Words To Remember - "The King of the Kingdom"

"But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33 - NRSV).

Under the direction of the Spirit of God, we have been on a journey through the kingdom of God.  Our journey has taken us from "The Kingdom Factor" to "Factors of the Kingdom" to "Ways of the Kingdom", and now to "The King of the Kingdom."  For the most important part of a kingdom is the king; without the king, there would be no kingdom.  So, that is why we now turn our attention to that of "The King of the Kingdom."

In Romans 10:9-10, we see these words authored by the Apostle Paul, "because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved." (NRSV).  It is imperative for us to understand the significance of Paul's declaration that Jesus is Lord, especially in the context of his day.

In Paul's day, the Roman Empire was the governing force of the known world, and the head of the Roman Empire was the emperor or Caesar.  Lordship, which entailed deity as well as kingship, was attributed to the emperor by the people of the land, insomuch that the cultic act of emperor worship was a practice of that day.  So, Paul knowing this, makes the bold declaration not that the emperor is Lord, but rather that Jesus is [the] Lord, thus ascribing not only deity, but kingship to Him.  Therefore, to confess Jesus as Lord is to declare Him as both God and King.  Jesus is "The King of the Kingdom!"  God the Father rules and reigns through His Son, Jesus!  Paul says it like this in Philippians 2:9-11, "Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (NRSV).   And the Psalmist says in Psalm 24:7-10, "Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in.  Who is the King of glory?  The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle.  Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in.  Who is this King of glory?  The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory." (NRSV).


Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords!  He is "The King of the Kingdom!"