The Kingship of Christ

First we can see that Christ was to be a King because his Father designated and appointed him to be a King; “I have set my king on my holy hill of Zion”, says the Lord (Ps. 2:6),

To put it another way, the Father has set up Christ his Son, in his eternal purposes, to be king over his church and people; And as he appointed him to be a king, he appointed a kingdom for him as Christ said to his disciples during the last supper “I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as my Father bestowed one upon me” (Luke 22:29).

In the council and covenant of grace, Christ was called to take upon him this office, “feed the flock for slaughter”, that is, the church which is subject to the persecution of the world; and the act of feeding them, indicates the practice of governing, caring for, and protecting the people of God; the allusion here is to shepherds, a name sometimes applied to kings in scripture..

There are many types and figures of Christ found in the old testament which show Christ in his kingly office: Perhaps the most well known of these would be Melchizedek, who was a type of him in both his priestly and Kingly offices, both offices meeting in him, as they do in Christ, who sits on his throne as both a priest and a king.

Another obvious type of Christ as King would be King David. For his wisdom and military skill, his courage and valour, his wars and victories, and the equity and justice of his government. In many places in scripture Christ is often called David the king, whom the Jews would seek and serve; and who would be king over them (Jer 30:9; Ezek. 33:23 37:24; Hosea 3:5).

We could also consider Christ as a King is by looking at the prophecies concerning him in the old testament, The very first promise of a Messiah occurs in Gen. 3:15, it says that “the Seed of the woman”, meaning Christ, should break the “serpent’s head”; that is, destroy the devil, and all his works; this is an act of Christ’s kingly power, and shows him as a victorious prince, and triumphant conqueror over the enemies of his people.

In Numbers 24:17 Balaam prophesied, that “there should come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre”, the sceptre here means a Sceptre bearer or a King, should “rise out of Israel” a clear reference to the coming Messiah.

In the famous prophecy of Isaiah, concerning Christ Isa. 9:6,7 it is said, that “the government should be upon his shoulders”; one of his titles would be, “the Prince of peace”; and that of his government, and the peace of it, there should be no end; as well as it should be ordered and established with justice and judgement. There is a similar prophecy in Jeremiah 23:5,6 where we read, “A King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgement and righteousness in the earth” … ad it says there a little bit later on that he shall be called, “The Lord our Righteousness”:

The prophet Micah also refers to his kingship when he says of the town of Bethlehem “Out of you shall come forth to me, the One to be Ruler in Israel” (Micah 5:2).

In Zech 9:9 (Read verse 9) “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold your King is coming to you” (Zech. 9:9; Matthew 21:4,5),

Even the angel that brought the news of the incarnation to Mary, said to her, that her Son should be “great, and will be called the Son of the Highest”; and that “the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David”; and that he will “reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there should be no end” (Luke 1:32,33).

1. Having looked briefly at a few of the Biblical prophecies that Christ would be a king, I want to move on and show that Christ both was a King and still is a King today.

First:

Christ was a King before his incarnation,

During the time the Old Testament was being written. He was King over the people of Israel; not simply as a nation; but as a church, a kingdom of priests, or a royal priesthood; and he was the Angel that was with them, the church in the wilderness, He spoke to Moses on mount Sinai; and gave them the ten commandments for the rule and instruction of the people: he was the Angel that went before them, to guide and direct them. He appeared to Joshua, with a drawn sword in his hand, and declared himself to be the Captain of the Lord’s armies, to fight their battles for them, and settle them in the land of Canaan. David speaks of him as a King in the Psalm we read earlier (Ps. 45:1-17), and represents him as a majestic and victorious Prince.

Secondly Christ was King during his incarnation

He was born a King, the wise men understood this by the star that appeared at his birth and that guided them to come and worship him. The angel that brought the news of his birth to the shepherds, declared, that that day was born a Saviour, Christ the Lord. Christ himself acknowledges this when he was asked by Pilate, whether or not he was a King? he answered in a manner which implied it, though at the same time, he declared his kingdom was not of this world, but of a spiritual nature (John 18:36,37).

At the beginning of his ministry Christ stated that the “kingdom of heaven was at hand”; that is, his own kingdom, which was going to take place, with some evidence of it; and he assures the Jews, that the kingdom of God was then within them, or among them; though it came not with the observation of the vulgar: nor with outward show, pomp, and splendour, like that of an earthly king (Matthew 4:17; Luke 17:20,21), and Christ was known, and owned by some, as a King, though not by many: Nathaniel made the following noble confession of faith in him, respecting his person and office, upon a conviction of his being the omniscient God; “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God! thou art the King of Israel!” (John 1:49). When Christ entered into Jerusalem, in a very public manner, whereby was fulfilled the prophecy of him as a King (Zech. 9:9), not only the children cried, Hosanna to the Son of David! expressive of his royal character and dignity; but the disciples, in so many words, said, “Blessed be the King, that cometh in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 21:4,5,9 Luke 19:38).

Thirdly:

With Christs ascension into heaven, he was made “both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36), It is true that he was both Lord and Christ before this of course; but at that time he was publicly declared to be so, and it was made more evidently the case; then he was exalted as a Prince, as well as a Saviour, and highly exalted, and had a name given him above every name; and angels, authorities, and powers, were made subject to him. He then received the promise of the Spirit, and his gifts from the Father, which he gave to the apostles; who were to preach his gospel with great success all around the world, and so enlarge his kingdom, from these small beginnings, his kingdom which was at first like a grain of mustard seed has continued to increase and expand up to the present day, and in this way, Christ has been exercising his kingly office in the world.

So far tonight we have looked at Christ as King both foretold, and Reigning, before closing I want to briefly consider the subjects of Christs kingdom and how Christ exercises his kingdom in their lives.

Who are Christs subjects? A king without subjects, is no king at all.

In one sense, as God we could say that “His kingdom rules over all” (Ps. 103:19), but Christ’s kingdom, as Mediator, is special and limited, and is over a certain number of men; at various times Christ is said to be “King of Israel”; to reign over “the house of Jacob”; to be set King upon “the holy hill of Zion”; and to be “King of saints” (John 1:49; Luke 1:33; Ps. 2:6; Rev. 15:3), and by Israel, and the house of Jacob, are not meant the people of the Jews, as a geographic nation, Christ was never king over national Israel, who would not have him to reign over them, but he is King over the church, the spiritual Israel of God that consists of both of Jews and Gentiles, those among all nations; whom Christ has redeemed by his blood, the object of God’s love and choice, and to these Christ stands in the relation, and bears the office of a King; and they are his voluntary subjects; and who say of him and to him, “Just and true are your ways, O King of saints!” (Rev. 15:3), the church of God is Christ’s kingdom, and the members of it his subjects.

Christ executing his Kingship:

If the church is the Kingdom of Christ, and we are members of this Kingdom, how does His Kingship manifest itself in our lives?

I believe there are two specific ways that this kingship is exercised

1. Externally

2. Internally

Looking first at the external.

This kingship is exercised through the public preaching from the Bible;

Whenever his word is preached, either calling people to submit to his Kingship, or when preaching is used to instruct those who have already come to him. It is the rule and standard of their faith and practice, Christ sets the truth before us, showing us what they are to believe concerning him, and what our duty is in obedience to him,

Another external or public way in which this Kingship is exercised is through the use of the ordinances of baptism and the Lords Supper.

Christ gave a commission to his apostles, as to preach the gospel, and to baptise believers and all who become members of his visible church, the subjects of his kingdom, should first submit to this ordinance, following the example of the first converts who were first baptised, and then added to the church.

Appropriately for tonight of course,

Public prayer, is another appointment in Christ’s kingdom, the church; this is distinct from the duty of private prayer, and is what goes along with the public ministry of the word; this is what we are told the apostles gave themselves continually to; and what the first Christians continued in. (see Acts 2:42; 4:31; 6:4).

We could also mention the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, in a public manner, in the churches, is another ordinance of Christ’s Kingdom (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16), and in the doing of which, we express their joy and gladness, in our King. (Ps. 149:2).

Internally

The kingly office of Christ is exercised internally n the life of a believer, by his Spirit and grace in the hearts of his people, in the conversion, in their protection from their enemies, and in his provision for them.

Christ conversion of his people can be considered as his rescuing them out of the hands of those who have usurped dominion over them. While we were in an unregenerate state we were in rebellion against him as the apostle expresses it “We ourselves were foolish and disobedient”, disobedient to God, and disobedient to Christ, “serving various lusts and pleasures”: Satan, the prince of the power of the air, works in the children of disobedience; and they conduct themselves according to him, and according to the course of the world living according to the will of men, and not according to the will of God (Isa. 26:13; Titus 3:3; Eph. 2:2,3). Satan, the god of this world, has power over them, and leads them captive at his will.

When Christ through the power of his grace makes his people willing to submit to him, and serve him, and him only, acting as King in Zion, enacts laws, appoints ordinances, and gives out commands, which he writes, not on tables of stone but upon the of the hearts of his people he puts his Spirit within his people, to enable them to walk in his statutes, and to keep his judgements, and do them.

Lastly for tonight:

Christ’s kingly office is further exercised, in the protection and preservation of his people from their enemies; out of whose hands we believers were taken. These enemies of our souls who attempt to entice us to return to our former state and way of living.

We are protected and preserved from sin: not from the indwelling and promptings of it, but from the dominion and damning power of it. The grace that works in us is preserved. Christ, as our Prince, as well as our Saviour, gives repentance to his people, applies the pardon for sin; and he not only gives this grace to his people; but every other grace as well. Faith, hope, and love: all of these are his royal gifts to his people, and are worked in their souls by his reigning power in their lives.

It is in this way that Christ rules, and preserves his people, so that not one of them is lost; that their faith does not fail.

Conclusion

As one write expresses this glorious truth

(Christ) is able to keep them from falling, finally and totally, and he does keep them; they are in his hands, out of which none can pluck them: they are protected by him from Satan; not from his assaults and temptations, to which the most eminent saints are exposed; but from being destroyed by him, who goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, and would gladly devour them: but Christ is able to help them, and does; and knows how to deliver them out of temptation, and does, in his time and way, and bruises Satan under their feet; so that, instead of being destroyed by him, he himself is destroyed by Christ: and they are protected from the world, its force and fury; he makes their wrath to praise him, and restrains the remainder of it. In short, he protects them from every enemy; and from the last enemy, death; not from dying a corporal death, but from the sting of it; and from it as a penal evil; and from a spiritual death ever more taking place in them; and from an eternal death, by which they shall not be hurt, and which shall have no power over them.