Encountering Jesus | The King & The Kingdom
Encountering Jesus: The King and the Kingdom
When you hear the word king, what do you feel?
For many of us, it’s not inspiration—it’s hesitation. History has trained us to be suspicious of power. From Attila the Hun to King John of England, from Henry VIII of England to King Leopold II of Belgium, rulers have often conquered, controlled, and crushed. Across centuries and continents, the pattern repeats: power without surrender destroys.
So when Scripture says, “Jesus is King,” an honest question rises: What kind of King is He?
Because if Jesus is just another ruler demanding control, our resistance would make sense.
But what if the problem isn’t the word king—what if the problem is the kings we’ve known?
A Kingdom Announced
Jesus’ first recorded sermon in Gospel of Mark 1:14–15 was not advice. It was an announcement:
“The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.”
A Kingdom has arrived. That means a King is present. Authority has entered history. Reality is being reordered.
The Kingdom of God is not merely a place we go someday—it is God’s reign breaking in right now.
And Jesus calls for a response:
Repent—change direction, change allegiance.
Believe—trust this King and His Kingdom.
You can’t have a kingdom without a king.
The King We Didn’t Expect
The prophet Book of Daniel foresaw “one like a Son of Man” given everlasting dominion (Daniel 7:13–14). His Kingdom would never be destroyed.
The apostle Paul declares in Letter to the Ephesians 1:20–23 that Jesus is seated “far above all rule and authority,” with all things under His feet. There is no neutral ground in our lives if that is true.
Yet this King does not resemble the tyrants of history.
In Letter to the Philippians 2:6–11, we see the shock of His reign:
He emptied Himself.
He took the form of a servant.
He humbled Himself to death—even death on a cross.
Earthly kings ascend by taking power. Jesus revealed His kingship by laying power down.
And because of that humility, God exalted Him. Every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Book of Revelation 19:16 gives Him the title history never could: “King of kings and Lord of lords.”
The throne is occupied. Not by a tyrant—but by a crucified and risen King.
Why This Feels Personal
We love Jesus as Savior.
We wrestle with Jesus as Lord.
A king rules “out there.”
A Lord rules in here.
Jesus Himself asked in Gospel of Luke 6:46, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I say?”
You can say yes to Jesus.
You can say no to Jesus.
But you cannot say, “No, Lord.”
Every one of us lives under some kingdom. The kingdom of self says, “Follow your heart.” The kingdom of success says, “Prove your worth.” The kingdom of power says, “Win at all costs.”
Every kingdom promises freedom. Every kingdom demands loyalty.
The question is not, Do I believe Jesus is King?
The question is, Where am I resisting His reign?
In my forgiveness?
In my priorities?
In who gets the final word in my decisions?
Living Under His Reign
Scripture says we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. But receiving a kingdom means laying another one down—our own.
Encountering Jesus as King means surrendering the throne of our lives.
He is not waiting to become King. He is King.
The invitation is not someday—it is now.
Jesus is not just the King we believe in.
He is the King we live under.
And His Kingdom starts with us.
