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Submission to the Governing King

by Larry Armstrong  
3/23/2010 / Christian Living


Submission to the Governing King
Larry L. Armstrong

How does one raised in a republican democracy understand making a commitment to a king? It seems to me that such a submission ought to be difficult for an American Christian. Our country's founders rebelled against King George III. Independence is deeply engrained in our characters. Yet I hear many Christians speak of Jesus Christ as their King and talk about submitting to him. Do we who live as patriotic Americans understand what it means to surrender ourselves to a king?

We ought to ask, "To what sort of king can we submit?" The stereotype of kings is that of absolute monarchy. The king is fully empowered to do whatever pleases him. However, other kings exist. One type is the limited monarch, a king who's bound by a constitution, as in contemporary England. The royals of Britain have little genuine authority, mostly it comes from the respect bestowed on them by their subjects. Parliament and the Prime Minister make the laws and determine policy. Also, a king might be a vassal monarch, subject to a higher ruler, a greater king. Such rulers were common in the ancient world of biblical times. The strongest king conquered his neighbors and made the kings of those countries subservient to himself. The vassals ruled, but not absolutely. They were subject to overlords. So which kind of king is Jesus for Christians?

The Bible shows Jesus to be a vassal king. He isn't the absolute monarch many of today's Christians envision him to be. Look at Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. He prayerfully debated with his heavenly Father about not having to die, but in the end, he submitted to his Father's will. God was the absolute monarch who determined all things, and his Son was a vassal king. He obeyed the authority that was above him. Jesus also said that the time of his return was not known to him, but it was determined by another, specifically the almighty God, his Father. He was subject to a higher authority.

Jesus was revealed in other instances to be subservient to God, Israel's Holy One. The resurrection of Lazarus was accomplished because Jesus looked to the Father for his will. Jesus' prayer began with these words: "Father, I thank you that you have heard me" (Jn. 11:41b, NIV). Jesus acknowledged that he acted to raise Lazarus only after God heard and granted his request, and this indicated that he was a vassal king, committed to the ruling authority of his heavenly Father.

Many Christians long for Jesus' return and believe he'll establish an absolute monarchy for a thousand years. They're persuaded he'll sit on a throne and rule from a capital city as a fully autonomous monarch. It seems more likely that such a reign would be closer to a vassal king's dominion. Jesus and the sovereign God would share the kingdom, as the Book of Revelation declared (21:1-4, 22-24; 22:1-5), but a shared monarchy is not an absolute rule on the part of the subservient king. And Jesus was always shown in scripture to be under the command of God his Father. Even the dominion shared by both God and Jesus in Revelation gives a slightly higher place to the Lord God and his activities.

Taking into account the theological teaching of the Trinity, it appears that Jesus is still a vassal king. The activities attributed by the doctrine to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, along with their relationship with one another, supports this understanding of Jesus' kingship. He's divine, of the same substance as God, but he's a distinctly different person in the Godhead. His intercessory ministry on behalf of Christians shows him approaching God's throne with requests for grace, as a vassal king would approach his overlord to seek assistance for those he governs on the great king's behalf.

Raised in a republican democracy, and believing it to be the best human-based system of government, I find submission to Jesus as my governing king is easier to understand and accept when I see that both he and I are subject a higher authorityto the Creator, the Father, the almighty God.

To which sort of king would you submit?

Copyright (c) 2010 by Larry L. Armstrong

Larry L. Armstrong is author of Patience: Harvesting the Spirit's Fruit and other books and ebooks. He's pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, Jeannette, PA as well as a speaker for FaithProbe seminars. Find out more at www.FaithProbe.com.

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