Part 2 of the Kingdom of Heaven series.
But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. (Heb. 1.8)
Jesus is King of everything.
He isn’t just a spiritual king.
He doesn’t just live inside our hearts.
No, He is at the right hand of God, and He rules over everything. All His decrees are for His peoples’ good. (Rom. 8.28) All people will be held accountable for their actions.
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (Rev. 20.12)
Jesus is a unique King: He is both God and man. As God He is all-powerful and most holy.
As a man He can reign over us in a more immanent way. Our King isn’t only transcendent; He is near the people of His Kingdom, and one day He will live with us. It is like in Shakespeare’s play Henry V, when King Henry puts on a commoner’s cloak and talks among his soldiers.
Because He is a man we can be remade in His image and still be human. Jesus had a hometown, a mother, neighbors, friends. He grew up with a family. He was trained. He had unique DNA. And because Jesus still bears these unique traits, you and I can be born again in Him and keep our human peculiarities.
This proves that God doesn’t only care about saving our spirits, but also is concerned about redeeming our whole selves, everything that makes us human: how we treat each other, our sexuality, our work, our education, our routines, etc.. This full redemption will be complete in the bodily resurrection.
What is the moral philosophy of this King? What does the Author of goodness say about morality?
…Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matt. 22.37-40)
First, worship and love God. Devote your whole self and life to Him. Worship Him alone as God, Yahweh, the Creator. Second, love your neighbor. Treat him lawfully. Give to be given unto. Love to the extent you wish to be loved. Be fair. These two laws are Christ’s basis for all morality. This basis applies to both the mortal state and the future resurrection state.
So Jesus is an all-powerful King, a transcendent King, an immanent King, a just King, and a moral King.