What does it look like to be a King? Pt 2

Yesterday I asked what it looked like to be king and we looked Mt 26:39-43. Let's look a little more into this night. I think that we get a really good picture of how a King acts by the way Jesus dealt with everything surrounding His crucifixion. Jesus knew that He would be crucified right after the Passover. He knew the events that would take place because they had been foretold for centuries before His birth. He still continued to move forward with the plan even though it would be painful, humiliating and ultimately, deadly for Him. So what were the characteristics of Jesus, the King that we see in this story?

First, as a King, Jesus saw that mankind was in trouble and He planned from the day of the fall to exchange His life for ours. He not only planned to make the exchange but to take on the weight of all the guilt of all man for all time. At the same time, He would take the power of death so it could no loner harm those that would be found in Him. He told repeatedly of this plan. He wanted man to know that He had not forsaken them in their guilt and shame. First, a King sees the problem and then he plans to deal with it. He is not passive.

After all of the planning, Jesus looked into time and decided that a day was right for Him to be born. He stripped off His Crown and His robe, left the glory of Heaven and was born in a manger, surrounded by animals, wrapped in rags and laid on straw. He made Himself completely dependent on Joseph and Mary. He grew up just like every other child and experienced all of the emotions and concerns of  every other child. He experienced the things we all do so he could fully identify with us.
Second, a King has empathy for those that He leads.

Jesus was fully committed to the Father's plan even though He did not want to go through with it. His love looked at the need of humanity and decided that the sacrifice was worth it. He wanted another route. He asked the Father even the night of His betrayal and trial if there could possibly be another way but once He heard the answer, He went forward with the plan. A King does what is best for those He serves. Jesus became a servant to all.

Jesus did not hesitate or look to run from trouble. He pressed the battle by continually being in the place that He knew the enemy would be looking. He went to Jerusalem, He went to the garden. He made Himself available so the enemy could come after Him. He knew that His death was the only hope for man and so He boldly put Himself in position to make it happen. Next, a King moves forward in the battle. He does not hesitate or reconsider. He is on the offensive at all times.

When they came to arrest Jesus, one of the disciples cut off the ear of a guard sent to arrest Him. Jesus stopped for the man. He saw the pain and intervened on behalf of His enemy. He healed the mans ear and rebuked the disciple for using worldly means to try and hold the kingdom. He reminded them of His authority to command the armies of Heaven and then demonstrated His power by healing the man. A king never forgets His identity even in trying times.

Jesus suffered. They whipped him, mocked Him and spit on Him all before they led Him to His death. He did not answer them harshly. He even asked the Father to forgive them because they acted in ignorance. Jesus chose forgiveness and decided to look at the best in the people that were carrying out this assault on Him. He did not desire punishment but rather, His heart was for restoration of order and relationship. He poured out His life so that it could we could be united with Him and be free of the chains of our rebellion against Him. A King looks to restore people even at great personal expense to Himself. He loves His subjects more than His own life.

After suffering the indignities and pain of the cross, Jesus was buried and then He rose again. He defeated death and held the keys of the Kingdom in His hand. There was no enemy left that had any authority. He pressed the battle, He gave up His life and won against all natural odds. What the world said did not matter to Him. He knew who He was in relationship to the Father and knew that death was defeated the moment He entered the battle. A true King will emerge victorious no matter what it looks like. He may lay down His life because the Father directs it but the victory will be His. Nothing can stand in the way of His victory.

We are called to be kings, to look at the need and formulate a plan to meet it, to surrender our right for comfort and have empathy for the people we are called to lead. We are called to serve the greatest good of those who we are given charge of. We are to keep moving forward regardless of the apparent odds. We must hold fast to our identity as sons of God by adoption through Jesus. We are given a ministry of reconciliation so we are to look for ways to restore people to the identity God has for them. We are to forgive and free people. We are to lay down our lives for those Jesus loves and allow Him to love them through us. Last, we are reminded that we are victorious, more than conquerors through Jesus. Even if we lose our lives, we win because this world is not our end.

Go and discover the king that you are called to be.