“My kingdom is not of this world.” John 18:36
Dear Ones:
In the book of Isaiah, we have one of the clearest presentations of what the kingdom of God is, and who IS the King: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the GOVERNMENT shall be upon His shoulder.” (9:6) The first thing that we notice concerning the matter of kingship is the issue of authority, and power. This child, and son, is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, for we see Him and the Father described later by the words: “And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” His authority and power are represented by the word “government,” that structured alignment of the Divine chain of command, whereby the Lord Jesus is the Absolute Monarch, or King. In one of the greatest paradoxes of Scripture, we see at Jesus’ crucifixion, that Pilate had written on his cross: “JESUS OF NAZARETH KING OF THE JEWS.” (Jn. 19:19) We behold Him at this time in his utter weakness, incalculable suffering, and total humiliation, dying by the very hands of those He came to save. What then does Jesus mean when He calls the believer, and all men, to “seek first HIS kingdom, and His righteousness,” since we see such a contrast between the way He died, and the glorious portrayal of Him in the writings of Isaiah?
Let us begin by looking at what we know about this “King” before we see Him in His humiliation. Paul tells us that all things were made by Him. We move and have our existence in Him. Elsewhere, he tells that Jesus IS our wisdom, sancification, righteousness, and redemption…everything, all in all. Jesus Himself would tell us that He has the “keys of death and hell.” (Rev. 1:18) He declares Himself to be the “Alpha, and the Omega,” the Beginning and the Ending. Who then is this “King?” Why is He declared to be such? And what effect is this knowledge to have on us? He is first and foremost the “King” because God, the Father reveals Him as the One by whom all creation came into being, thus revealing to us His immense power, authority, and wisdom. Secondly, He is King because of His Sovereignty, as he is ALMIGHTY, the ever-lasting God, who does not change, but is in all places at all times, though we see Him also at the right hand of the Father. This is the One who told His disciples, “…and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world,” (Matt. 28:20), and yet He has ascended on High, and has sat down at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. This One to Whom has been given “all power…in heaven and in earth” is the One who knocks at the door of the sinner’s heart, seeking access, in order to cleanse, and give life eternal to the one who is willing to open the door. So, this King is indeed the King of Heaven. He is also the King of the heart of the believer. It will be in speaking of His “kingdom” that we begin to understand more of Himself, His ways, and purposes.
Returning to the passage in Isaiah 9, we find that this King desires and wills to carry upon his shoulders the responsibility and eternal well-being of every believer, every one who is willing to accept His yoke, submitting to His authority. This is why He told all who would hear: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest unto your souls.” (Matt. 11:29) The “government” of which Isaiah spoke, corresponds to the yoke of which Jesus spoke. That submission to the authority of Christ as Lord, or King, will result in the knowledge and experience of His peace to an ever-increasing extent. The hymn-writer wrote: “…and as Thy kingdom doth increase, so shall Thine ever-deepening peace.”
Dear Father, Grant us grace to see, know, and make the Lord Jesus to be our King, forever dwelling and reigning in our hearts by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad