By: Pastor Jarren Rogers

“Here is your king.”

These are the words Pilate spoke to the crowd of Jews before Christ was crucified. These are also the words the world so often preaches to us. 

Our present culture readily places a variety of kings and kingdoms before us. Political leaders, possessions,  consumerism, capitalism, patriotism, money, power, our addictions, our past, our sin–all of them stand up and  proclaim, “Here is your king”.

Whether Pilate knew it or not, in placing the title of king on Christ, he stumbled upon great truth but also great controversy. 

“‘We have no king but Caesar,’ the chief priests answered” (John 19:5). 

These are men who despised the Roman Empire, spitting on the ground every time Ceasar was mentioned, but now they declare him king.  Not Yahweh. Not David. Ceasar is king. 

Can we blame them? We, too, are quick to grasp the idols of life and declare them king. We buy into their promises of happiness, prosperity, and peace, and these kings do rule us. They command us to the end of our resources and of ourselves. We spend until we have no money left. We hope until all our expectations have been shattered. We believe until we have nothing left to believe in. The kings and kingdoms of this world promise much but always fail us.

We must go against the crowd and declare Christ the one and only king over our lives. He is the sole person who can influence us. The only promises we believe are the ones that come from His lips. 

With the variety of voices declaring themselves king over our lives, we must be willing to place the crown on Christ’s head, surrendering ourselves to the One who loves us and really is looking out for our best interests. (Politicians may make such claims but, as we know, it’s rarely the case). Place your trust in the One who not only has the power to change your external circumstances but also desires to place a Spirit within you and change you internally. 

This king is unique because he doesn’t commit to forming the world to our liking and our pleasure. Instead, He wishes to form and mold us for the kingdom that is breaking through into our present world and will one day take over for good.

We tend to pass crowns out to so many different people, institutions, and possessions. But are you able to look at Christ as the one and only king, bow to Him, and place all your other idols at His feet?

Let Him rule, for it is in His Kingdom that we find true peace, goodness, and restoration.