TO THE CHURCH
- Pastoral Newsletter - December 1, 2023
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” | Matthew 2:1-2
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” | Luke 2:8-13
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” | John 18:36-37
I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. | 1 Timothy 6:13-17
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. | Revelation 19:11-16
At Christmas each year, we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Images of sweet, little baby Jesus flood our yards and mantels as we pull out and set up our nativity scenes, and we all gather to sing those classic Christmas carols that proclaim the birth of Christ. It is easy to sing and speak of "the newborn King" without really giving much thought as to what that word really means or implies. In fact, it's easy to overlook just how prominent Christ's kingship is when it comes to Christmas or the birth of Christ:
What Child Is This?
What child is this, who, laid to rest, on Mary's lap is sleeping?... This, this is Christ, the King... Haste, haste to bring Him laud... The King of kings salvation brings..."
The First Noel
The first Nowell, the angel did say, was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay... Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, born is the King of Israel... three wise men came from country far; to seek for a king was their intent... Then let us all with one accord sing praises to our heavenly Lord...
We Three Kings of Orient Are
Born a King on Bethlehem's plain, gold I bring to crown him again, King forever, ceasing never, over us all to reign... Glorious now behold him arise; King and God and sacrifice...
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Hark! The herald angels sing, 'Glory to the newborn King'... Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord... veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail th-incarnate Deity... Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
O Little Town of Bethlehem
O morning stars, together proclaim the holy birth, and praises sing to God the King... O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!
Angels From the Realms of Glory
Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ, the newborn King.
Silent Night
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth! Jesus, Lord at Thy birth!... with the angels let us sing 'Alleluia' to our King...
O Holy Night*
Fall on your knees!... The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger... Behold your King, before Him lowly bend! Behold your King, before Him lowly bend!
*(Most of the explicit kingly references in this one are in the second verse, which is, in my experience, often unfortunately left unsung. This may be because of our culture's adoption of Christmas Carols for secular use, and the explicit kingship theme in this verse would make it less palatable to those who have not submitted to Christ as King.)
I'm sure I've left some out, but I think this suffices to make my point. At Christmas, we did not just receive a sacrifice. We received a King. The kingship of Christ is just as much of a gift to us as the sacrifice of Christ for our sin. The Jesus' sacrifice frees us from and forgives us of our sin, while Jesus' kingship rules us and leads us away from it! We do not have one apart from the other!
Sacrifice And King
The Nature of Christ's Birth
It might be worth contemplating possible reasons that we are inclined to think about Jesus' birth primarily in terms of His future sacrifice rather than His kingship. In part, it may be that the nature of Jesus' sacrifice scratches our "us-centered" tendencies more than the kingship of Jesus. After all... Jesus cannot be a sacrifice without needing an object of redemption. Jesus, theoretically, could exist for all eternity without ever becoming a sacrifice. If He had chosen not to create people who would ultimately rebel against Him, there would be no need for a sacrifice. However, whether or not we exist, He would always be a King! So, though Jesus' sacrifice is ultimately for His own glory, in a way, we are more central to the sacrifice of Jesus than the kingship of Jesus.
The Reception of Christ's Gifts
In addition to the nature of Jesus' birth, the reception of Jesus as a gift also seems to scratch our "us-centered" tendencies. In regards to being born again, we do not work to receive the benefit of Jesus' sacrifice. As we are reminded in Eph. 2:1-10, we are saved by grace, through faith, and this is not our own doing. It is the gift of God. It does not result from our works, so that no one can boast. In contrast, to receive the benefit of the gift of Jesus' kingship, we must regularly submit to Him as king, rejecting our own self-determination and self-governance! It takes the dreaded w-word: WORK!
The Image of Christ's Birth
Finally (though I can think of many other additional reasons, here), I wonder how much of this tendency is owed to the image of Jesus' birth. Jesus, though God Almighty, the Sovereign King of the universe, humbled Himself and took the form of a servant (Phil. 2:1-11). He was a seemingly helpless little baby. Granted, this image doesn't lend to the picture of a sacrifice, either, but that's besides the point. The point is that we don't look at a little baby and think: "King." We think of a sweet, little precious gift from God that is totally dependent on everyone else. We don't think of us being dependent on the baby.
And yet, this is the reality of Jesus' birth. We are dependent on Him! Not just as our sacrifice, but as our King! Without His kingly rule in our lives, we are left to do what is right in our own eyes, and if you read through the book of Judges, that'll show you how dangerous of a venture that is real quick. We would rapidly descend into a spiral of moral ambiguity and lawlessness (which is actually being displayed by our culture right now). We believe ourselves to be immune from this spiral, but we aren't. Many Christians, as well meaning as they may seem, live with much more appreciation for the sacrifice of Christ than for the kingship of Christ, not realizing that, in reality, they are inseparable. To receive Christ as Savior is to also receive Him as Lord.
Application as a Church
Christ's Reign over the Church
Here's the question for us as a church: How is it that Christ reigns in and over His Church (Big C) and in individual churches (little c)? We do not have a throne in our sanctuaries or in our church offices upon which Christ sits and rules over us. His throne, while being in heaven, exercises authority over us through the throne of our hearts as they are transformed by His Word.
The subjects of Christ's kingdom make His kingdom evident in the way that they live. They live, collectively, with Christ as King by living, collectively, in submission to His Word. What this means is that the ultimate authority in an autonomous, congregational, Southern Baptist church being led through "democratic processes" is NOT THE PEOPLE! Nor is it the Pastor(s)! It is Jesus Christ, who exercised His authority in at least two ways: the Word of God and the indwelling Holy Spirit! When we fail to study and know God's Word and when we fail to pray for the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us, we rebel against Jesus' rule by ignoring Him.
Some crucial questions that flow from the previous question are: How is it that a church puts this understanding into practice? How are these truths to be fleshed out? What in our current system needs to be adjusted in order to foster healthy submission to Christ as King? What in our system fosters Christ-less authority struggles within the church? Knowing the source of Christ's authority, how is it that His authority is to be exercised?
Personal Application
Christ's Reign over the Christian
In the same way that Christ exercises authority in the church through the Word of God and the indwelling Holy Spirit, He exercises authority in the lives of individual Christians. A Gospel-Driven, Bible-Fueled, Spirit-Led church must necessarily be composed of Gospel-Driven, Bible-Fueled, Spirit-Led Christians! There is no way around it, for the whole, while being one, is made up of many parts! Each of those parts, in order to bring the whole under submission, must be in submission individually as well!
So, in the various spheres of your life, where is Christ's reign over you more apparent? Where is it less apparent? How often do you consider your alignment with the King of creation? Who else is looking into your life to check your alignment with Jesus? Whose life are you looking into (with their permission) to check their alignment with Jesus? If that sounds foreign, know that this is what it is, in part, to live in Christ's kingdom in submission to Him as King. It should only be foreign to foreigners, not to citizens. If you are a citizen, submit to the King.
A Tangible Gospel Reality
Love the Gospel. Live the Gospel. Give the Gospel.
The Kingship of Christ is a wonderful part of the gospel. God has come to be our Lord, that we might be His people who walk in His ways (Jeremiah 24:7). Those who, in faith, turn to Christ, repenting from a life of sin towards a life of following Christ as King, now belong to Him. They have been set free from sin by Jesus Christ, that they might be the King's people. This is the gospel. May we love Christ as King, live as citizens of His kingdom, and give invitations into this marvelous kingdom to any who will listen. In these ways, we will: Love the Gospel, Live the Gospel, and Give the Gospel.