Jesus, the One True King

King of the Universe

Let me ask you a question about your prayer life: What do you typically say first when you start your prayers? I tend to open with Dear God or Our Father in Heaven, because that’s what comes naturally to me. What about you?

To this day, many Jewish prayers — maybe even most of them — begin this way: “Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe.” In the Jewish way of thinking, it’s important to have an ongoing reminder that God is the one true King of the world and our lives.  And that’s because we live in a world that encourages us to think of ourselves as the king or queen of our own little kingdom. Burger King even gives my kids their own crown when we order there! The truth is, there’s only room for one king (or queen) in this world — and it isn’t us.

That’s why the opening line of those Jewish prayers is such a great example for us to follow. Maybe you can try starting your prayers that way this week and see how it goes.

(By the way… If you’ve watched The Chosen series about the life of Jesus, you might remember hearing Jesus and the disciples begin their prayers that way, like in this clip, starting at the 2:50 mark)

Kings in the Bible

The Bible is full of language that describes God as our King. But what exactly does that mean? We don’t have kings in the United States… even though sometimes people try to act like it!

In Bible times, earthy kings were responsible for protecting their people, providing for their needs, pursuing justice, and setting the spiritual tone for the nation. These are all of the things that God did for Israel when he rescued them from their slavery in Egypt and brought them to the Promised Land. So it must have been a little jarring for God when his chosen people began asking for an earthly king just like all the other nations had… when they already had God as their King!

In Deuteronomy 17:14-20, God warned Israel about the dangers of choosing a king like the ones from all the other nations. They would be tempted to get greedy, or use their power to focus on their own pleasure and comfort (instead of serving the people), or put their trust in their military might instead of the God of the universe. In other words—God wanted to make sure that if Israel was going to have a king, it was the right kind of King.

The King Has Arrived

And that’s exactly what happened when Christ came to the world. The one true King had arrived! King Jesus protects us, provides for us, promotes justice, and sets the spiritual tone in our lives — just like his Heavenly Father. And unlike the kings and rulers of the world, he doesn’t use his power to demand service from others; he uses it to serve others—and give his life as a ransom for many.

Many people were able to recognize Jesus for the King that he was, like the wisemen (Matthew 2:1), the disciples (John 1:49), and the writers of the Bible (Matthew 21:5). But not everyone was convinced that Jesus was truly the King.

The soldiers who mocked Jesus during his trial called him the King of the Jews, but it’s obvious they didn’t mean it (John 19:3). Later on, the Jewish authorities said the only King they had was Caesar, the Roman Emperor! It’s hard to imagine what would cause the spiritual leaders of Israel to pledge their allegiance to the violent, corrupt, oppressive Roman Empire. Maybe it was fear. Maybe they felt that the only way they could be safe was by selling their souls to the enemy. Maybe it was a lack of faith that God would protect and provide for them. Whatever it was, it’s hard to imagine a more self-incriminating statement for the people of God than “We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15).

Who’s Wearing the Crown?

Every day of our lives, we’re faced with the same basic question. Who’s wearing the crown? What’s the most important thing in my life? Am I honor Christ as King? Or am I perhaps bowing down to the idol of money, success, relationships, comfort, or popularity?

In John 1:9-13, the Bible describes the tragedy of failing to see Jesus for who he truly is as well as the blessing that comes when we honor him as King:

“9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

There’s only room for one king in our lives—and if we want to be called children of God—we need to make sure it’s Jesus.