Matthew 6:33 NAS
But seek first His kingdom and     
His righteousness and all these
things will be added to you.

Few know Jesus as King and Lion,
Monarch of all humanity and
"Majesty" to the
farthest reaches of the universe.

The Lion is not containable.
He rules and roars.
He reigns in majesty and
fierce dominion.

We mice of the forest either run from
its lion or live protected in its shadow.

Matthew came first bringing the King.
The Holy Babe was worshiped as a King.
Matthew is primarily about the kingdom
as taught from the mouth of the King.
Himself!

Jesus first sermon was, "Repent for the
Kingdom of heaven is at hand."

The King was present and He defined
His kingdom, the laws of His monarchy,
the nature of His kingship.

The stories of Jesus were parables of
His mysterious kingdom.
Vivid accounts of "what the kingdom is like,"
given in picture form to prepare
us to live under its splendor,
holy and foreign to earthly rule.   

Then He proved His throne by many signs.
Dominion over disease.
Supremacy above the demonic.
Power to command matter.

Jesus ruled over all . . . as a King.

The powers of darkness bowed
by necessity to the Highest One.
Sickness and distortion obeyed
the Kingly Command of wholeness.
Loaves and fishes appeared by His
prayer and the sea turned solid as a
pathway for His princely walking.
Even death was subject to Him and
released Lazarus at the mere word
of the King who ruled Life.

Jesus, as a humble human, walked
and reigned as King.
And though He gave constant evidence
of His preeminence and countless
signs of His power, not even the
disciples seemed to comprehend
He did so from . . . a throne!

The Kingdom is the King.

Only people opposed His Lordship,
refused His reign
and even . . . killed their own Monarch.

Luke 19:14 NAS
But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation
after him, saying, "We do not want this man to
reign over us."

All the rest of creation recognized
the presence of its Creator-King.
And bowed.

Humanity will scorn Jesus,
make Him a political king,
or kill Him, but rarely will
humanity deign to see Him as the
Absolute King He is.

In regal dignity He walked away
from man's pompous crowning of Him
for a mere earthly throne.
(John 18:36)

He was already King, made so
by His Father-God.
Humanity does not crown Him.
It can only bow.
For Jesus is King of kings!
(I Tim. 6:15; John 6:15)   

Then . . . and now . . . the True King is hidden.
Only "subjects" will find Him and know
His unseen throne room.

Few who name Jesus,
welcome Him as King
to reign over time,
decisions and alliances.
Heart and soul . . . .   

This Holy King is a Lion.
He roared through the Temple,
growled at the Pharisees.

This Holy King today walks with
lighted candlestick of divine scrutiny.
Eyes of flame and feet of fiery bronze,
His mouth sends forth a two edged sword.
A blade with one side that gives life,
the other, bearing death.

Our sweet Jesus is a fierce King!
(Rev. 1:12-16)

To know the face of Christ as Lion and
let Him rule as King is to enjoy His
lovely dominion over the
deep wells of the soul and
the lofty peaks of the spirit.   

Jesus was given a kingdom.
(Luke 22:29)
And in His magnanimous nature gives us
- not merely a place as a subject -
but a position of ruling with Him, beside
Him, for Him.
    
The born again believer is called to be a king.
You are destined to reign.
The King has made you a king, given you His
Kingdom, and all of life is
a individual tutelage, equipping you
for ruling with Him . . . as kings!
(2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 1:6)

Those who know the King as Lion,
and bow to His Sovereign Dominion
will themselves reign as kings -
even in this life.

Romans 5:17
"those who receive the abundance     
of grace and of the gift of righteousness
will reign in life through the
One, Jesus Christ."

Our King is a Lion . . .
Lion of the Tribe of Judah.
Awesome, terrifying and
we shall see Him thus.
One day.

The Lamb was slain but
the Lion rose from the grave.   

In the end, it will be the Lion who overcomes,
rules over His enemies, and opens
the scroll of God's final judgment
on the earth.

Revelation 5:1-5 NIV
Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."
 

The Lamb was slain for the will of God's Love.
But the Lion reigns for the will of God's Holiness.

Copyright © 2002 Martha Kilpatrick