The Return of the King

ByCarolyn E. Jacobs

Jesus is the King of Kings. But what’s his kingdom?

When Jesus was on trial before Pilate, the Roman governor, what did Pilate ask him?

Are you the king of the Jews?

Why? The Jewish leaders presented Jesus as a threat to Roman rule. They didn’t have the authority to execute Jesus, so they needed the Romans to do their dirty  work. Pilate needed to determine if Jesus really was a threat.

How did Jesus respond?

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” – John 18:36

We get a hint about this kingdom in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in the second chapter of Daniel. King Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of a statue with a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, and legs of iron with feet a mixture of iron and clay. A stone not cut with human hands hurtles toward the feet, crushing them and turning the statue to chaff which blows away in the wind.

Daniel’s interpretation of the dream explains what this stone is and what it’s doing.

And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.

Jesus’s kingdom will put an end to all others, and it will endure forever.

Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying,

Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.- Revelation 19:6

 

What do you imagine Jesus’s kingdom is like?

Similar Posts

  • Bridegroom

    And a voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” 6 Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns….

  • Priest

    This week’s name is a two-fer: Priest and Prophet.  We’ll look at priest today, and the next post will focus on prophet. Ann Spangler says: Prophet, priest, and king–these were the three major offices in Israel, titles also ascribed to Jesus. While the king governed as God’s representative on earth, the priest’s role was to…

  • The Word

    This week’s name, The Word, is so much more than a name. It’s the very essence of Jesus. John tells us about this Word. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him,…

  • I and the Father are One.

    “Before Abraham was born, I AM” – John 8:58ff   Jesus’ declaration is a challenge. It’s a WWE smackdown. He’s in a contentious dispute with the Pharisees–again. This particular argument concerns who their respective fathers are. Read John 8 for context. It always puts a smile on my face. They claim Abraham as their father…

  • Physician

    Physician is the name we’re looking at this week. It’s familiar territory – we looked at Yahweh Rophe, Yahweh Heals, back in February. Like Father, like Son. Healing was a huge part of Jesus’s ministry. Matthew says this about Jesus’s early ministry: 23 Jesus was going about in all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and…

  • Christ, Messiah

    Contrary to popular belief, Christ isn’t Jesus’s last name. Christ, christos, is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah. So what does messiah mean? Strong’s H4886, masah, means anoint. Closely related to it, Strong’s H4899, masiah, is the anointed one. Well, that’s clear as mud. Buckle up. What does “anointed” mean? To anoint is to consecrate,…