Jesus our King: What Kind of King

In this devotional we are going to look at Jesus as King of kings. Jesus came into the world to lay down his life for us so that we would have eternal life. John, the disciple of Jesus, rewrites the Genesis 1 creation account but this time he includes Christ. For John his purpose is clear, Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah and King they have been waiting for. The first chapter of John shows how Christ already existed, became flesh, lived as the light and life that we desperately need, and he brought the grace and truth as the true Word and wisdom of God.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God.

Let’s have a deeper look at the traits that John highlights in John 1, to explore what kind of King Jesus was.

He is pre-existent - John 1:1-2

John makes it clear that Jesus has always existed. The trinity has always existed as the trinity. Jesus’s existence doesn’t start with his birth. That’s why we call his birth the incarnation – he took on human form, he took on human flesh. The Son of God always was, and always will be. He is co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit.

Light and Life - John 1:4

John constantly uses dualistic language to communicate. Most of his gospel is contrasting “from above" and "below” i.e. where Jesus has come from and where he is now. Jesus is full of light and life, in contrast to the darkness and death that humanity is caught in. He is the King who is filled with Light and Life – the things that we crave as humans.

Became flesh - John 1:14

This is one of the most extraordinary truths of the Gospel. Our God became flesh and dwelt among us. He is a King who knows what it is to live a human life; to be born into a normal family, to work, to rest, to have friends, to celebrate, to be part of a community, to be misunderstood, to be betrayed, to suffer, to be in pain. He is not a King who was born into a royal family and lived a life of privilege. He is a King who let go of all that, who humbled himself and made himself nothing – Phil 2:6-8 – so he can understand what it is to be human.

Grace and Truth - John 1:14-18

Our King is not one or the other but both – not some grace and some truth – but FULL of Grace and TRUTH. Unless we hear the truth that we desperately need God – we will not be able to receive his grace. He is a King who tells us the truth of our condition and then by his Grace won provides the way out.

These are the foundations of who Jesus is as King but over this devotional we are going to look primarily at the last week of Jesus’s life in the Gospel of John and unpack further what kind of King our Jesus is. He is the Eternal King, the Servant King, King to be Worshiped, the King who lays down his Life and The Victorious King.