The King of Our Lives
May 23, 2025
Dear City Church,
Last Sunday, I introduced a new sermon series called The Promised King, which will continue for the next two months as we read together through Luke, chapters 19-21. Each of these sermons will consider a different facet of Jesus as King—his coming, his teaching, his reigning, and his rejection, among others. The hope is that as we look at different qualities of King Jesus we will know better how to respond to him as the King of our lives.
I realize that kingship can be a bit of a foreign concept to those of us who live in America, a country born, after all, out of a repudiation of monarchy. But kingship is a really important biblical concept and one that can enrich our faith if we figure out how it relates to our moment. On Sunday, I shared my working shorthand for what a king is within a Biblical worldview: a king tells us who we are and keeps us safe. In other words, a king addresses identity and security. Put that way, we can more easily understand how a king addresses basic needs that everyone experiences; needs that you are feeling right now.
In the Old Testament, the people of God—that is, the nation of Israel—first ask for a king in 1 Samuel 8. In fact, the people demand a king, over against the warnings of the prophet Samuel. He warns Israel: “These will be the ways of the kind who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be horsemen and to run before his chariots… He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your field and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to your servants” (v. 11-14).
But the people are undaunted and insist: “No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles” (v. 20).
In demanding a king like the nations, the people of Israel are rejecting God, the one who ought to be their ruler. They are being influenced by pagan neighbors rather than trusting in the leadership and care of the true God. They are looking to an earthly king who will set things right and fight their battles rather than trusting in the God who made them, delivered them, and always provided for them. I wonder if we might see ourselves within the folly of ancient Israel.
As we think about the kingship of Jesus over the next two months, I also want us to reflect together on the functional kings in our lives. It’s all well and good to remind ourselves that Jesus ought to be sovereign over our lives, but in order for that reality to make any difference, we also have to recognize the people and things that exert actual influence over us. We have to be willing to admit the places we go to find our identity and security—the very things a rightful king provides.
The options are many. We go to our jobs for identity — and to our lifestyles, our consumption, our relationships. We go to our bank accounts for security. Or to the comfort that excess food or drink provides. And many of us turn to ourselves for both identity and security, thinking, “I can do it. I can take care of myself. In fact, I must.”
Luke wants us to know that Jesus is the Promised King. He’s the one who comes with authoritative truth, a servant heart, and a willingness to lay down his life for his people. Over the next two months, may we have eyes to see Jesus as our true King—the real and only source of identity and security. And may we demonstrate an eagerness to respond to Jesus with worship and faithful obedience.
Stay Well & Do Good,
Erik