We Will See Jesus as King!--by Linden Malki

One of the first descriptions of Jesus that we find in the Gospels is in Matthew, where we see visitors from the East, wise men from Persia, astrologers who study the changing patterns in the stars.  They say that they have seen a new star that according to their tradition signifies  the Kingdom of Judah (Judea) and the birth of a King. In the political climate of the times, it was not easy to be a king. Judea had a king, not of the royal line of David as prophesied, but a distantly related tribe who was given the job by the real rulers of the "world" of that time, Rome. Herod's job was to maintain the precarious balance of power between Rome and the Judean political powers, both those who were part of the religious establishment of the Temple in Jerusalem and had made an uneasy peace with Herod, and those who wanted to see the restoration of the kingdom of Israel and the Gentiles gone. Herod's answer was to tell the visitors that the ancient prophecies indicate Bethlehem was the source of Jewish royalty, and then to have all the baby boys in Bethlehem killed. He thought he was safe.  Meanwhile, the visitors had found the baby that they believed to be the one indicated, worshipped Him, left gifts suitable for the prophecies, and left without informing Herod. Nothing more was heard of a potential king in Bethlehem.
About thirty years later, a man resembling the traditional prophets appeared in the Jordan River valley preaching repentance and quoting Isaiah's prophecy of the Kingdom of God, and pointing out the man Jesus,  who he said was the one prophesied to bring the Kingdom.  The first reaction of  Nathanael, who became a disciple, said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” After Jesus had miraculously fed a large crowd, some of the men who saw what Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” When Jesus realized  that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He left them and went to a mountain alone. Both his friends and enemies kept expecting Him to establish the Kingdom of God then and there, but Jesus tried to teach them that the Kingdom was about a spiritual relationship with God, rather than a political organization on earth.  Even then, there was growing restlessness among the radical political revolutionaries and the religious/political establishment. Ironically, it was His enemies who claimed the loudest that He was claiming to be King of the Jews.  In fact, that was the accusation that led to His arrest and hearing. At that time, the province of Judea was ruled by a Roman governor, who found himself facing an hysterical crowd of accusers and one accused man.  Pontius Pilate " called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”... 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” 37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”"What is Truth?" Pilate asked, and eventually sent Him to be crucified, with a placard that said "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews", in three languages. (John 18-19). Pilate had no problem calling Him King, as long as He was a dead King.
We know the rest of the story: Jesus didn't stay dead; He commissioned His followers to build the Kingdom with the power of the Holy Spirit, and returned to His Father, and to be King of all those who are subject to Him on earth, and will experience the full glory of His Eternal Kingdom.