All Hail King Jesus
All Hail King Jesus!
Revelation 1:1-18
It happened over 200 years ago, not too far from here.
Twelve-year-old Conrad Reed was playing with his younger brother and sister on the banks of a creek in western North Carolina when Conrad noticed something sparkling in the bed of the stream.
“Look at this yellow rock,” he shouted.
Soon, they were all wading in the creek bed, trying to pull the seventeen-pound rock out of the water. The kids lugged the rock back home and their parents agreed that the rock was pretty enough and heavy enough to make the perfect doorstop for the family’s little home.
For three years, the sparkling, yellow stone held the front door open in the day time and kept the door from swinging open at night. But Mr. Reed began to wonder if the rock might be worth something. On a business trip to Fayetteville, he took it to a jeweler who melted the metal in the rock and poured it into a bar six inches long. The old doorstop was worth something. Mr. Reed was pleased when the jeweler offered to buy it for three dollars and fifty cents. Only later did Mr. Reed discover that the rock contained gold. Today it would be worth more than two hundred thousand dollars.
Mr. Reed had something precious right under his nose, but never knew how valuable it was. The family passed by that gold stone day after day. They handled it. They looked at it. They knew about it. But they failed to appreciate its value.
So many times, we fail to appreciate the value and worth of our Lord Jesus.
Jesus Christ is ruling and reigning on the throne of time and eternity. No matter what the circumstances may be, He remains and always will remain our Almighty King. Too often, though, we miss His majesty.
The shepherds at the manger knew who Jesus was. He was the Savior. He was the Lord. But they didn’t know how precious and priceless that Baby was.
Simon Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. But Peter never knew how splendid and supreme was this carpenter of Nazareth.
The adoring multitude of Jerusalem shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! The King of Israel.” But that crowd never recognized how royal and righteous was that Rider.
If you have been saved by Christ, you know Jesus. We know His power at work in our lives and we know His presence close to us.
But none of us know fully how glorious and gracious our Lord Jesus really is.
We see Him through a glass, darkly, not face to face. One day, we will see Him face to face.
We know Him imperfectly, not as He knows us. One glorious day, we will know Him just as He knows us.
But even today, we can know more of who Jesus really is. I would like for you to turn with me to the first chapter of the book of Revelation. Many times this precious final book of God’s Word is called by the wrong name. Some call it “Revelations” (plural) rather than “Revelation” (singular). The correct name is “Revelation.” It’s a singular word because the book reveals a unique person, one who stands supremely alone on the platform of history: Jesus Christ.
Read with me Revelation 1, beginning with verse one.
[Read text.]
Here our Lord is revealed as He really is. He is revealed as His Majesty, King Jesus—glorified in Heaven, ruling over the Earth, and walking among His churches.
In the words we have read, John saw Jesus revealed as King. As we examine this passage, we can discover several descriptions of our King Jesus. First of all,
Jesus is Our Faithful King.
In verse five, God’s Word calls King Jesus “the faithful witness.”
The word translated, “witness” is the literally Greek word “martyr.” A martyr is someone who is faithful to the point of death. When the great patriot Patrick Henry said, “Give me liberty or give me death,” he meant that he was willing to be a martyr for the cause of freedom.
Countless Christians throughout the centuries have been faithful to the Lord to the point of death. Even today, Christian martyrs are dying for the sake of their faith in Jesus Christ. Every Christian martyr died for a worthy cause. They died for Jesus, the precious and spotless Lamb of God.
But who did Jesus die for? When the spikes attached my Lord’s body to Golgotha’s cross, He died for someone completely unworthy. He died for me. He died to become my sin and your sin.
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For [God] made Him, who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Though I was unworthy, though I cost Him His life, Jesus was faithful to me. And He remains faithful to me today—Jesus Christ is faithful. Jesus is our Faithful King! And we give Him glory, honor, and praise!
But there’s more. The Bible also says,
Jesus is our Risen King
Verse five continues:
… from Jesus, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead.
“Firstborn from the dead” describes the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
Jesus is the only man ever to have died and then to have been raised to resurrection. You might wonder, What about those other people that rose from the dead? What about Jairus’s daughter? What about Lazarus? What about others? Yes, Jesus did bring all of them back to physical life. But, one day – I don’t know what the circumstances were – but Jairus’s daughter died again. And one day, Lazarus grew old and died, too.
But when Jesus arose on Easter, He left the grave behind, never to return. The tomb was empty and remains empty. And one day, my tomb is going to be empty, too. And so is yours, if you know Jesus as your Savior. King Jesus is risen, and He gives eternal resurrection life to all who believe in Him!
In the late afternoon, Fannie Galloway crossed the road in front of her house to check her mailbox. A 17-year-old boy was driving his truck at 70 miles per hour on that narrow road. He hit Fannie, killing her almost instantly.
Herbert, Fannie’s husband of 60 years, saw the whole thing, but he did not understand anything he had seen. He suffered from advanced Parkinson’s syndrome, and the disease and medication clouded his mind so that he did not comprehend her death.
I was Herbert and Fannie’s pastor.
I drove up into the driveway of Diane, their daughter. She stopped me on the way into the house and said, “Brother Stephen, will you tell Daddy what happened to Mama?”
How do you tell a man that his sweetheart of more than 60 years is dead? How do you tell him that the woman who took care of him, clothed him, and fed him like a small child – he could not take care of himself at all – was suddenly snatched out of his life?
I entered the home and Herbert sat there, his trembling body stooped over so that he could look only at the floor. I knelt on the floor so that Herbert could see my face.
“Mr. Herbert?” I said, “Miss Fannie’s dead. That truck hit her. Mr. Herbert, do you understand? She’s with Jesus now.” Large tears dropped from his eyes and splashed on the floor. He understood.
What hope would I have had to offer that grieving family if Jesus were not risen? What comfort could I have given that man in the loss of his sweetheart and helper if Jesus were not risen? None at all.
The Bible says: “And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty” (1 Corinthians 15:14).
But because Jesus is our risen King, there is . . .
. . . hope beyond the heartache . . .
. . . victory beyond the valley . . .
. . . rejoicing beyond the resting place . . .
. . . triumph beyond the tomb . . .
. . . peace beyond the pain . . .
. . . and glory beyond the grave!
Jesus, the firstborn from the dead, promises eternal, resurrection life for everyone who believes in Him. Jesus is our Faithful King! Jesus is our Risen King! And we give Him glory, honor, and praise!
Ah, but there’s more! Thirdly,
Jesus is our Ruling King.
Verse five also calls Jesus “the ruler over the kings of the earth.”
The Bible is talking about all of the princes and presidents, all of the kings and dictators who have ever held office in all of history. The Bible says that these world leaders do not control the reigns of history. They have a ruler. One day they will bow to King Jesus!
In Philippians 2:9-11, God’s Word tells us: “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).
Long ago, England was ruled by a king named Canute. Canute was surrounded by people who were always praising him. Every time he walked into a room, the flattery began.
"You are the greatest man that ever lived," one would say.
"O king, there can never be another as mighty as you," another would insist.
"Your highness, there is nothing you cannot do," someone would smile.
One day he was walking by the seashore, and his officers and courtiers were with him, praising him as usual. Canute decided to teach them a lesson.
"So you say I am the greatest man in the world?" he asked them.
"O king," they cried, "there never has been anyone as mighty as you, and there never be anyone so great, ever again!"
"And you say all things obey me?" Canute asked.
"Absolutely!" they said. "The world bows before you, and gives you honor."
"I see," the king answered. "In that case, bring me my chair, and we will go down to the water."
"At once, your majesty!" They scrambled to carry his royal chair over the sands.
"Bring it closer to the sea," Canute called. "Put it right here, right at the water's edge." He sat down and surveyed the ocean before him. "I notice the tide is coming in. Do you think it will stop if I give the command?"
His officers were puzzled, but they did not dare say no. "Give the order, O great king, and it will obey," one of then assured him.
"Very well. Sea," cried Canute, "I command you to come no further! Waves, stop your rolling!. Surf, stop your pounding! Do not dare touch my feet!"
He waited a moment, quietly, and a tiny wave rushed up the sand and lapped at his feet.
"How dare you!" Canute shouted. "Ocean, turn back now! I have ordered you to retreat before me, and now you must obey! Go back!"
And in answer another wave swept forward and curled around the king's feet. The tide came in, just as it always did. The water rose higher and higher. It came up around the king's chair, and wet not only his feet, but also his robe.
He turned to his officers and said, "Well, my friends, it seems I do not have quite so much power as you would have me believe. Perhaps you have learned something today. Perhaps now you will remember there is only one King who is all-powerful, and it is he who rules the sea, and holds the ocean in the hollow of his hand. I suggest you reserve your praises for Him."
And some say Canute took off his crown soon afterward, hung it on the head of a statue of Jesus in the palace, and never wore his crown again.
One day every king will bow at the feet of Jesus and confess: “You are Lord.” One day every prince, princess, president, potentate, and powerbroker will be forced to bow at the feet of Jesus and confess: “You are Lord.”
And not only kings and princes, but every person who has ever lived will take his place in line to confess to Jesus: “You are Lord.” You will confess that Jesus is Lord. The question is: Will you confess “Jesus is Lord” in fear, or in love? Those who choose to bow to Jesus in this life will spend eternity with Him in Heaven. Those who must be forced bow to Jesus at the judgment will spend eternity separated from Him in Hell. Have you bowed to King Jesus?
He is our Faithful King. He is our Risen King. And He is our Ruling King. And we give Him glory, honor, and praise!
But that’s not all. Our text also tells us . . .
Jesus is our Loving King
Verses five and six describe Jesus as . . .
Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father.
Think about the love of our King Jesus. His love is a costly love. His love for you cost Jesus the blood that coursed through His veins. And His love is a transforming love. Jesus’ love changes us from paupers into kings and priests. His love turns sinners into saints.
Mary, a poor housemaid in London a century ago, had lived her life in poverty and hunger. One day, the family Mary worked for took a trip to the seashore. They invited her to come along. When she arrived, Mary rushed to the beach, looked out at the great Atlantic, and began to weep. They asked, “Mary, why are you crying?” She said, “For the first time in my life, I have seen something of which there is more than enough.”
There’s more than enough love in Jesus! Jesus offers more than enough love to forgive you of your sin. He offers more than enough love to supply all of your needs. In Jesus, there is more love than all of the drops of water in a million oceans. Jesus is our Faithful King. Jesus is our Risen King. Jesus is our Ruling King. And Jesus is our Loving King. We give Him glory, honor, and praise!
Is that all? No, there is still more. As we look on in the Word of God, we see that . . .
Jesus is our Coming King
Revelation 1:7 says:
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him..
Notice what the Bible says: Jesus “is coming.” It does not say, “He will come,” as though His return were a promise reserved for the far off future. The Bible says: “He is coming.” He is on His way.
When I was in second grade, I was in a rowdy class. Rowdy’s not even the word for it. Every time our teacher left, pandemonium erupted. Children stood on their desks, threw erasers at each other, and screamed at the tops of their lungs. But our class was at the end of a long, oak-floored hallway. And our teacher wore hard-bottomed shoes. You could hear her coming: Clomp-clomp-clomp-clomp. When we heard those footsteps, every voice was silent, every eraser was returned to its tray, and every child sat at his desk, back straight, feet on the floor, smiling sweetly and innocently. We knew she was coming.
The Bible says that Jesus is coming. He is on His way. I don’t know when He will come, but I know the day grows closer and closer. If you listen closely, you can hear the approaching footsteps. He’s coming. Are you ready for His return? The Bible says that many will mourn at His coming because of their sin and rebellion. What about you? It’s time to get ready. Jesus is our Faithful King! Jesus is our Risen King! Jesus is our Ruling King! Jesus is our Loving King! Jesus is our Coming King! And we give Him glory and honor and praise!
Oh, yes, but there’s more . . .
Jesus is our Glorified King
It’s interesting. The Gospels give us no physical description of Jesus on earth. We do not know His height, His hair color, or His weight. But we do have a description of our glorified Lord in Heaven. Look at how John describes Jesus in Revelation 1:10-16.
Notice His glorified garments. Verse 13 says our Lord’s clothes are the long robe and the high belt of a priest. On earth, Jesus wore the coarse clothing of a carpenter. In heaven, Jesus wears the regal raiment of royalty!
Notice His glorified hair. Verse 14 describes our Lord’s white hair, representing His purity and holiness.
Notice His glorified eyes: “… and His eyes were like a flame of fire.” That speaks of their penetrating purging, probing power. Someone has said, “You can fool some of the people all the time. You can even fool all of the people some of the time. But you cannot fool all of the people all the time.” You can’t fool Jesus any of the time. He can see into the deepest part of your soul.
Notice His glorified feet. Verse 15 says: “His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace…” Our Lord’s glowing and shining feet show His stability and steadfastness.
We can even hear His glorified voice. Verse 15 describes His voice as “the sound of many waters.” As John heard the crashes of the waves upon the rocks on Patmos, he realized that our Lord’s voice boomed with the same type of energy and force.
We can see His glorified face. John says that “His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.” The glorious glow of Jesus could only be compared to the sun at noonday strength.
King Jesus reigns in glory today. A popular country song a few years ago said,
Me and Jesus got our thing going,
Me and Jesus got it all worked out,
Me and Jesus got our own thing going,
We don’t need anybody to tell us what it’s all about.
The songwriter was saying, “I have my own deal with Jesus. I come to Him on my own terms.” No bigger lie has ever been told! You can’t come to Jesus on your own terms. Jesus is not a buddy that you can sidle up to any way you choose. Jesus is not merely a man. He’s the glorified Son of God. Many folks today are trying to make Jesus more and more like an average man. But God’s desire is to make average men and women more and more like Jesus!
Jesus is our Faithful King! Jesus is our Risen King! Jesus is our Ruling King! Jesus is our Loving King! Jesus is our Coming King! Jesus is our Glorified King! And we give Him glory and honor and praise!
But that’s not all. There’s more. The Bible also show us that…
Jesus is our Eternal King.
Look at how John responded to the sight of Jesus in verse 17: “And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead.” When Jesus had lived on the earth, John had leaned up against His chest. When John saw Jesus in Heaven, he fell uncontrollably at His feet. Jesus reached to John after he had fallen, and placing His hand on the apostle, Jesus reassured John with these words:
Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and Death.
Jesus is our eternal king. He is the First and the Last. Before the beginning of time, He was. After time has ended, He will be. He holds in His hands the keys and authority over death and the grave. He never stops. He never goes away. He never changes. He tells His people today the same thing He told John two thousand years ago: “Do not be afraid. I am your eternal King. Everything is in my hands.”
I’m glad I know King Jesus today, because in Jesus I have…
A life that can never be forfeited.
A relation that can never be abrogated.
A righteousness that can never be tarnished.
An acceptance that can never be questioned.
A judgment that can never be repeated.
A title that can never be clouded.
A position that can never be invalidated
A standing that can never be disputed.
A justification that can never be reversed.
A seal that can never be violated.
An inheritance that can never be alienated.
A wealth that can never be depleted.
A resource that can never be diminished.
A bank that can never be closed.
A possession that can never be measured.
A portion that can never be denied.
A peace that can never be destroyed.
A joy that can never be suppressed.
A love that can never be abated.
A grace that can never be arrested.
A strength that can never be vitiated.
A power that can never be exhausted.
A salvation that can never be annulled.
A forgiveness that can never be rescinded.
A deliverance that can never be disavowed.
An assurance that can never be disappointed.
A nature that can never be changed.
A comfort that can never be lessened.
A service that can never be unrewarded.
An intercessor who can never be disqualified.
A revelation that can never be impeached.
A victor who can never be vanquished.
A glory that can never be dimmed.
A hope that can never be disappointed.
A resurrection that can never be hindered![1]
You have heard the story of the bravery of Todd Beamer and the other passengers on United Airlines flight 93, how they overpowered the hijackers and prevented what could have been an attack on the White House or the U.S. Capitol. In the aftermath of September 11, God has given Todd’s widow widespread opportunities to give testimony to her family’s faith and hope in Jesus Christ. When flight 93 went down in Pennsylvania, Lisa Beamer lost her husband, the father of her two son and the baby girl who was still in her womb on September 11. Listen to her words:
Turning to God was my natural instinct on September 11, because as a little girl I was told of the His love for me. My parents told me of God’s love through stories from the Bible and from their own lives. Most important, they told me that Jesus is the key to unleashing God’s love in my life. Jesus is the One who able to bridge the gap between the perfect, powerful God of the universe and the sinful, human me. All I had to do was put my faith in Jesus. If I asked Him, he would forgive my sins and then help me to love and to obey Him throughout every day.
My relationship with God through Jesus has been the driving force in my life since my childhood, giving me hope for this life and for eternity. Never before has this been more precious to me than in the days since September 11. God has shown me the reality of eternity in a dynamic way these past few months. When I’m overwhelmed with sadness at what I’ve lost in this life, He is quick to give me His eternal perspective. “Lisa, this life is just a blip on the radar screen compared to your future with Me in heaven,” He says. “The best thing that you can imagine on earth is garbage compared to what awaits you.”[2]
What a testimony! In the face of tragedy, Lisa Beamer has hope for a bright future. But the only reason she has that hope is because Jesus is risen. He is our risen King and He gives eternal, resurrection life to all who believe on Him. His resurrection is our hope for the future. His resurrection is our peace in the present. His resurrection is our promise for tomorrow. His resurrection is our joy through the travails of this life.
All hail King Jesus! He is our Faithful King. He is our Risen King. He is our Ruling King. He is our Loving King. He is our Coming King. He is our Glorified King. He is our Eternal King. And we give Him glory, honor, and praise! Amen.
Someone has said, “You will never be free until you know who your Master is.” Until you bow to King Jesus, you can never have peace, joy, or hope. Today I am inviting you to bow your heart to King Jesus. I am inviting you to say, if you never have, “Jesus, I know that You love me. I know that You died on the cross to save me. I come to You, Jesus, on Your terms. I confess that I am a sinner. I turn from my sin. I trust You, Jesus, to save me. I make You my King.” In a moment, we will sing a hymn of invitation. If you want to make Jesus your King today, step out of your seat, walk down this aisle, take my hand and say, “I want to know King Jesus.” I’ll know exactly what you mean. We can pray together for Jesus to save you today. You may have another decision to make today, a recommitment to Christ, or a decision to unite with this dear church. You come quickly as we sing together.
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[1]From “Christ, the Center of History” by Caesar A. W. Clark. Outstanding Black Sermons vol. 2.
[2] Lisa Beamer, “The Hope I Know” Decision (September 2002): 6-8.