When the Apostles preached the Gospel in Thessalonica, declaring Jesus to be the Christ, some believed what was declared to them. Others took exception to their doctrine and raised a tumult, saying: “Those that have turned the world upside down are come hither also.” The accusation that the Jews levelled at them was that they did what was contrary to the decrees of Caesar, because they said that there was another king, one Jesus. This was a charge which, if it could be proved, might bring the wrath of the civil powers on the head of the Apostles. This charge had already been laid against the Saviour Himself. In claiming to be a king, was this not a threat to the Roman power and to Caesar himself? We know how the Saviour answered it. He said: “My kingdom is not of this world.”
How truly they spoke who said that there was another King, one Jesus. He is the ruler of the Kings of the earth. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. To Him belongs kingly glory and excellency above all the kings of the earth. None of the kings of the earth, not even a Solomon, could exceed the glory of Zion’s King. He is the chiefest among ten thousand and the altogether lovely One. The Kingship of the Lord of life and glory pertains to His mediatorial glory. It is as Mediator of the everlasting covenant that He exercises the offices of Prophet, Priest and King to His Church. His glory as Mediator is bound up with the great work of redemption which He undertook so willingly and so lovingly. He gave Himself a ransom for many. He came to set the sinner free through His glorious work on Calvary, and so lay the foundation for that glory which now belongs to Him as King of Zion. In His exalted glory now at God’s right Hand, He receives that homage that is due to Him as King upon His holy hill of Zion. God could declare of Him: “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.” He has “given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” It is said of Him: “His glory is great in thy salvation; honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him.” So too, are we told: “Thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.”
The Lord is establishing His kingdom in the world, notwithstanding the opposition of all His enemies. What folly is in the heart of man when he thinks he can prevent or hinder God’s purpose towards the children of men. It is a spiritual kingdom He is setting up in the hearts of many by His grace. What a wonderful work this is, in subduing sinners unto himself and rescuing them from the power of sin and death. His enemies shall fall before Him. What a victory He obtained on Calvary over all His and His people’s enemies! His people will participate in His victory by overcoming at last.
Samuel Rutherford in his day had no doubt about the kingly excellencies and glory of this King, one Jesus. He could not but extol Him. The following quotation bears this out: “What fairer things than Christ! O fair sun, and fair moon, and fair stars, and fair flowers, and fair roses, and fair lilies, and fair creatures! but, O ten thousand, thousand times fairer Lord Jesus! Alas, I wronged him in making the comparison this way. O black sun and moon; but O fair Lord Jesus! O black flowers, and black lilies and roses; but O fair, fair, ever fair Lord Jesus! O all fair things, black, deformed, and without beauty, when ye are set beside the fairest Lord Jesus! O black heaven, but O fair Christ! O black angels, but O surpassingly fair Lord Jesus.” Well it would be for us if we had such views of the One who is exalted a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance unto Israel and remission of sins.
To His people Christ is precious — “Unto you therefore which believe He is precious.” The Church could say in the Song, “I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house and his banner over me was love.” But what does the Church in our day know of seeing the King in His beauty and of beholding the land that is very far off? What loss is hers when it is not so, and to what can it be attributed but to her slothfulness and her backsliding. There is no change with Him. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. What mountains of separation we have raised up between ourselves and Him. Let us bemoan our folly, and seek Him anew until we shall see Him once again coming out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant, in His chariot of salvation. Only then will we be able to commend Him to others — this other King, one Jesus, whose chariot is paved with love for the daughters of Jerusalem. The Church in the Song commended Him saying: “Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.”