Christ Is King: Three Words That Say Everything

CHRIST IS KING.

Three words.

No complicated explanation required.

For Christians, they express something far greater than politics, culture, nationality or any earthly government.

They declare who ultimately holds authority.

A Kingdom Not Built by Washington

Americans spend enormous amounts of time talking about political power.

Who controls Congress?

Who occupies the White House?

Which party controls the courts?

Who wins the next election?

Those things matter. Government decisions affect real people's lives.

But Christianity puts political power into perspective.

Presidents come and go.

Political parties rise and fall.

Nations themselves eventually pass into history.

Christ remains.

Jesus told Pontius Pilate:

“My kingdom is not of this world.” — John 18:36

That's an extraordinary statement.

Christianity doesn't teach that salvation arrives through the correct political party, candidate or government program.

Our ultimate hope doesn't come from Washington.

It comes from Christ.

What Does “Christ Is King” Mean?

Calling Jesus King isn't simply a metaphor for saying that He's important.

The New Testament repeatedly describes Christ in terms of authority and kingship.

Revelation 19:16 gives Him the title:

“KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Philippians 2:10–11 says:

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow... And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

For the Christian, then, Christ Is King is not a campaign slogan.

It's a confession of faith.

Jesus Christ is Lord.

A Different Kind of King

The kings of history usually demonstrated power through armies, wealth and conquest.

Jesus demonstrated His power differently.

He washed His disciples' feet.

He ate with outcasts.

He forgave sinners.

He taught people to love their enemies.

And ultimately, He went willingly to the cross.

The crown placed upon His head wasn't made of gold.

It was made of thorns.

That completely changes our understanding of kingship.

Christ's kingdom isn't built through domination.

It is built through truth, sacrifice, forgiveness and redemption.

The Cross Before the Crown

Christianity contains one of history's great reversals.

The Roman cross was designed to humiliate and destroy.

Today, Christians around the world display it as a symbol of hope.

Why?

Because the story didn't end at the cross.

The tomb was empty.

The Christian faith stands on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Death didn't have the final word.

Rome didn't have the final word.

The crowd didn't have the final word.

Christ did.

That's why the cross and crown belong together.

The cross represents the sacrifice.

The crown represents the King.

Faith in a Political Age

It's easy for Christians—especially in America—to allow faith and politics to become tangled together.

Patriotism has a legitimate place.

We can love our country.

We can defend constitutional liberty.

We can vote according to our convictions.

We can debate public policy.

We can demand accountability from our government.

But America isn't the Kingdom of God.

And no politician is our Savior.

That's an important distinction.

Political leaders deserve scrutiny.

Christ deserves worship.

Freedom Requires Something From Us

Religious liberty is one of America's greatest inheritances.

The First Amendment protects both the free exercise of religion and prevents government establishment of religion.

That means Americans are free to believe.

Free not to believe.

Free to worship.

Free to question.

Free to proclaim their faith publicly.

Christians should defend that liberty not only for ourselves, but for our neighbors as well.

Because forced faith isn't faith.

Real faith requires a choice.

Why BG Put “Christ Is King” on a Shirt

Because sometimes the simplest statement is the strongest.

No clever political joke.

No complicated metaphor.

No twenty-word slogan.

Just:

CHRIST IS KING.

For someone wearing it, those words can mean:

My faith comes before politics.

My hope doesn't depend upon an election.

My failures don't define me.

My salvation cannot be purchased.

And my King wore a crown of thorns.

That's a message worth carrying.

Kings Rise. Kingdoms Fall. Christ Remains.

History is filled with rulers who believed their power would last forever.

It didn't.

Empires disappeared.

Palaces became ruins.

Statues fell.

Names once feared throughout the world became chapters in history books.

Christianity makes a radically different claim.

Jesus Christ—crucified roughly two thousand years ago—is still worshiped around the world today.

Not because He accumulated earthly wealth.

Not because He commanded a great army.

But because Christians believe the man who went into that tomb walked out of it.

That's the foundation.

That's the hope.

That's the declaration.

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Christ is King.

Yesterday.

Today.

And forever.

THE BG DISPATCH

Faith. Freedom. America.

“KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” — Revelation 19:16

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