Christ’s kingly enthronement does not leave his priestly sacrifice behind. The two remain fused in a single image.
‘Christ ascends to the throne; but he does so as the slain Lamb of God (Rev 5:1-14). Even in his ascension, the power of Christ is exercised through his atoning sacrifice.’1Jensen and Doyle, ‘Ascension and Heavenly Session,’ 2.
‘My kingship is not of this world.’
The Age We’re Living In
This reign isn’t a distant or future event but the very age in which the church now lives — and its chief present expression is the sending of the Spirit:
‘The heavenly session of Christ is … the beginning of his kingly rule, which will continue until he returns again at the end of time. This is essential for us to understand, because it is the age of salvation history in which we are living. The supreme manifestation of Christ’s kingly rule is the sending of the Holy Spirit to confirm the teaching of Christ in our hearts, to make his atoning sacrifice a real and life-transforming experience for us, to build up the body of believers, to equip us for the task of spiritual warfare and ministry and to prepare for the return of Christ in due course. The Kingdom of Christ has many manifestations on earth, but it remains at heart a spiritual reality that cannot be tied down or manipulated by material means. In particular, we cannot say that the visible, institutional church is the repository of the Kingdom, nor that it is necessarily extended by religious activities associated with it. The visible church is a sign and a vehicle of the Kingdom of God which God uses to proclaim and establish his rule on earth, but it is not the Kingdom itself and its ministers have no power to limit the grace of God or to prevent it from being given to those outside its fellowship if God chooses to do so.’2Bray, Faith we Confess, 34. The Kingdom of God and Kingship of Christ are properly understood against the background of the Old Testament. For a short yet detailed survey, see Stephen G. Dempster, ‘Kingdom and King,’ in DNTUOT, 431-432. On Christ the King and the Kingdom of Christ, see Calvin, Commentaries, 176-191; then to Beeke, Reformed Systematic Theology, 2:1111-80; Robert Letham, The Work of Christ (IVP, 1993), 197-224; idem, Systematic Theology, 584-596; Vos, Reformed Dogmatics, 537-544.
That distinction deserves weight. The church is a sign and vehicle of the Kingdom — not the Kingdom itself. No minister can fence God’s grace or keep it from someone outside the fellowship if God decides otherwise.
Demonstrated, Not Merely Claimed
The lordship of Jesus Christ is the dominant note of the gospel message, sounded wherever we look in the New Testament. As Calvin puts it, ‘The Father has given all power to the Son that he may by the Son’s hand govern, nourish, and sustain us, keep us in his care, and help us.’3Calvin, Institutes, 2.15.5; Battles ed., 500.
And this governing power wasn’t merely claimed in word but demonstrated in deed throughout his earthly ministry.
He healed the sick (Mark 5:25-34). He delivered the demon-possessed (Mark 5:1-20). He stilled the storm, commanding nature itself (Mark 4:39). He raised the dead (John 11:1-44). And he exercised the exclusive authority of God to judge and forgive sins (Mark 2:10; John 5:22, 27).
That same authority lies behind his most frequent self-description: ‘Jesus’ preferred title for himself was “Son of Man,” which, understood in terms of Daniel 7, designates him as the one with the Divine authority to rule. Other hints of royalty from Jesus’ own lips can be found in Matthew 13:41; 19:28; and 25:31, 32.’4Thompson and Doyle, ‘Work of Christ,’ 5.
Acclaimed to His Face
The titles applied to him throughout the New Testament confirm and extend the royal claim.
‘The king of the Jews’ (Matt 2:2; 27:11, 37; John 18:33; 19:19). ‘The king of Israel’ (John 1:49). ‘Both Lord and Christ’ (Acts 2:36; cf. 10:36; Rom 1:4). ‘The Lord Jesus Christ’ (Acts 11:17). And ‘the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth’ (Rev 1:5).
This wasn’t merely a title conferred in retrospect. It was publicly proclaimed to his face during his own earthly ministry — at his entry into Jerusalem, where ‘the whole multitude of the disciples’ welcomed him: ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord’ (Luke 19:37-38).
When some religious leaders immediately called on Jesus to silence those acclaiming him, he flatly refused, answering dramatically: ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out’ (Luke 19:40).
The New Testament keeps sounding this note after his earthly ministry ended (1 Cor 15:25; Eph 1:22; Col 1:17-18; Heb 1:8; 2:8-9). He now governs the nations, occupying the singular place at the pinnacle of all created hierarchies: ‘King of kings and Lord of lords’ (Rev 19:16).
But Not That Kind of King
For all its scope and majesty, this kingship is of a fundamentally different order than any earthly throne.
Jesus repeatedly rejects the earthly kingship many try to foist upon him (Matt 4:8; John 6:15; 18:33-38). Even though ‘Son of Man’ carries the Danielic idea of Divine authority to rule, it’s a figure that keeps Jesus distinct from human kingship.
In his reply to Pilate’s questions he declares: ‘My kingship is not of this world’ (John 18:36).
Notice how consistent the refusal is. The crowd wants to make him king by force and he withdraws. Satan offers him all the kingdoms of the world and he declines. Pilate asks him directly and he redefines the terms.
He accepts the acclamation on a donkey and refuses the crown in the wilderness — and both responses come from the same understanding of what his kingship actually is.
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- 1Jensen and Doyle, ‘Ascension and Heavenly Session,’ 2. ↩︎
- 2Bray, Faith we Confess, 34. The Kingdom of God and Kingship of Christ are properly understood against the background of the Old Testament. For a short yet detailed survey, see Stephen G. Dempster, ‘Kingdom and King,’ in DNTUOT, 431-432. On Christ the King and the Kingdom of Christ, see Calvin, Commentaries, 176-191; then to Beeke, Reformed Systematic Theology, 2:1111-80; Robert Letham, The Work of Christ (IVP, 1993), 197-224; idem, Systematic Theology, 584-596; Vos, Reformed Dogmatics, 537-544. ↩︎
- 3Calvin, Institutes, 2.15.5; Battles ed., 500. ↩︎
- 4Thompson and Doyle, ‘Work of Christ,’ 5. ↩︎