One King

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

One of the titles of Jesus is, King of the Jews. A notice stating that was nailed above His head when He was crucified. There was another king in Jesus’ day. He was a madman. His name? Herod. Or, as he is commonly known, Herod the Great. 

He was a great builder. But he was also a great killer. He murdered many of his family members because he feared they were trying to usurp his power. It is said that Octavian (Caesar Augustus) joked about his killing sprees: “It’s better to be one of Herod’s pigs than to be his son.”

Shortly before his death, Herod ordered a stadium to be filled with Jewish religious and political leaders to have them slaughtered at his death. It’s said the order was given so that someone would at least shed real tears when he died. Thankfully, those instructions were not carried out. 

Herod was a madman, but he wasn’t crazy. He understood that there can only be one king. When it was reported to him that a king of the Jews was born in Bethlehem, he ordered the “slaughter of the Innocents” [Matthew 2.16].

Herod’s twisted rule reveals a sobering truth about Jesus. He didn’t enter our world to prop up our own fragile kingdoms. He didn’t come to “rubber stamp” our plans, fragile egos, or whatever our desires compel us to do. He came to rule: King of the Jews — and of you and me! Defeating all kingdoms was His way of “saving His people from their sins” [Matthew 1.21]. That’s why the Apostle Paul could say that when Jesus came, He “rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins “ [Colossians 1.13-14].

Don’t expect Jesus to share His sovereign rule with lesser powers. He loves us too much for that. His presence challenges anything that would try to have dominion over us. There can only be one King to rule your life. 

“Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.” Matthew 2.2