THE CURRENT REIGN OF JESUS KINGSHIP ANNOUNCED TO MARY "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David. And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end" (Luke 1:32-33). -- Tomorrow:
(1 Corinthians 15:25)
The Word of God is clear on this matter. The Lord Jesus Christ is an exalted and all powerful King NOW. We will find there to be no deficiency in His present reign. It is neither inferior nor ineffectual. We must be alert for any dogma that presents the Lord Jesus Christ as occupying a secondary role at this time. The Word of God is clear on this point, and we must be forward to accept that Jesus is exalted above all things at this present time.
Note that the angel related Christ's reign upon "the throne of His Father David" to His birth into the world. This was the appropriate time to announce His dominion! That reign is directly related to the great salvation He came to affect.
In confirmation of this, it was made known to certain wise men from the East that "the holy child" was "BORN King of the Jews" (Matt 2:2). After He was betrayed, He stood before Pilate, who pointedly asked Him if he was a "King." Jesus replied with even more precision that Pilate asked his question. "Thou sayest that I am a king. TO THIS END WAS I BORN, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice" (John 18:37).
Christ's kingship, then, did not center in the overthrow of empires, or the establishment of an earthly government. It had to do with the truth of God. His reign would be made known in getting liberating truth into the hearts of men, thereby making them free from what had enslaved humanity for 4000 long and fruitless years. His Kingship, by His own revelation, was tied to His birth, when He entered into the world. His reign began at that point, and was expanded when He returned to heaven with the spoils of His glorious triumph!
Before He died, and before His resurrection and exaltation, He healed diseases and raised the dead. He twice fed a large multitude until they were filled, with a few loaves and fishes. He stilled storms and calmed tempests. He dismissed demonic spirits with a word, and walked unmolested into territories they controlled. He summoned a fish to produce a required coin, and cursed a fig tree for not having figs. His answers left the most astute debaters of the time speechless, and never again daring to ask Him a question. He passes unharmed through the midst of people intent upon killing Him, and caused a band of men and officers to fall backward with but a word. THIS WAS THE KING!
When Nathaniel confronted the Lord Jesus, and heard His penetrating words, He said, "Thou art the KING of Israel" (John 1:49). When Jesus entered triumphantly into Jerusalem, riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey, He fulfilled the Scripture, "Behold, thy KING cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass" (Matt 21:4-5).
Here was the unquestionable King from heaven! If He commanded seven demons to leave Mary Magdalene, they immediately left (Mark 16:9). If He dismissed a legion of demons from a crazed lunatic, they only asked that He not make them leave their own country -- however, and make no mistake about it, they knew they had to leave the man (Mark 5:1-15). When He cast out powers of darkness with but the pointing of His finger, He told the people, "no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you" (Lk 11:20). No doubt, indeed! When the King of heaven arrived, the Kingdom came with Him. And that was only the beginning!
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Christ, help me to behold and comprehend the proofs of His Kingship that are found throughout the Gospels.