This past week we celebrated Easter. Easter is a powerful time, because we remember the whole point and purpose for Jesus coming to Earth to save each and every one of us. The thing I love about Jesus, is that He is a different kind of king. He flips upside down the beliefs that the religious had about Him, and He reorients us through His actions how each of us are called to live.
I have seen a lot of current culture both in and outside of Christian spaces, attempt to tell everyone the kind of king Jesus is. Some tell us that Jesus is a harsh and unwavering king. Some tell us that Jesus is a kind that is just good with the whatever we feel mentality. Some view Jesus as a political leader that is hard and fast on certain sides of the aisle.
So, what kind of king is Jesus?
Jesus is a reminder that we were made beautifully and for so much more.
Jesus is a beacon of hope.
I think it is very unwise for us to try and take who Christ is and fit Him into the box that we see the world through. This happens all the time and from all parts of the spectrum of how we see the world. It’s natural, but we need to be cautious. I tell people all the time that reading Scripture is how God speaks to us, as much as I would love an audible voice to walk me through life, God’s word is the gentle whisper that should guide us.
When we read Scripture, we actually understand that this problem is not new at all! The Jewish leaders had this same issue when Jesus was literally walking in their city. They had great knowledge of the Scriptures, but interpreted through their own biased lens. They expected a fierce warrior king, ready to come and deliver the people from the Roman Empire through force and instill a new rule… but who came was a humble carpenter, reminding others to love and to hold yourself to an even higher standard than what was perceived in Scripture.
The sermon on the mount held people accountable and reminded them that the Ten Commandments meant more than the bare minimum. So, when you tell someone that hating another in your mind is the same as murder and then you tell people to also “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s,” you ruffle feathers of what they thought they were going to get.
That’s the beauty of Jesus, He is a different kind of king. One who loves and holds us to a higher call, because that was the original plan. When that plan fell apart because of sin, He made the way to restore the relationship He wanted from the start.
We distort the picture when we put our views over top of it. It complicates and prevents others from finding that hope that comes in the relationship we have with Jesus.
A different kind of king, one who chose to ride on a donkey when the crowds wanted a military victor, one who loved the person who would betray Him, one who healed those the world thought unworthy, the one who welcomed women and foreigners, one who held Peter back while being unjustly arrested, one who until His very last moment on the cross cared for the person next to Him and forgave everyone.
That is a true king.
My call to you reading this, is to enrich yourself by reading Scripture to see this different kind of king. To see His life as the example that you are called to follow and share that same hope to every single person around you. I don’t want you to become disillusioned to the actions of those who claim to follow the king, but hurt others in their wake. I want you to follow the king.
Jesus is so much better than people who are not perfect and will fail you, follow the one who will never fail and is victorious in their great love.
Point others to that Jesus, the real Jesus, the one who is a different kind of king.
-Your pastor and friend, Joshua.
About the Author: Joshua Thomas is a husband, father, and pastor doing what he can to love others the way Jesus did. You can find him reading a good book, sipping warm tea, taking pictures, or dreaming. He may not have it all figured out, but the journey is the best part. You can find him on the only social media he uses, Bluesky and Instagram
Joshua Writes 