11/25/07 - Christ the King - Jer. 23:2-6

A KING UNLIKE ANY OTHER
- He is just and right
- He saves and protects

The Old Testament Israelites were used to terrible kings. Because while they lived in the Promised Land there were very few rulers that were godly in any sort of way. David was good and his son Solomon was all right, but remember that after the time of King Solomon the Promised Land was divided: the northern half was called “Israel” and the southern half was called “Judah.” And each area began to elect its own kings. In the land of Israel Scripture records for us that they did not even have one worthwhile king for their entire existence - over 250 years! None of their kings remained Christians their entire lives. The land of Judah was a little better. There were five, maybe six, kings that remained faithful to the Lord compared to about 15 others who were either completely heathen or at least angered the Lord in various ways with various sins during their rules.
The reason I am reviewing Israelite history for you is because our sermon text for today - Jeremiah 23 - picks up right near the end of these ungodly times. And to understand the impact of the words in front of us today it’s important to remember what those kings were like at that time. The prophet Jeremiah served God’s people in the land of Judah right up until the end. And the king who ruled when Jeremiah began his ministry was Josiah - the last good king. After that, everything went down hill. Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah were the final four kings of God’s people. And the Bible says of each of those four kings, “He did evil in the eyes of the LORD” (2 Kings 23:32,37; 24:9,19). During the reign of one of these evil kings, King Jehoiachin the words of our text are spoken. And when the Lord spoke to Jeremiah and gave him this prophecy, it must have struck a chord in the hearts of those people who still believed in him because it was a prophecy about a righteous King. “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.’” This King whom the Lord would raise up for his people, would be unlike any other. He would be one who was just and right. And he would be one who would save and protect.
I’m sure the believers at that time were thrilled to hear this prophecy! Finally, a king who will not be corrupt, one who would rule with wisdom, one who would keep them safe! But then the last part of the prophecy must have dawned on them: “He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.” “Wait a minute,” those believers must have thought. “What kind of king are we talking about here? This isn’t any ordinary king. This must be the Messiah! This must be the Promised One if the LORD calls the King who is coming the LORD!” And, of course, it was the Lord. The long-awaited Messiah, which in Greek is “Christ.” Messiah and Christ both mean, “Anointed One.” Christ Jesus did come into the world from the line of David. He was crowned King. He did do what was just and right in the land. He never made mistakes. He never made a bad decision. And he still doesn’t.
The King, Jesus Christ, who came into this world to rule, still rules right now. In heaven, over earth, and in our hearts. And so he still never makes a bad decision. I want you to think about that. Christ the King never makes a bad decision. I want you to think about that because I’m sure you’ve underhandedly excused him of that before, haven’t you? Think of how many times in your life you have scratched your head and wondered, “What are you doing, Lord? Why is this happening? It doesn’t make any sense that you’re letting my suffering linger or this war continue or these catastrophes to occur. It doesn’t make sense. How is this showing your love?” Now, let’s stop right there. I would find it hard to believe that there is somebody in this building right now that does not have these kind of thoughts at least every once in a while. And I’m no exception. I too question the King’s decisions. Especially when I think my plans would be for the good of his kingdom. “Lord, I’ve been trying and trying to spread the gospel to this person, why aren’t you letting it happen? Why don’t you take the obstacles and road blocks away? I thought you wanted everyone to be saved!” “Lord, when will you make this congregation grow? When will you give us a building? When will you bless our efforts?” “Lord, could you please help me get over this illness? I have to do your work for your people! I’ve been sick all week and you know I’ve got a lot of things to do before Sunday! I need to feel better to do what I’ve been called to do!”
These are not the thoughts of a humble servant of the King. These are thoughts of a rebellious trouble-maker, one who thinks he knows better, one who thinks he might even be able to do better than the King himself. These thoughts of mine and the similar thoughts that run through your head about different things in different ways are not merely harmless questions. They are mutinous. They are insubordinate. They are defiant. Who are we to question the King? Who are we to doubt that he does everything justly? Who are we to wonder if he is always right or not? The King does not allow that kind of attitude. He demands obedience. He demands complete loyalty. And so questioning the King is not a mundane pastime time like we are used to in this country when talking about the president. It is not our privilege or our right to cast doubt on his authority. Questioning the Lord, questioning THE King is worthy of death. And don’t think that is an empty threat. Because unlike any other king, this King always knows what you are thinking and he always does what is just and right. Even when it comes to punishment.
But the Old Testament Israelites during the time of Jeremiah stilled looked forward to this King. Even though they too were worthy of death - they looked forward to this King because this King would save them from death. “In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety.” This King, our King, is just and right, but he also saves and protects. He did promise to judge sin and insubordination. And so he did issue the sentence of death and punishment because of those sins. He just didn’t mete out that punishment on us who actually deserve it. He took the punishment himself. Did you catch that? The King took the punishment himself. Our King really is unlike any other! What other king would do that for his subjects? What other king would put his neck into the noose knotted for those who rebelled against him? What other king would lay his head on the guillotine in place of those who were insubordinate? What other king would sacrifice his own life so that those deservedly on death row could be freed? There is no other king like our King who “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). This is how the future Messiah would save the people of Israel. This is how our Christ has saved us.
It is almost unfathomable to think that when our eternal, immortal, all-powerful King came into the world he created, he allowed himself to be cruelly treated like a disobedient slave. He was verbally and physically abused beyond anything we have ever experienced. Our King even allowed himself to be murdered! But when he died, he won. And when he rose, he proved it. And when he ascended into heaven, he reigned. And he still does. Our King, the King who is unlike any other, still reigns and rules from his heavenly throne above, taking care of the very same sheep he died to save on earth. And so we will not face our deserved death penalty after all. We will never have to see the eternal punishment that rightly awaited us. Rather we will see our Savior and live the life of holy luxury in the palace of our King.
That’s a nice leader to have, isn’t it? It’s a comfort to live under the rule of one who is all-knowing and ever-loving. It gives us a sense of peace and tranquility to know that he who was powerful enough to save us is still here to protect us. And that promise of protection and safety was an important aspect of the King’s future reign to the people during the time of Jeremiah. Because when these words were prophesied about the future King, the northern land of Israel had already been taken into exile by the Assyrians. Half of the Israelite’s countrymen were no longer in the Promised Land. And the Lord had just told King Jehoiachin that he would hand him and the land of Judah over to the Babylonians. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the Babylonians invaded Judah during that time and took Jehoiachin prisoner. And nine years later Jerusalem and the temple itself were completely destroyed. The people of Israel were not used to living in safety at that time. They lived in fear. They went about their lives in constant worry. And so the promise that this future King would protect them and they would live in safety was an incredible blessing that they desperately looked forward to.
That blessing may not be as urgent or as meaningful to us as Christians in the 21st century living in North America. We don’t have nations visibly at our doorstep ready to conquer us. We don’t have specific prophecies from the Lord that we will be destroyed in only a few years. We live in a land of relative safety compared to the turbulent times and places of ages past. But the safety and the protection that Christ our King offers us is still an extremely calming thing to know. Our King, the one who broke the chains of death, completely destroyed sin, and reigns victorious over the devil, promises to protect us from those very things throughout our entire lives. And the King, of course, is always in control. He may allow Satan to do his evil work, but only to a certain extent. The devil always has to answer to the Lord. The King may allow the world to tempt us in various ways, but not more than we can bear. He may allow our sinful nature to continue, but will not let it overtake the faith he has placed in our hearts. Our King is that powerful. Our King is that caring. He will not let us fall into spiritual captivity because he wants us one day to live with him in heavenly freedom.
It is a good thing we have a King unlike any other. Because it takes a King unlike any other to do what he did: live a perfect life as a true human being, make his death a ransom for the sins of the world, and rise as only the true God could. And now, as he sits on this royal throne, he still does what is just and right. He still saves and protects. And he still is the King whose coming believers look forward to with eager and excited faith. Rejoice that our King came. Rejoice that our King reigns. Rejoice that our King will come again. And rejoice that our King is unlike any other.
Amen.

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” - 1 Tim. 1:17