Long Live the King

Monday, March 14, 2022
"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever." (Revelation 11:15)
For centuries, Americans took pride in a core principle of our democracy: the peaceful transfer of power. No matter how rancorous the campaign, no matter how controversial the procedures (does anyone else remember the hanging chads of 2000?), the person who was declared the loser of the election graciously conceded to the declared winner. They put the good of the country ahead of their own desires.
Peaceful transfer of power was important long before the popularity of elections. When a king passed away, the eldest son took over. If a king had no sons, that lack of consensus about the heir apparent invited instability. One or more factions would exploit any uncertainty to attempt to impose their preference by force. The traditional proclamation, "The king is dead; long live the king!" announced that the king's son would now rule in place of his deceased father. It assured the world that the existing government would continue, and the country would not descend into chaos and violence.
This phrase is also applicable to Jesus, our heavenly king. Jesus is called "King of the Jews" by the Magi who came to Herod's palace (Matthew 2:2). The inscription on Jesus's cross said, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" (John 19:19).
Jesus died on the cross. Yet, Jesus is also the new king, who "will never die again." (Romans 6:9) This world will answer to our Lord and Savior, King Jesus!