The King has Arrived

We celebrate royalty. We celebrate it in many forms. There's the Royal Family, who are popular even among those not citizens of their country. And although they might not have the official title of king or queen, there's also pop royalty (actors, singers, etc.). However, many royal titles ascribed today and just that: titles. The title has no immediate impact on my life. I can read about them from afar, watch them on TV, even enjoy them immensely, while also moving on at any point I choose. This is a very superficial royalty.

If a member of our pop royal classes somehow loses their king- or queen-ship my and your life goes on much the same as it has. No real, lasting impact. If it's 3am, and my world is collapsing in on itself, chances are I can't call [royal person] and ask for help. If I was altogether lost, then I would probably need to look elsewhere. 

Jesus is said to serve as king, but his kingship functions much differently. If Jesus is our king, then we have a changed loyalty and our lives are directly affected by his reign.

If Jesus is our king, then our loyalty is to him in such a way that he directs our lives. No longer to be driven by whatever impulse comes over us, we are to move in the same direction that Jesus moves. And this is not out of a sense of fear, as if we were following a tyrant. It's out of love. "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." (John 14:15) We are to do the things he, our king, says because we love him. We love him, and others, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

Also, our lives are directly affected by his reign. If you are a member of a kingdom, and for some reason lose your king, then you are, in a way, lost. As a citizen of that kingdom, there is no longer anyone to give your citizenship direction or meaning. You then are at the mercy of whoever is the next king. Jesus, as our king, rules over all powers and authorities. Everything is subject to him (Ephesians 1:22, 23). Even if the world as we know it passes away Jesus will still rule as king.

We wait on many things during this time of year. One thing we no longer need to wait on is for our king to arrive. We have someone faithful and true to whom we can be loyal. We can trust that, now that he has arrived, his reign will never be shaken. With Jesus as our king we can never be lost again.