Jesus is King

by David Beckmann

This spring we again celebrated the victorious resurrection of Jesus from the dead. In many of our churches, once Easter Sunday is over, it seems our celebration takes a break. But one of the main things Jesus rose from the dead to do was to ascend to his throne in Heaven! We need to remember his Ascension.

Jesus's ascension to Heaven took place 40 days after the resurrection (May 13 this year). This ascension is critical for us to remember for the sake of our eternal welfare.

To begin with, our Savior who is the King teaches us that if we are to enjoy his salvation, we must be his subjects. The Good News preached by Jesus was that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand – that was because HE was at hand! Now that He is on the throne, His kingdom has come. Now is the time to bow our knee to him, the One True King, and give our lives to him so that His kingdom may be in our hearts—like He said it would be (Luke 17:21).

One thing is for sure: no one goes to Heaven who is a rebel against the throne of God! Jesus's rule, though, is not just in the hearts of His believing people. It is an absolute rule over the whole universe (after all, He made it)! Jesus said, “All authority is given to me in Heaven and Earth” (Matthew 28:18). It is for this reason that all the people and nations of the Earth are accountable to him for how they live. I feel sorry for people in positions of responsibility who do not recognize that they have their positions at the King's hand, and must answer to Him for what they say and do. As Jesus the King (John 18:37) told Pilate, “You could have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above” (John 19:11). These proud rulers—who think God does not see or hear—better repent before it is too late for them, as it says in Psalm 2: “Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the Earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little."

Let us pray for our rulers. Let us pray for people who think they can get to Heaven without giving Jesus the rule in their hearts. Let us be extremely thankful that God has given us sinners the grace and privilege to be able to go through each day as subjects of such a wonderful, loving, and faithful King. Let us also thank him for the hope that one day our ascended King will return, and he will straighten everything out!

About The Author The Rev. David Beckmann is an Anglican priest and Moderator of the C.S. Lewis Society of Chattanooga. Recently, he was director of the C. S. Lewis Study Centre at The Kilns, Oxford, UK. He blogs at revbeckmann.com.