Bible Matters 477: God is King

To be a King, you must have a kingdom. 

After Mose’s lead the Israelites to the promised land, they wanted a physical leader or a king.  God promised Israel that the nation would be led by kings.

Genesis 35:10-11 – And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.  And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;

God shall choose one from among their brethren to be king.   God will not set a stranger over thee.

Deuteronomy 17:6,14-15 – At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.  When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;  Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.

During this period, many kings ruled Israel.  Some were good and some were bad.  During the birth of Jesus, King Herod or Herod “the Great” ruled as king of the Jews under Roman authority.  Herod proved to be a loyal subject to his Roman overlords.  Herod and his sons ruled Judea during Jesus’s walk on this earth.  The wise men came to see a king, born of the Jews. 

Matthew 2:1-2 – Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

The testimonies of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John include the testimonies of when Jesus walked on this earth.  Throughout these four gospels Jesus referred to God’s kingdom as the “kingdom of God“ 54 times.  

Matthew 6:33 – But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you

Matthew 13:43 – Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Mark 1:14-15 – Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Luke 18:17 – Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise e

John 3:5 – Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

The testimonies of Peter, Paul, James and Jude refer to the “kingdom of God” 15 times.

2 Thessalonians 1:5 – Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

In only one verse did Jesus refer to himself as King.  Never did Jesus refer to the kingdom of God as his kingdom or the kingdom of Jesus or of Christ.  Jesus knew that God was King and God ruled the kingdom of God.

Matthew 25:34 – Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

A King has unmatched power compare to those that they rule.  Jesus knew that a prophet had no respect in his own country.

Matthew 13:57 – And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.

Lazarus, Mary and Matha were friends of Jesus.  Lazarus was sick.  Jesus was less than 15 miles away and stayed away until after Lazurus died.  Lazurus was dead for four days, when Jesus decided to visit Martha and Mary.  Per Jewish culture, a body must be dead for 3 days, before one was declared dead.  Jesus stayed away four days so that the power of God could be revealed.  Jesus prayed to God the Father, so that people could see the glory of God.  God as King, had unmatched power. 

John 11:39-43 -Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.  Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.  And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.  And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

During the trial of Jesus, the Jews needed to create crime by Jesus against rule by the Romans.  The Jews were under Roman rule.  They were not to worship a king from their brethren.  Thus, the Jews had to declare Jesus was an insurrectionist and declared Jesus to be the King of the Jews.  Since Israel was under Roman rule with Caesar as King, declaring oneself to be a King is a crime against Roman rule, punishable by death. The multitude and Pontius Pilate declared Jesus as the king of the Jews.  Caesar was king of the Roman empire. 

Matthew 27:2 – And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

Luke 19:37-38 – And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;  Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.

John 12:12-15 – On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,  Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.  And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written,  Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt.

John 18:33,37,39 – Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?  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.  But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?

John 19:14-15 – And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.

Matthew 27:11,29,37 – And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.  And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!  And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Mark 15:2,9,12,18,26 – And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it.  But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?  And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?  And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!  And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Luke 23:2-3,37-38 And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.  And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it.  And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.  And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Both Paul and John, referred to Jesus as the King of kings.

1 Timothy 6:14-15 – That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:  Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

Revelation 19:13,15-17 – And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.  And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

When Jesus hung on the cross, he called on his Father by multiple witnesses.  Jesus did as commanded by God. 

Matthew 27:46 – And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Mark 15:34 – And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Jesus called on God, his Father, many times in his ministry.  When Jesus rose from the dead, multiple witnesses, associated that miracle due to the power of God. These witnesses testified that Jesus did not have the power to raise himself from the dead.  Only God as King, had that power.

Acts 3:15 – And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses

Acts 4:10 – Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.

Romans 6:9-10 – Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. [10] For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 – And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Multiple times, the witnesses referred to the God almighty as King.    The preponderance of evidence of the testimonies is that Jesus is Lord and God is King!  Regardless as to what you think, all that matters is doing the will of God or the will of the Father.  Fear God and honor the king. For after you do the will of God, you might receive the promise.

Mark 3:35 – For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

Psalm 10:16 – The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.

1 Peter 2:15-17 – For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:  As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.  Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

Matthew 5:33-35 – Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:  Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

Matthew 7:21 – Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Acts 13:36-37 – For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:  But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.

Galatians 1:4 – Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

Ephesians 6:6 – Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

1 Thessalonians 4:3 – For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

Hebrews 10:36 – For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

1 Peter 4:19 – Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

1 John 2:17 – And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Jesus told Satan, that you should only worship the Lord thy God and serve only him.

Matthew 4:10 – Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Luke 4:8 – And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

When you do the will of God and serve him, you live God’s gospel of Love.  Serve God as King and look forward to everlasting life in the kingdom of God!

To God be the glory in all you do, Amen.