“They stripped Jesus and dressed Him in a scarlet robe. They twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and placed a staff in His right hand. And they knelt down before Him and mocked Him: ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’” Matthew 27:28-29
It’s an all-too-common scenario that I am quite sure has been around since the days of Cain and Abel, the first children born on the face of the earth. If you have children who are close in age, you have likely heard some variance of this exchange. One sibling gives the other a correction or task to do…probably one originally instituted by mom and dad. So how does the sibling likely respond, even if – maybe even especially if – he knows the other is right? “You’re not the boss of me!”
It starts young, doesn’t it…this fight for independence from authority. The instinct to rebel is wired into our DNA. It comes as naturally as breathing, the urge to do the opposite of what we are told. Spend about 7 minutes with any two-year-old and you will see this truth on display. None of us had to learn how to buck authority. We all have authority issues.
From our limited and sin-blurred perspective, authority limits our freedom. It tells us we are not in charge of our own lives…that we are not the bosses. As Christians, though, we were never meant to live under our own rule. We have a King. His name is Jesus; and He is a much better Ruler than we could ever be.
The kingship of Jesus is highlighted in Matthew’s account of the crucifixion. Not only did His accusers put a robe and crown of thorns on His head, but they also knelt down before Him, making a mockery of who He claimed to be – of who He really was - the promised King of the Jews. In contempt, they even inscribed the title on the plaque that hung on His cross.
Even as believers we sometimes fail to bow to Jesus as our King. Charles Spurgeon once said, “Men might be willing for Christ to save them, but not for Him to reign over them.” How often do we refer to Jesus as our Savior but not our King? Acknowledging His kingship means admitting that He is in control of our lives. It means submitting to His authority and rule, rather than childishly insisting, “You’re not the boss of me!”
When we bow to Jesus as our King, we actually end up receiving the one thing we have been so afraid of losing – freedom. “If the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed” John 8:36.
God, thank you for the freedom found in Jesus. Help me to submit to Christ as my King, acknowledging that You are in control of my life. In Jesus' name, amen.
Topics: Salvation
