Christ the king

Old Testament promises

God promised King David (in 2 Samuel 7:11-13) that He would establish the throne of one of Kind David’s descendants forever. Yet who would this king be, and how could his throne endure forever except it be God Himself who fills this role?

There are quite a number of themes developed in the Old Testament scriptures which are reconciled in the gospels and developed further in the epistles.

• The promise of a redeemer
• A conqueror
• A king
• A sacrifice
• God together with His people
• God’s form
• Intercession

The prophets talked about an eternal kingdom, and there is an expectation among many that the kingdom would be an earthly, physical kingdom like king David’s. Yet in a related theme, God had also promised a kinsman redeemer. He had a longstanding promise given to Eve that one of her offspring would crush satan’s head. The fall of man separated man from God, and only God was able to fix this problem.

God has a long-standing desire that He would be our god and that we would be His people. Yet, He can’t be everyone’s god. God gave man free will, and not everyone is compatible for a close relationship with God.

A Redeemer

Immediately after the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, a promise of a redeemer was given; someone who would spiritually conquer the works of Satan. Who but God alone could conquer Satan? Only someone who is not fallen would be in a position to conquer. Yet, Eve was told that one of her “seed” would crush his head. How could this be?

God gave us clues to this mystery throughout the Old Testament with talk of a “kinsman redeemer.” Job, Ruth, the law, and the prophets all develop the thought more deeply. Isaiah offers an important clue as to the identity of the redeemer in that “there was no man”, so “His own arm brought salvation for Him.” Isaiah concludes that the “Holy One of Israel is the redeemer.” But when and how exactly?

A Sacrifice

The notion of a sacrifice is found as early as the Garden of Eden. Immediately after the fall, the nakedness of Adam and Eve was apparent. God provided a covering of animal skins for the naked humans. The teaching was further developed as God taught Abraham about sacrifice (the sacrifice of his only son) and that ultimately, God Himself would provide the sacrifice.

The prophet Isaiah revealed in Chapter 53 that His “righteous servant will justify many and bear their iniquities”. How will this be fulfilled? How could a person bear the iniquity of others? Yet, this is the teaching from God.

A kingdom

God, through Moses, told the Israelites “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all of the nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:5-6)

A conqueror / a king

A kingdom implies there would be a king. God’s kingdom endures forever (Psalms 145:13.) For God’s kingdom to have a king, it would either require a succession of mortal kings, or the appearance of a king that would live forever. The idea of a kingdom backed by God resonated with the Israelites. Many looked for a messiah that would set up an eternal kingdom, and with the arrival of Jesus, many asked if he would be the one. However, God did not give a timeline for the consummation of the age and the formation of an eternal kingdom. What did God mean when He said He would make a “kingdom of priests”? That sounds highly irregular. What is He driving at?

God’s form

The Genesis account teaches that God made man in His own form — in His own likeness (Genesis 1:26). As humans, we know what we look like, is that what God looks like? Yet even in Genesis we read where “the Spirit of God hovered over the waters…” (Genesis 1:2.) And we read where God was with the Israelites in the desert — appearing as a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. How many forms or persons are there? This too is developed throughout the scriptures as the “Angel of the Lord” is seen by Abraham, and as Moses learns that “God is One,” he learns that God is a plurality. How does this work? When pressed for a name, God tells Moses to tell Pharaoh that “”I AM or “I WILL BECOME WHO I WILL BECOME” has sent him.

God’s Presence together with His people

God enjoyed spending time every day with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, but this was disrupted by the fall. God has a dream that we would be His people and He would be our god. In His estimation, this involves togetherness. Given God’s various forms, how might God choose to be with His people? Could there be multiple aspects to this?

Intercession

We find Abraham interceding for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:30).

Job would pray frequently for his children.

Isaiah prophesied (53:12) that the suffering servant will make intercession for the transgressors. How will this be fulfilled? Are these setting a precedent for something greater?

New Testament fulfillments

The Kingdom of God

The many questions outlined above find their answers in the gospel message. Jesus said that He didn’t come to abolish the law and the prophets but to fulfill them. The gospels give different accounts from different authors that resolve these questions and create some new ones.

The man

John just puts it out there and says that Jesus is God in the flesh.

Luke traces Jesus’ step-father’s genealogy all of the way back to Adam as if to say that Jesus, was a descendant of Adam (and Eve) and fulfills the promise given to Eve about her seed. (The seed that will crush Satan’s head.)

Matthew traces Jesus’ mother’s genealogy back to David, as if to connect to his audience which is looking for fulfillment of the promise that a descendant of king David would rule as king forever. Being both God and human, Jesus is in a position to ultimately rule as king forever.

The gospel writers all took different approaches in capturing the story of Jesus, yet their accounts agree.

For Jesus to be king, it affected everyone in the spiritual and political landscape. The Essenes looked for the Messiah and welcomed Him in His spiritual role. The Sadducees had political ties to the rulers and felt threatened that they might lose their position of power. They had to put an end to Jesus. The Pharisees objected to Jesus’ role as both God and man because they didn’t understand the scriptures correctly. The proofs Jesus gave of his divinity (such as pronouncing the forgiveness of sins to a lame man only for him to receive healing as a result) were impossible to refute. They declared that “only God can forgive sin” (which is correct). Yet, rather than accept that God can become man, they persisted in their error. Finally, the Zealots were happy with any Jewish overthrow of Roman rule, yet when questioned, the authorities found no crime. Jesus did not fall for the traps set by the teachers of the law, and suggested people “render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and render unto God that which is God’s.”

Jesus frequently identified Himself in the gospels as the “son of man.” This seemingly innocent phrase is actually very powerful for it comes from the vision of Daniel (7:13-14) in which Daniel saw a “human” among the creatures of Heaven. “He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” With this phrase Jesus declares Himself to be both God and man! He explains that it is possible for God to become man. It explains God’s explain explanation of His name to Moses. “I AM” or “I WILL BECOME WHO I WILL BECOME” finds fulfillment as God takes on human form. It explains how that a “seed” of Adam and Eve could be strong enough to overpower Satan, destroy his works, and crush his head. It explains how that king David could call someone both “offspring” and “Lord.” The great dilemmas posed in Old Testament scripture find resolution with a proper understanding of the works God is doing, and comes together, as described in the gospels, as God takes on human form in the person of Jesus.

The message

The gospels tell the story of how Jesus went from town to town announcing that the kingdom of God (or alternatively the “kingdom of Heaven”) was near. Jesus would promote this kingdom as the people of the day discussed its meaning. While many followers left Him upon learning of the spiritual (rather than immediate physical) meaning behind His teaching, He was welcomed into Jerusalem and hailed as king only to have the crowd turn against him days later.

In retrospect, we find that His kingdom is both spiritual and physical. After His resurrection, Jesus ascended to Heaven (in the clouds as predicted), and is now seated at the right hand of the Father, and serves to make intercession on behalf of the saints.

Jesus trained His disciples in the teaching, and sent the Holy Spirit to be with them in His place. He promised to return one day, and in the book of Revelation (of Jesus Christ) we find that Christ will return to conquer the evil nations of the Earth, establish a physical kingdom on the Earth, rule and reign for a thousand years, present it all to the Father, and turn the page on this day and age to begin a new one with a new Heaven and a new Earth. The kingdom is, and is not yet.

The mission

In His visit over 2000 years ago, Jesus came as the kinsman redeemer. He came as the suffering servant of Isaiah 53. Jesus came as the sacrifice described in the law of Moses. He made Himself a ransom for many. But now, after His ascension, Jesus serves to make intercession with the Father on our behalf.

God’s presence

In the Garden of Eden God would often spend time with Adam and Eve. But, the “fall of man” caused a rift between God and man.

God visited Abraham in human form, in a form called “the Angel of the Lord.”

God visited Moses in the form of a burning bush, seen as a cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night.

God visited the Old Testament prophets, kings, and priests through His Holy Spirit.

God spent quite a bit of time in human form, face to face with the people of Israel, as Jesus walked the land.

The Trinity (the Father, Son, and Hold Spirit) can be seen together at the baptism of Jesus.

God will spend time with His followers some day in the future in the Holy City, the New Jerusalem. The Holy City will be quite a place where special communion can occur with God. His presence will be there, and His radiant glory. The Millennial Kingdom will be a time when God physically sets up an Earthly kingdom, ruled by King Jesus, and fulfills the expectations of the Jews of long ago. The New Jerusalem is in a New kingdom, set on a new or restored Earth. It will be a long term fulfillment of God’s plan for man as He establishes His Kingdom and presence with the humans He loves.