Jesus is the King

There are not many Kings (if any) around now a days. usually when we think about Kings, we think of power hungry, childish, over greedy, uncontrollable, war mongering, and cruel men.

But when we look at the Christian view of Jesus Christ, the promised messiah and savior. He claimed to be the King of the Universe in his lifetime, yet acted and lived quite contrary to the contemporary picture of the King we may think of. Maybe even this idea of a King is not always the case even for human ones. Anyway, I thought to bring up some areas in the bible, where Jesus talk about himself as the king. Look through these verses as the lens of what you think a natural King deserves or should be in (a nice throne room... with jewels...) and compare that with this picture of Jesus.

The Workers Are Few
35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”



Jesus before Pilate
28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.
29 Therefore Pilate went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?"

30They answered and said to him, "If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you."

31So Pilate said to them, "Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law." The Jews said to him, "We are not permitted to put anyone to death,"

32 to fulfill the word of Jesus which He spoke, signifying by what kind of death He was about to die.

33 Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"

34 Jesus answered, "Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?"

35 Pilate answered, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?"

36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then 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."

37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say correctly that I am a king For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

38 Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, "I find no guilt in Him.

39"But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?"

40So they cried out again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas." Now Barabbas was a robber.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
The Crucifixion of Jesus
32 As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
38 Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.


He spoke of this kingdom in heaven a lot with his time on the earth. A country with a King to it. He spoke of this kingdom, He spoke of its significance, he denounced improper ways to enter it or think of it, he wanted people to want to be in it, he wanted people to come to this kingdom, and know this kingdom. He died for it in the end, he died for the people he created.

What is the most beautiful experience in life?

I was reading a short article by Albert Einstein and came to an interesting topic he was discussing. Here it is. I will comment on it afterward.

Albert Einstein was considering experiences that were beautiful. Obviously we dont call them beautiful as much. Maybe wondrous or awesome. Considering the reality of existence and the mysteries that compose it. Here He goes.

"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed. It was the experience of mystery -- even if mixed with fear -- that engendered religion. A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, our perceptions of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty, which only in their most primitive forms are accessible to our minds: it is this knowledge and this emotion that constitute true religiosity. In this sense, and only this sense, I am a deeply religious man... I am satisfied with the mystery of life's eternity and with a knowledge, a sense, of the marvelous structure of existence -- as well as the humble attempt to understand even a tiny portion of the Reason that manifests itself in nature."

First comment I could think of is his initial idea of how we ought to approach this. You cannot look at existence as say, "wow this is dull and boring, I am a lot better than this stuff". Albert calls such a person dull and "as good as dead". Strong words. There should be an excitement and wonder as we consider the outer realities around us. Physics, gravity, elements and their reactions, they are above us, we cant alter them in an absolute sense.

If you notice how he begins, the experience of the emotion to know the mysterious of existence is not founded in and of ourself, for without the outer reality of existence, how could we even think and ponder upon it? Even in light of the outer existence, without our various instruments of the personal body (eyes, brain, ears, taste) that percieve it are quite dependent on their existence themselves. Without our eyes, brain, ears, taste we had no ability to percieve reality.

So the question becomes, why are we so intrigued and pushed to awe and the existence of things around us? Although there is a clear sense of corruption, destruction, and chaos in this existence; there is also however a percieved beauty, wonder, and eternality. This experience pushes in my mind the human being to awe and what Christians call, worship, lifting something above ourselves in our view of value, purpose, and direction. Despite whether we call it a deity or not. It is obviously above us, in power, beauty, and size. Thus pushing us to such an inclination.

Paul speaks about this same reality, in a different perspective.

"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles."

This mysterious yet joyful experience, Paul states ought to push us to see, search, and finally find that there was a Eternal designer and creator that made these wonderful and mysterious realities around us that we cannot comprehend fully and if we did, would invite claims of pride.

Albert, a very intelligent man; definitely smarter than me, knew from his position how incapable he was to understand the realities around him. Even stating the approach of his "humble attempt" to pursue understanding things around him. Even calling himself religious. Not in the established church belief, but the joy that comes from the knowledge of something greater than self.

So let us consider how, the evidences around us of existence in general, do not broadly display obviously that there is a creator, but clearly clues us to his existence and current involvement in the life and reality of his creation.

And if he does exist, should push us to a "humble approach" towards knowing this creator, for if we can recieve some form of happiness from the things he made around us and be in wonder of them for years, how much more will the creator who made them make us happy and create in us an awe and wonder at his person.