Jesus is THE Only King

This is not an Easter sermon, although it could certainly pass as one. I wrote this in my head 4 weeks ago before I went on vacation, and then never got around to typing it up and posting it. This will be a quick lesson in history and hopefully, will assist you in understanding how human emotions, desires, and wants are not God’s plan and never leads us to the right places. Understanding history helps prevent you from making the same mistakes as those who came before us and enables you to look only to Jesus as your leader: our real King. 

In the Bible, God alone led His people. First, Adam and Eve in The Garden of Eden (Genesis), and then throughout the first eight books of the Old Testament. However, as God freed the Israelites and sent them to the promised land, people His people noticed other groups had human kings and they begged God for a human king.  

1 Samuel 8:1-9 -- Israel Asks for a King 

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders. The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” 

But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them, but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.” 

God decided to give His people their wish. No longer would the Judges and/or His Prophets lead them, but they would be enslaved to a human king. They would serve this king and do his bidding, for they had rejected God as their king and wanted a mere mortal as a leader. They ignorantly wanted a person they could see, hear, and touch. Saul, the first king) He was chosen for his physical attributes. He appealed to the people due to charisma, looks, and physical size, rather than his ability to lead. He was someone God knew the people would readily accept because they did not look into their hearts or into Saul's ability, but fawned over him based on their PERCEPTION of his power and authority. 

1 Samuel 9:1-2 -- Saul Chosen to Be King 

There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was no more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward, he was taller than any of the people. 

God allowed Saul to become king, but he quickly refused to obey God’s commands, so God rejected Saul and chose David (a man of small stature and unknown to the people) to replace Saul. Although God’s rejection of Saul was complete by 1 Samuel 15, there were 7 years of Saul pursuing David to kill him after God renounced Saul and set the wheels in motion for David to take over. This was an extremely difficult time for David, and ultimately, God killed Saul and his firstborn son, Jonathan, so that David could finally ascend to the kingship God had chosen David to take over. 

Following Saul's rejection, God instructed Samuel to anoint David, a man after God's own heart, as the future king of Israel. (1 Samuel 16:1-13) This sets the stage for the Davidic dynasty and the establishment of Jerusalem as the political/spiritual center of Israel.

The rejection of Saul as king is a critical moment in biblical history, illustrating the sovereignty of God in choosing and deposing leaders according to His purposes. It serves as a reminder of the importance of faithfulness and obedience in the life of those called to serve God. 

King David is anointed as God’s chosen ruler in 2 Samuel 5, and his 40-year reign begins. David's success as a king was dependent upon his devotion to, and adherence to, seeking God’s guidance in leading the Jewish people. However, even as a God chosen king, David was a sinner. There was that huge debacle with Bathsheba, her ensuing pregnancy, David killing her husband, and then their first baby (conceived out of wedlock) dying after his birth. King David was far from perfect, and his heir, King Solomon, definitely sinned and disappointed God as well. Demanding a human king obviously wasn’t the smartest choice. 

I tell you this entire story (greatly summarized, but you have the Bible verses to read should it pique your interest) to prove to you why JESUS is the ONLY righteous KING and how human chosen kings and rulers have a tendency to enslave us rather than “set us free.” Even in this day and age, we choose leaders who we think will serve our interests, but eventually we end up serving them, their purposes, and living a life of enslavement rather than being the equal and free people God intended us to be. 

By wanting a human king millennia ago, humans set themselves on a course to reject and become rebellious against the KING God sent to rule us: His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus was born incarnate (in human form) and HUMBLED Himself to serve mankind in order that man could find peace, joy, love, and the righteous path to our eternal destiny. He came so that we would become less legalistic and more loving, choosing to serve mankind in a way human kings do not. Jesus suffered to free us from our sins and the chains that bind us, rather than forcing us into a life of debt and servitude. 

As we get closer to Easter, our celebration of Jesus’s resurrection and eternal life with Him and the Father, I wanted to remind you WHY Jesus is, and will always be, the ONLY King. He taught us, encouraged us, and through His example and the Holy Spirit, led us to the path of righteousness. He serves us by being our intercessor between our lives of selfishness and sin (cloaked in darkness) and enables God to see us as sparkling clean. Because of our true King, we are shining a brilliant white, engulfed in light, and washed clean of everything that stains us. 

This sermon also serves to show you why desiring humans as your leaders often leads us away from God and the relationship He has always desired to have with His children. People are often immoral. It was never God’s plan that we stray from Him, follow human leaders, and lead sinful lives, but people are naturally rebellious and stubborn. Eventually, He sent His only Son to be our King, and if we recognize who our true leader is, our lives will be happy, peaceful, and fulfilling even in these times of difficulty and strife. 

Seek Jesus as your ONE and ONLY King and you will live the life God has planned for you in Jeremiah 29:11-12: “For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and listen to you.” 

If you find yourself looking at human “kings” and feeling sad and hopeless, remember there is only one true King, and that is Jesus. Focus on Him and obeying His teachings and commands, then you will find that “all is well with you” and in your world. Amen. Love, hugs and blessings, Lisa ><> 

If you enjoyed this sermon, check out our others here, or if you have questions, please message us.