultimate ruler. St Paul wrote, “for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, things seen and unseen, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16,17).  Everything exists by Christ. Everyone depends on Christ. Christ is before all, in all, and over all.  Today a vision of the prophet Daniel tells us what makes Jesus Christ in a class by himself deserving all glory, honor, and praise.  Yes, today we

Proclaim Jesus Is The Best King

Only He Comes From Heaven

Daniel 7 is in the middle of Book of Daniel.  Chapters 1 – 6 talk about Daniel’s interpreting dreams, the three men in the fiery furnace and Daniel in the lion’s den.  The rest of Daniel is mostly about prophecy of the future.  In chapter 2 King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and he demanded that his wise men tell him the dream and what it meant, or they would all be put to death.  Daniel was able to do that.  He told the king about a great statue divided into parts.  These parts stood for the kingdoms of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and the Roman empire.  In chapter 7 these empires were described as beasts coming out of the sea.  In the final scene of the vision the beasts are destroyed and then Daniel reports, “I kept watching the night visions, and there, in the clouds of heaven, I saw one like a son of man coming.”  Unlike the blood-stained beasts in the vision, the son of man was superior to them all.  We know who Daniel was talking about.  It is Jesus Christ who Came From Heaven!  He is the Best King!

Jesus often referred to himself as the Son of Man.  He was not down-playing the fact that he is also true God, but he was reminding the people that he was just as human as we are.  In speaking about Jesus the writer to the Hebrews puts it like this, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).  Did you hear?  Our King from Heaven is fully human in a class by himself knowing what each of us is going through.  Jesus struggled against temptation.  He knows what it’s like to be lowly, to experience what living in a sinful world is like.  No one has ever hurt like Jesus.  No one has ever been so disgusted by the sins of the world being smeared all over him as he suffered and died on the cross before the holy presence of God.

Of course, Jesus Christ isn’t just a human martyr who died for a cause, he’s a martyr in a class all by himself.   He’s the Promised Messiah. Daniel reports, “I kept watching the night visions, and there, in the clouds of heaven, I saw one like a son of man coming.” Since he comes from heaven he is divine.  So the Son of Man is also the Son of God, who according to Hebrews 1:3 is “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact imprint of the divine nature.” Everything God is, the Son of Man is. Everything God can do, the Son of Man can do. No other being, ruler, or religious figure is both fully human and fully divine. Jesus Christ Is The Best King Who Came From Heaven!

We need this King because of the battles we face.  You know your struggles against temptations to give into lust, failing to defend your neighbor’s good name, to cheat love the things of this world more than Christ.  To be sure there are rulers who had great influence on our world.  However, none even come close to The Son of Man who is the Best King who came to win our war.  All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him.  The Son of Man from heaven has all power and glory.

Only He Has Dominion Over All Things

The Son of Man Came from Heaven and he lived here just like us.  Consider God’s creation.  Birds are happy being birds. Trees are happy being trees. The sun is happy providing light and heat. Oxygen is happily venting our lungs. These give God glory by serving him the way he intends.  But, what about us sinful humans?  Are we happy being who God made us to be?  Or do people want to be their own god?  How many times do we want to manipulate time, dictate the weather, and call the shots when it comes to our health.  Aren’t we are happiest when we have more power than other people. We want to control it all and believe that if we can, it’ll be better. Our King, however, neither created us nor redeemed us to be his equals.  That’s what we try, however, by scheming for control and wanting everything done our way.  We might say we want the Best King to Have Dominion Over All Things, but do our actions bear witness to our words?

Like the young boy who dreamed of becoming king and grew up to lead a revolution, killing and rampaging to claim the throne … only to discover that he was the lost royal heir and the throne rightfully belonged to him all along.  Listen to what God’s Word says about you as a child of God: “For all things belong to you—” (1 Corinthians 3:21).  Our King Jesus Christ Has Dominion Over All Things for our good. You and I don’t need to fight for control of all things because they already belong to us in Christ for our good.  Our Best King Has Dominion Over All Things!  What does that look like? Cancer doesn’t own us. Unfulfilled dreams don’t determine our destiny. Society doesn’t change our identity.  Death cannot claim us and the devil cannot have us. Because the Son of Man “To him was given dominion, honor, and a kingdom. All peoples, nations, and languages will worship him.”  Did you hear that!?  There you are in Daniel’s vision, worshipping the Son of Man who has Dominion Over All Things.  Dear Christian Friends, The Best King Has Dominion Over All Things!  Let him be in control by giving him Respect, keeping him #1 in your heart and leaning on him for all things.  Yes, gladly serve the King of Kings, The Lord of Lords, the Best King and enjoy being a subject in his Kingdom That Will Last Forever!

Only His Kingdom Will Last Forever!

Living as a subject in Jesus’ Kingdom is filled with blessings.  Yet, we can’t see everything he sees and there are days when we feel everything is out of control.  I suppose this is one of the most frightening realities of living in this world—we recognize that we aren’t in control!  There are wars around the world.  Christians are being persecuted and killed. The economy and growing national debt seems to be out of control.  Prices keep rising and the cost-of-living tramples us down.  The family makes plans to spend time together when a pressing matter arises and spoils the plans. Relationships hit the rocks.  Parenting runs into roadblocks.  People hold grudges against you, and you hold grudges against others.  Without faith in the Best King we easily fall into despair!  This is when we need to remember the promise proclaimed to us in Daniel 7! “His dominion is an eternal dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.”  

Dear Friends in Christ, Christ the King knows all about our lives, our bad habits, our emails, our hurtful words, our stubborn hearts, and thanks be to God, he maintains his promises in spite of our sins!  His kingdom is, was, and always will be a kingdom of grace, forgiveness, and salvation.  His promises do not change!  Place your trust in the Son of Man—The Best King Whose Kingdom Will Last Forever!

Throughout history there have been many presidents, emperors and rulers that have lived in this world.   Above all else I would imagine the subjects of their nations wanted above everything else, to feel safe.  Do you see life under the Son of Man to be safe?  Would you be surprised to hear me say that for many people Christ the King is not safe?  Jesus is not a tamed lion, a politically correct teacher and moralist who fixes boo boos and feeds the world.  Following Jesus might mean facing fiery furnaces or lion’s dens.  But, we have learned that his kingdom will never be destroyed.  That makes his dear children feel safe.  But, also remember that every second Christ the King is not safe against his enemies!  Christ the King hurts his enemies and conquers their evil plans, and every day he forgives our sins by the power of blood and the deadly waters of baptism that kill sin and give birth to new, “dangerous living” for him.  Christ isn’t safe to a sinful world with sinful people.  But, he is the Best King for you.  Proclaim The Son of Man To Be Your Best King!  He is Your King from Heaven, who has Dominion Over All things, to take you to his Kingdom That will Last Forever!  Amen!