Matthew 27:27-31

"Where is the one who has been born the king of the Jews?" (Matthew. 2:2) You may recognize that question.  It was asked by Wise Men who came seeking the newborn Savior.  About thirty years later, in the same city where the Wise Men had posed their question, the Roman governor Pontius Pilate asked Jesus "Are you the king of the Jews?" (Matthew 27:11)  It was difficult for him to believe that the Jews would hand over their king to be judged and condemned to death.  The Roman soldiers who were with Pilate thought it absurd and used the opportunity to heap ridicule on Jesus.  They crowded around this teacher from Nazareth and took one of their soldier's robes and put it on him like a king's robe.  They took some thorns and twisted them together for a crown on his head. They put a simple reed in his hand for a mock scepter.  And then they bowed down and sarcastically exclaimed, "Hail, king of the Jews!"

But they were right.  Jesus is a king.   He is the almighty King of heaven who came to fight for his people.  He came to overcome the power of sin and the hold of death; we have “the victory through our Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:57).  By his death the Lord Jesus came to “destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14).   For that purpose he is the King who rules a special kind of kingdom.  He said, “I am a king.  In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone on the side of the truth listens to me” (John 18:37).  Jesus rules in the hearts of believers by the faith that is created and sustained in their hearts through his word of truth.

And he is the King who will return with all his angelic hosts.  Ten thousand times ten thousand angels will appear on the Last Day, and King Jesus will come in power and glory and be seen by all.  When he appears then, no one will think that his title is absurd for there will be no doubt that he is King of kings and Lord of lords.

Hailing him as our King, we are assured that “the Lord will rescue us from every evil attack and will bring us safely to his heavenly kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:18).