Who Do You Say I AM? A Journey With Jesus.Намуна

My RULER, The One Who Is Above Me

Is Christ only the Savior of your soul, or also the Lord of your life? Is He only our Redeemer offering forgiveness of sins, or also our King leading us to victory?

Matthew’s gospel account was aimed at the Jewish community, giving prominence to the fact that Jesus is their promised King, in the lineage of David. Matthew’s gospel is one of only two that go into the lineage of Jesus, tracing Him all the way to Abraham as well. It is also the gospel with the most references to the Old Testament, reinstating the fact that Jesus is in fact the King, the Prophet, and the new High Priest that Israel had been waiting for.

Jesus is also seen in the gospel of Matthew as the fulfillment of the Law of Moses. Everything from a childhood in Egypt to time being set apart in the wilderness, to teaching God’s law from a mountainside to the liberation of those who follow Him. All of this draws the parallel between Christ and Moses. Only, Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s Law, setting a new Kingdom manifest, or covenant, in place as is also seen in the Sermon on the Mount (Chapters 5-7), as well as the first Communion (Chapter 26).

Three themes about Jesus’ role in our lives are repeated throughout Matthew:

1. Jesus is King of the Jews in the lineage of David.
2. He is the Authority on the Law of Moses.
3. And He is Immanuel, God with us.

This is even highlighted in the final chapter from which we are reading today, the segment known as the Great Commission. Here, Jesus firstly claims all authority in heaven and on earth after being resurrected; secondly, He gathers His disciples on a mountain, once again, to send them out to multiply His kingdom throughout the world; and thirdly He promises that He’ll always be with them no matter what.

Initially, in Matthew 16, Peter correctly proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah with the understanding that He is the promised King. However, the fiery fisherman misunderstood the way in which Jesus came to be King. He is not a King who triumphs over people but rather transforms people’s lives. His victory is not that of a military man conquering their Roman enemies, but that of a martyr who conquered death and division, even liberating His people’s national enemies along with them.

Therefore, if we are to share in Christ’s victory in our own lives, we must see Him as our King, the highest authority in all areas of our lives. Daily following Him as our Lord, we must also pursue to multiply His followers by proclaiming His Word by what we believe, say, and do. All the while remembering that this is not a King who sends us out before Him, but is constantly with us as well in the hopes of reigning from the thrones of our hearts each day. Thus, we can only experience the victory and grace of Jesus in our lives by being active disciples, following Him as our Master.

Reflect on, and pray about, how you can obey Jesus as your King today.

● Matthew 28:16-20