The Son of Man is the Best King
On this Christ the King Sunday we thrill to stand for the cross and acclaim that "The Son of Man is the Best King." From Daniel 7:13, 14, Daniel's vision tells us what makes Jesus Christ so unique in a class by himself, and therefore worthy of our devotion to him that is unique and in a class all by itself. November 22, 2009.
Who is your favorite of all the American presidents? Lincoln, FDR, JFK, Reagan, Obama? Who do you think has been the most influential ruler in history? Washington, Stalin, Hitler, Alexander, Charles, Augustus, Nebuchadnezzar? Of all the kings who is the best? On this Christ the King Sunday we thrill to stand for the cross and acclaim that The Son of Man is the Best King. After all, the Bible states clearly, “Jesus Christ [is] the ruler of the kings of the earth” (Revelation 1:5). Better than presidents, better than Caesars or czars, better than dictators or benevolent men of power, better than them all. Actually it seems just a bit strange that we’d place Jesus Christ in the same category as all rulers, even as the best. It would be just as appropriate to place Jesus Christ in a class of rulers all by himself. The supreme ruler or ultimate ruler. The Bible says, “Thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16,17). Everything exists by Christ. Everyone depends on Christ. Christ is before all, in all, and over all. Today a vision of the prophet Daniel tells us what makes Jesus Christ so unique in a class by himself, and therefore worthy of our devotion to him that is unique and in a class all by itself.
Only he comes from heaven
The first six chapters of the book of Daniel are mostly history, while the last six chapters are mostly prophecy. In chapter 7 Daniel reports a vision sketching a panorama of world powers, including Babylon, Persia, Greece, and the Roman empire. With graphics in Daniel’s vision surpassing the best new video games, God depicts these powers as four different beasts coming out of the sea, each with its particular characteristics making it a dynasty. In the final scene of the vision, however, the beasts are destroyed and then Daniel reports, “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven.” Who is this new figure, unlike any of the grotesque beasts with blood soaked fangs of iron or multiple heads and horns? And what makes him so superior?
Jesus often used the title “son of man” to refer to himself. It reminded people that he became fully human, just like us. He understood anxiety. He knew the joy of returning home. He struggled against temptation. Yet Jesus is not just any human, he’s in a class of humanity all by himself. He became the lowliest human. Nobody has ever hurt like the Son of Man. None of us has ever been as lonely as the Son of Man. No sinner has ever disgusted or angered God as much as the Son of Man, who took the sins of humanity and smeared them all over himself before he dared to bring such filth into the holy presence of God – knowing he’d suffer for each one. And he did. “The Son of Man [came] to give his life as a ransom” (Matthew 20:28).
Of course, Jesus Christ isn’t the only martyr who died for a cause, he’s a martyr in a class all by himself. He’s the Messiah. The Promised One sent from God. Daniel reports seeing the Son of Man “coming with the clouds of heaven.” Since he comes from heaven he is divine. So the Son of Man is also the Son of God, who according to Hebrews 1:3 is “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” Everything God is, the Son of Man is. Everything God can do, the Son of Man can do. No other being, ruler, or religious figure is both fully human and fully divine. If you’re going to believe in someone to save you from your guilty regrets and bad behavior, or strengthen you to do God’s will, he is the only one.
During World War II, when the Nazi armies were in almost every country of Europe, King Christian of Denmark stubbornly resisted the Nazis. His country was small compared to powerful Germany, and the king knew he could not win on the battlefield, but he put up a valiant moral struggle. One day he observed a Nazi flag flying above one of his public buildings. He reminded the German commander that this was contrary to the treaty between the two nations, and he said, “The flag must be removed before 12 o’clock; otherwise I will send a soldier to remove it.” At five minutes before twelve, the flag was flying, and the king announced that he was sending a soldier to take it down. “The soldier will be shot,” the Nazi officer replied. Then King Christian calmly said, “I think I should tell you that I will be that soldier.” (as told by C. Thomas Hilton, Be My Guest: Sermons on the Lord’s Supper, Nashville: Abingdon, Press, 1991, p. 41). The Son of Man is the Best King not because he is from heaven, but because he comes from heaven. He left it, once, to win our war. “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father – to him be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen” (Revelation 1:5,6). All power is his because he claims it. All glory is his because he deserves it and we give it to him by serving him. Or do we?
Only he is given dominion over all
Take a look around at God’s creation. See how happy it is? Birds are happy being birds. Trees are happy being trees. The sun is happy providing light and heat. Oxygen is happily venting our lungs. These give God glory by serving him the way he intends. We humans are the only creature not happy being who God made us to be. We want to be God. We want to manipulate time, dictate the weather, and call the shots when it comes to our health. We are happiest when we have more power than other people. We want to control it all and believe that if we can, it’ll be better. Our King, however, neither created us nor redeemed us to be his equals. That’s what we try, however, by scheming for control and wanting everything done our way.
Like the young peasant boy who rebelliously dreamed of becoming king and grew up to lead a revolution, killing and rampaging to claim the throne … only to discover that he was the lost royal heir and the throne rightfully belonged to him all along. When God’s Word announces, “All things are yours” (1 Corinthians 3:21) it is talking to you as a child of God. You and I don’t need to fight for control of all things because they already belong to us. Our King Jesus Christ rules over all things for our good, that means all things serve us under his rule of grace. Cancer doesn’t own us. Unfulfilled dreams don’t determine our destiny. Mistakes don’t change our identity. Death cannot claim us and the devil cannot coerce us. Because the Son of Man “was given authority, glory, and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him.” There you are in Daniel’s vision, worshipping the Son of Man. Giving him glory by gladly letting him be in control. At that he’s the best. And you are at your best serving him as your King.
Only his kingdom will last forever
One of the most frightening realities outside of our control in life is change. Growing older, for example. Or the unemployment rate rising like Godzilla to trample its next victims. The day the family schedule is clear to spend time together some new obligation rudely steps in. Relationships constantly need adjusting, and parenting has its phases, both of which can be confusing. These are places and people we look to for comfort but can’t find it because they change. Despite what is done to us, what we do, or what we leave undone, the kingdom of Christ remains in its unchanging permanence. “His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” The Son of Man doesn’t consider our bad habits or browse our inappropriate e-mails and then decide to change his mind about us. His kingdom is, was, and always will be a kingdom of grace, forgiveness, and salvation promises and it doesn’t change. Be just as determined to always obey him, and when you slip he will be there to help you stand on his unchanging grace.
In the Chronicles of Narnia the children had just learned from Mr. and Mrs. Beaver that Aslan, the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea, was a lion – C.S. Lewis’ symbol of King Jesus Christ.
“Ooh!” said Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
“That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver. “If there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”
“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver. “Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.” (C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, New York: Collier, 1970, pp. 75-76).
Christ the King is not safe. He is not a tamed lion, a politically correct teacher and moralist who fixes boo boos and feeds the world. His kingdom will never be destroyed because every second Christ the King hurts his enemies and conquers their evil plans, and every day he forgives our sins by the power of blood and the deadly waters of baptism that kill sin and give birth to new, dangerous living. Christ isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King. Our King. And so we are safe. Amen.
Preached at Grace Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI (www.gracedowntown.org) on November 22, 2009
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