Word of Salvation – Vol.52 No.4 - January 2007

 

My King Rules!

A Sermon by Rev Sjirk Bajema on Heidelberg Catechism Lord's Day 19

Scripture Reading: Psalm 110; Colossians 1:15-23

 

Congregation...

At first sight, it might seem that Lord's Day 19 doesn't hold together very well. We may wonder why the article in the Apostles' Creed about Jesus being seated at the right hand of God is "lumped in" with the article about Him coming back to judge the living and the dead. What is the connection between the two articles?

Just think a little more about this: What does Jesus have to be in order to sit at His Father's right hand, and what does he have to be to be able to come to judge the living and the dead at the end of this time? What position does He need to occupy to fulfil both these actions?

When we answer that question, we have the key that opens up this Lord's Day. In order to fulfil both these tasks, Jesus has to be a King! He has to be the One who has the authority to make these things happen.

More than any kings or rulers we may know or imagine, Jesus is the King of kings. The word 'king' itself isn't strong enough, for He's way beyond even the mightiest ruler this earth has known.

Congregation, leave this service fully convinced of this one thing: King Jesus is the one ruler quite unlike and definitely beyond any other ruler. I would like to show you four different aspects of Christ's overwhelming kingship.

The first of these is that JESUS CHRIST IS MY KING RULING UP THERE.

The article in the Apostles' Creed says that Jesus "...is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty". Knowing that God the Father is in heaven, we understand that Jesus is there with Him now. As we heard in Lord's Day 18, Christ is actually there in His physical body. So Jesus, in His physical body, is there in heaven seated at the 'right hand' of God the Father.

This expression, 'right hand', means that He has the highest position of importance. Perhaps you've heard of someone being called 'my right hand man'? It means he's the one who gets things done; the one who has his boss' complete trust and authority to make sure things get done.

But, congregation, though we might be familiar with this phrase, do we really believe it when we think of Jesus? You know, without us even realising it, we can easily limit what Jesus can do. We could be treating Jesus like one of this world's great leaders from long ago. Yes, we might be impressed by what and who He was, and we can certainly feel inspired by those amazing things in His ministry, but is that it?

Could it be that our lives are a little like those Bibles which are Red Letter Editions? You have all the words Jesus spoke during his ministry written in red. Then after His earthly ministry, when He's ruling over His Church from heaven, it's just in plain old black! But the Book of Acts and all those letters of the Apostles' should be all Red Letters too! In fact, the whole of the Bible is His Word, and it all speaks of His ever-present rule.

What amazing power is exerted in the reign of Christ! People are being brought into His Kingdom! And believers are growing in their faith and growing in being able to show that faith!

These things all prove there's a King ruling in Heaven. As our Lord told His disciples when He was about to go to His Father, in Matthew 28:18, "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me." And so Answer 50 of the Catechism says that the ascension of Jesus into heaven shows "that he is head of his church, and that the Father rules all things through him."

Our Lord is up there! Just as in ancient days the king ruled from his castle, so there is now the King of kings who runs everything from the Heavenly Palace.

And yet our Lord is also right here! This is the second aspect - it proves just how great a king Jesus is, in this. For heaven is no physical place so many thousands of kilometres away. It's spiritual and so we know, secondly, JESUS CHRIST IS MY KING RULING IN HERE.

Sometimes this puzzles us, doesn't it? I mean, it's all well and good to confess in Answer 51 that because Jesus is in heaven "through His Holy Spirit he pours out His gifts from heaven upon us His members," but it doesn't always appear to work out that way. What about all the gifts and benefits that unbelievers have?

We get distracted. One of our young people finds a non-Christian boyfriend or girlfriend. "But, Mum, Dad, you'll really like him/her!"

Jesus as the ruling king seems so far away. We could wonder just who's in control anyway. But distraction by the world and resulting disobedience do not just happen! We are not just victims, to whom these things happen! The tragedy is that we turn ourselves to think this way! Have you forgotten?

All those blessings you've had under this King - the Christian upbringing, the Christian fellowship, the Christian commitment, the Christian assurance - have they now been put away, misplaced, perhaps lost altogether? Where did it all go? Once you were so involved. And you even believed the Lord had given you gifts to serve in those areas! Where did it all go?

It hasn't gone, has it? Like Jonah we may have tried to run away from God, but His calling and gifts are irrevocable. Even now you are being called back to serve the rightful king. Jesus is no Pretender. He's no Bonnie Prince Charles, from the 18th century, who was doomed to defeat in trying to take the English throne, as this world's Prince - Satan - certainly will be.

So let's not be like the grumbling Israelites in the wilderness, who, while they were receiving the blessing of the Manna every day, getting exactly what they needed, couldn't stop whingeing. They suffered their rightful punishment, because much as Moses pleaded with them, they wouldn't acknowledge the very One who kept them alive. And we must be so careful that as we travel our life's journey we don't fall into the trap of doing the same, biting the hand that feeds us.

Nor should we expect the blessings of God as a right. We only receive them from Jesus out of His grace. We don't have a right to anything at all, but we are privileged to share in Him. As Ephesians 4:7 says, each of us has been given grace from Christ.

To see it this way, in terms of receiving every spiritual blessing in Christ as a gift of grace, is to see everything in a completely different light! For, in the third aspect... JESUS CHRIST IS MY KING RULING EVERYWHERE.

Congregation, so good and so powerful is Jesus as the King that as well as being up there and in here, He's also ruling everywhere! Even those forces which can seem the most devastating to our faith are all falling into place under His rule.

In the words of Psalm 110:1-2, "The LORD said to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.' The LORD will extend your mighty sceptre from Zion; rule in the midst of your enemies."

It might appear strange that God would work even through and in the midst of evil forces to establish his righteous kingdom. Yet, ever since mankind has fallen into sin, any true peace has to go right against the grain of our natural character. True peace can only be established by battling what opposes true peace. This shows what it cost God to set up the reign of His Son. The biggest world war of all that was fought before Jesus could rule as He does now.

A person cannot exercise power while someone else has a greater power. You cannot influence another person's life, let alone have control over a whole territory, unless you have removed the opposition. Whether that's by a military campaign, or an election campaign, you cannot rule until you are in control.

Now Jesus is the King! The work by which he became king involved something far more than a physical battle. His struggle, in the words of Ephesians 6:12, was not against flesh and blood, but against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. The most desperate struggle for the hearts and minds of mankind was fought, and that battle was won!

Jesus Christ did it for you! And He keeps ruling through that victory for you! Right through until His return, right through whatever dark days yet remain, days when we could well be betrayed by parents, siblings, relatives, and friends; days when we could well be martyred for Christ; hated by all men; still, not a hair of our heads will perish without the will of our heavenly Father.

What a King He is! Right down to the tiniest detail He's in complete control. He doesn't reign from far away, nor does He reign only for our human days. In the words of Answer 51, "by his power he defends us and keeps us safe from all enemies."

Man - that's some care! And what's more - it doesn't end there! For, in the fourth place... JESUS CHRIST IS MY KING RULING WITH THE ULTIMATE CARE.

This final statement moves us on to the next article in the Creed. It is a statement that many Christians today find uncomfortable, because it doesn't seem so loving. It talks about Christ judging!

Christians can be like children who argue with their parents that they shouldn't get punished because that would hurt them and make them upset. This is the child who will say, "Dad, you know how you keep saying that this is going to hurt you more than it hurts me, well, how about not punishing me at all, and we can both be happy!"

How convenient to forget who broke the rule in the first place! But punished he or she must be because that is the most loving way - it will bless them most of all.

I'm reminded here of a children's clothing brand I saw in K-Mart which also talks about rule. But that brand name loudly proclaims quite a different view about rules. For its name is 'No Rules!'

And so what sort of cartoon character would they draw on their posters to promote this brand. Are they happy, well-balanced boys and girls? Quiet the opposite! They have angry faces. They are rebellious, disobedient, unhappy faces. How different from the face of a person whom Jesus rules. Because that boy or girl has a joyful face. They are happy because they know that Jesus is looking after everything.

The article from the Apostles' Creed about the King coming to judge is so encouraging for us spiritually because it is Jesus Christ who has come and borne our punishment on that cursed tree! True believers in the Old Testament were filled with hope as they looked forward to the coming of the Messiah to save them, and the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled their hopes. This same hope can also fill us as we look toward His coming again as Judge. As much as they then looked at the signs of the times to try and work out Christ's first coming, so let's be looking out for His coming again.

Congregation, like the wise virgins of Matthew 25, let's be found with our lamps bright and burning. The wise virgins in the parable in Matthew 25 were able to enter into the celebration of that marriage. In the same way the conclusion of Answer 52 expresses so well the joy we will have very soon. For "me and all his chosen ones he will take with him into the joy and glory of heaven."

Oh, believer, it's not long now! Already creation groans. It struggles more and more as a woman about to give birth. And soon it will come about!

Then the King whom we have known so wonderfully because He has already been ruling from heaven in our hearts, and whom we've seen ruling all around us, will supremely show that his reign is complete! Then we will lay down our golden crowns, and sing before His throne, as Revelation 4 verse 11 says, "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."

But, congregation, we do not need to wait until we stand before that golden throne! We can sing to the King right now! As we acknowledge Him and serve Him in this week ahead, we are the truly blessed subjects of the mighty and loving King!

Amen.

PRAYER:

Let's pray...

King Jesus, do come and rule in our hearts by your Spirit. Make us to be servants who do the will of One who rules from above. Comfort us in our struggles. And make us persevere until we join your victory parade. In your most glorious Name, and in the Name of the Father and the Holy Spirit, one only, true, and eternal God, we pray,

Amen.