The Lord promised to King David: “Your house and your kingdom shall endure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever.” (2 Samuel 7:16)

Psalm 45:6 reveals that it is a divine throne that will last for ever: ‘Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a sceptre of justice will be the sceptre of your kingdom.’

And Hebrews 1:8 informs us that this is a reference to the divine kingship of Jesus Christ: ‘About the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever”‘.

Yes, Jesus is a king.  Consider some of the ways in which his kingship is presented in the Bible.

1.  He is pictured in the Bible as wearing a Crown – Revelation 14:14 ‘I looked, and there before me one “like a son of man” with a crown of gold on his head.’

2.  Jesus is pictured in the Bible as holding a Sceptre – a sign of authority (see Esther 4:11)  Psalm 45:6 says that Christ’s sceptre is ‘a sceptre of justice’. He rules with truth, goodness, and love.

3.  Next, we think about the Scroll – a king’s decrees would be written down, so they wouldn’t get lost or forgotten. (See Ezra 6:2-3) Jesus himself would often settle a point by quoting the Old Testament scriptures, and saying: “It stands written…” And his own words and works have been written down in the New Testament, so that we don’t lose them, or forget them.

4.  What about the Sword – used for fighting, or course. What kind of sword? What kind of fighting? See Revelation 1:16 ‘Out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword.’ And compare Ephesians 6:17 – The sword of the Spirit is the word of God.

5.  Then there is the Shield – Scripture doesn’t so much teach that God has a shield, but that God is a shield.  See the protection that the Good Shepherd provides for his sheep: John 10:28 ‘I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no-one can snatch them out of my hand.’

6.  And then, of course, a king must have the legal right to be king; he must be of royal blood. The very first verse of the New Testament establishes this – Matthew 1:1 ‘A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham.’

But there is one thing missing: a kingdom – a people and a place where the king reigns.

It is God’s will that ‘at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’

But what about us today?

Will we make him our King?

Will we listen to his word, and be obedient to it?

When he calls, will we come, and where he sends us, will we go?

Will we place ourselves under his loving guidance and protection?

Will we fight valiantly under the banner of Christ, against sin, the world and the devil, and remain faithful to Christ to the end of our lives?