Who Is Jesus?
Names and Descriptive Phrases of Jesus - Part 18
By Allan E. McNabb

In this series we’re talking about the names and descriptive phrases identifying Jesus.  Thus far we’ve talked about Jesus as God, Lord, Savior, Christ, Creator, the Word, the Son of God, the life, the Light, the Lamb of God, the Firstborn, the head of the church, our high priest and King, an Author, a Shepherd, and the propitiation for our sins.

In this article, we continue talking about Jesus as our King.

Review
Two articles ago, we noticed that Jesus’ priesthood is after the order of Melchizedek, who like Jesus, was both king and priest (Heb. 7:1).

Therefore, as Jeremiah prophesies, there would be another covenant established by God, since one man could not hold both offices under the Mosaic Law (Jer. 31:31-32).

Hence, God changed the law, and we live under the law of Christ today (Heb. 7:12-14;1 Cor. 9:21; Gal. 6:2).

Then in the last article, we talked specifically about Jesus as our priest.  He’s a great, merciful, and faithful high priest who intercedes for us, pleading our case before God.

Jesus Was a King While Upon Earth
Jesus was King at His birth, and worshiped by men as such.

  • “‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?  For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him’” (Matt. 2:2).
  • “Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?’  And Jesus said to him, ‘It is as you say’” (Matt. 27:11).

Jesus is King of Israel
As King, Jesus rules over Israel.

  • “Nathanael answered Him, ‘Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel’” (Jn. 1:49).
  • “Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?’  And Jesus said to him, ‘It is as you say’” (Matt. 27:11).

Today, the church of Christ is Israel.

  • The church is “the Israel of God” (Gal. 6:16).
  • Christians are the Jews today.  Jews aren’t the people who are physically circumcised, but those who have a circumcised heart, and worship in the Spirit of God (Rom. 2:28-29; Phil. 3:2-3).
  • The church is the kingdom of Jesus Christ (Col. 1:13).  Since Jesus’ kingdom is the church, He is King over the church.  (Note: a kingdom is the domain over which a king rules.)

We are circumcised in heart when we are baptized, at which time we become a child of God and a citizen of His nation, Israel.

  • “And in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead” (Col. 2:11-12).
  • “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20).

Jesus is King of Kings
Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords, meaning He has authority over the kings and governing authorities of the world.
“. . . He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Tim. 6:15).

  • “‘These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings . . .’” (Rev. 17:14).
  • “And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS’” (Rev. 19:16).

Christians Reign with Jesus
Jesus made Christians into a kingdom.

  • “and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father . . .” (Rev. 1:6).

As a kingdom of Christ, we sit with Him upon His throne, and reign with Him.

  • “‘You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth’” (Rev. 5:10).
  • “‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne’” (Rev. 3:21).
  • “Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years” (Rev. 20:6).
  • “And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 22:5).

Choose Your King
In the book of Revelation, Jesus is presented as a King, as we’ve seen throughout this study.  But Satan (or one of his angels) is also presented as a king.

  • “They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon” (Rev. 9:11).

Each person chooses whether to submit to Jesus or Satan.

As Christians we submit ourselves to Jesus, and reign with Him forever.
But unbelievers submit themselves to Satan, and will be punished with him in the lake of fire and brimstone forever, unless they repent (Rev. 20:10, 11-15).

To be continued.