Jesus Is Our Righteous King
Open Your Bible
Acts 2:22-36, Colossians 1:9-23
BY Melanie Rainer
“Is He coming? Where is He?”
My daughter craned her neck, trying to see from our spot in the very last row of the very old church we sat in on Good Friday.
“What?” I whispered.
“Jesus! Is He here? Is that the cross? Are those His bloody clothes?” she asked, pointing to the decorative cross draped in white cloth at the front of the sanctuary.
Music started, and she returned to doodling in the bulletin. Meanwhile, I was reeling. How do I answer that? In the particularly concrete mind of a four-year-old, of course it would make sense that Jesus would be present. We remind her over and over again that Jesus is real, and He is always with us.
The jump to faith, to believing in what we have not seen, is hard to explain to her, and harder still to model. But this is the tension we hold: we believe in something we cannot see, but it is something real and present and happening right now.
Christ is holding session as King over all creation. Right now. This very moment. He has since the day He ascended, and He will until the day He returns. Christ’s “session” began when He ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father.
Theologian Karl Barth wrote, “The summit has been reached, the perfect tenses lie behind us and we enter the realm of the present… Whatever prosperity or defeat may occur in our space, whatever may become and pass away, there is one constant, one thing that remains and continues, this sitting of his at the right hand of God the Father.”
From the day Adam and Eve fell and were banished from Eden, people have been waiting for a king. David, with promised covenant kingship, knew that a greater King was coming. He wrote in Psalm 110, “The LORD declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool’” (v.1).
God called together a people, first through Abraham and his descendants, and later through the apostles whom Jesus commissioned to go to the nations and invite people into the kingdom. We are now God’s people: a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for His possession. (1 Peter 2:9–10) And we are a people with a King, living by faith in the already-but-not-yet kingdom of Christ, inaugurated when He ascended to take His spot on the throne, “exalted to the right hand of God” (Acts 2:33).
In Colossians, Paul wrote that in His rescue of us, Christ has “ transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” (Colossians 1:13). We, the communion of saints through the ages, live presently in the kingdom ruled by Jesus the Son, who holds His continuous session at the right hand of God. Our King holds all things together.
When my daughter asks, “Where is He? Where is Jesus?” my answer isn’t as simple as pointing her to the front of the church. But it is an easy one: He is on His throne, seated at the right hand of God the Father, ruling His kingdom and loving His people. And our response to Him is honor, service, and faithfulness.
The sweet, sweet hymn “Fairest Lord Jesus” summarizes our posture so beautifully:
Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all nature,
O thou of God and man the Son,
Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor,
Thou, my soul’s glory, joy, and crown.
19 thoughts on "Jesus Is Our Righteous King"
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“God raised Him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by death.” Acts 2:24
“The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool.'” Acts 2:34b
“…know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified both Lord and Messiah. 2:36
“But now, He has reconciled you by His physical body through His death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before Him–”Jesus, my righteous King, I bow down before you as your humble servant. Oh, how I love You!
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Why do I need a king? Because I am weak and helpless.
The Westminster Shorter Catacism question and answer.
Thank you Jesus!
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Love all the comments today. So thought provoking and encouraging. I feel I am in an apathetic state of mind with no motivation. We are currently assisting a young mom, I’m mentoring a young teen and a couple other volunteer ministries. These are my passions, yet honestly I’m just disappointed in going to church lately. For the past couple years I’ve battled anxiety and some depression. It comes and goes and I’m not currently taking anything but this apathy and lack of motivation just causes me to go through the motions and I question where my faith really lies. I’m grateful for the daily readings and reflections. And I’m grateful for a community where people feel free to share their struggles. Jesus is on the Thrown and that I trust that He will continue to guide me even in this.
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We are a people with a king… and we live presently in the kingdom ruled by Jesus…who is on His throne, seated at the right hand of God the Father, ruling his kingdom and loving his people.
What a difference this makes as I head into a new day. I can move forward with hope and confidence today. Thank you Jesus!
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Jesus sits on His throne. (All is under His control.)
The Holy Spirit lives in me. (All is well with my soul.)Every day in this maddening world I remind myself of those two things. I don’t rely on my feelings. I rely on those facts.
How else could I possibly go on? How else could I possibly have hope?
Only because of Jesus.
Only Jesus.-
❤️
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Amen to that. So I ask Him – what or who do you want me to see and love on today? In what small way can I be the light on the hill and the salt of the earth? Lead me, I won’t let go of Your might
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Jesus sits on His throne. (All is under His control.)
The Holy Spirit lives in me. (All is well with my soul.)Every day in this maddening world I remind myself of those two things. I don’t rely on my feelings. I rely on those facts.
How else could we possibly go on? How else could we possibly have hope?
Only because of Jesus.
Only Jesus.-
❤️❤️
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In my most faith+filled moments it is as if I can see this world being peeled back to reveal the spiritual world and I can see King Jesus sitting at the right hand of God. He is sitting erect on a golden throne surrounded by the flowing robes of His father with a regal crown upon his head and a gem-studded scepter in his right hand. The serious expression on his face always takes me aback and for a fleeting minute I recognize that I am unworthy to look Him in the face until I hear His voice resound within my spirit. “It is me. Don’t you recognize me? I am your brother who lived on earth and ate and drank and healed and taught and suffered and died because I love you. Do not be afraid. Come near my throne.” Just like Joseph, Jesus face lights up with joy as we come near him and see that He, our very Savior, has been exalted and reigns and intercedes for us as he awaits His glorious return. Thank you, Lord, that you beckon us to approach you as you sit on your throne and remind us of who you are!
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In Acts 2, Paul brings the people to a “come to Jesus” meeting…literally.
This is Who Jesus was,
this is what Jesus did,
and this is how you handled it.God foreknew what would happen,
He used what He knew sinful man would do for His purpose and His plan.
A plan that included the suffering and shame of His Son,
Resurrection of Jesus and,
His exaltation to the right hand of the Father.Why?
Because our sin, suffering and shame, needed paid for,
The debt of sin is death
we are forgiven,
…we are forgiven,
that debt is erased.Unworthy,
undeserving,
completely loved.Forgiven, we may live filled with the knowledge of His will,
of all wisdom and understanding,
we may walk worthy of the Lord,
fully pleasing him
bearing fruit, growing, being strengthened with power.
Enduring, patient, joyful, giving thanks
For we have been rescued from darkness and given the kingdom of light.Jesus, every bit of God, for us came
So that evil, alienated, and hostile that we were
we may become holy, faultless, and blameless
through Jesus Christ the LordMay we hold steadfast in faith to the hope of the gospel ladies.
Amen
We love you Jesus.
Selah.
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