One of my favorite movies is a fictional Revolutionary War film, The Patriot. It stars Mel Gibson as Captain Benjamin Martin, a veteran war hero of the French and Indian War. He is now a civilian, and a member of the South Carolina General Assembly that is debating support for the Continental Army to go to war in revolt against the oppressive rule of the King of England, and America subsequently establishing its own representative government. Captain Martin is opposed to this and makes this clear by sarcastically stating to the leader of the Assembly, “Would you please tell me Mr. Howard, why I should trade one tyrant three thousand miles away, for three thousand tyrants, one mile away?”
What Captain Martin is wisely acknowledging is that the rule by man of man, whether it be by a corrupt sovereign king who governs out of a lust for power prosperity and glory, or by multiple representatives from a fallen, corrupted human race who do the same, we end up with the same result; a world filled with frustration and futility, treachery and violence, inequality and injustice, misery and death.
Each election cycle in this nation, we have men and women pursuing seats of governance, proclaiming that they have or can assemble and lead others who have the wisdom and ingenuity, the power, resources and compassion necessary to successfully address these problems. And yet, these problems remain and grow worse. And based on the political machinations, manipulations and intrigue of this past election, there is little hope of these problems being successfully addressed now or in the future by the leaders of our or any other nation.
However, above all of the rulers, governments and kingly figures of this world, past, present and future, sits the eternal God who graciously reveals Himself to mankind through the glory of the natural world, through His written word – the Bible, and in the person and work of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:2-4).
Jesus Christ, God the Son, is revealed to be the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God (1 Timothy1:17); the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent creator and sovereign Lord of all that exists apart from Himself, who ultimately and indisputably rules over all the nations of the earth (Daniel 4:17); over all of the kings and presidents, senators and prime ministers, governors and CEOs, pastors and police officers, parents and teachers. To each of these authority figures, God has entrusted them with some level of rule or authority in this world to exercise according to the wise counsel of His will as it is revealed in His laws and commandments; laws and commandments given to maximize human flourishing and promote individual happiness in God.
All who have been given this authority will one day have to give an account to King Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:10), not only for how they lived their individual lives, but also for how they exercised the authority that was given to them by the King of Glory (Psalm 24:7-10), and the impact it had on His creation.
Jesus Christ, who is the King of Glory, came into this world as a man, submitting Himself to corrupt human rulers, to not only expose the unrighteous, ungodly rule of men in this world (Romans 1:18) – a world that is perishing under His judgement (Revelation 11:15-18), but also to deliver sinful men and women from that judgement (Galatians 1:4). He calls all men everywhere to repent of their rebellion against Him and believe the Gospel (Mark 1:14-15), the good news of all He has done through His sinless life, sacrificial death and miraculous resurrection from the dead to qualify those who do repent and believe to enter His eternal Kingdom. His Kingdom is one of perfect righteousness (Matthew 6:33), a world free from the frustration and futility, treachery and violence, inequality and injustice, misery and death of this world; a world that will be governed not only by King Jesus, but by justified men and women made perfect in union with Him (Hebrews 12:22-23) (2 Timothy 2:10-12).
I pray that if you have not entered that Kingdom through faith in and submission to King Jesus, that you to do so today. If you already have, REJOICE, because the Kingdom of God is at hand.
Grace and Peace ×