The King
The Rev. Lou Tiscione, Pastor, Weatherford Presbyterian Church (PCA)
“The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1).
The God who spoke and all things came into being is the King and Ruler of all creation. He rules all things and owns all things. God has ordained all things that come to pass. He provides all things for His people to do His will.
David wrote Psalm 24 roughly 3,000 years ago. We sometimes think that man in our time knows more than David did. We think that we’ve grown in wisdom, strength, and knowledge since King David’s time. In many ways, however, we have actually regressed. As we survey the church in the west, we might have a difficult time seeing evidence that Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, is the King and Head of the church. We know that the church is the visible kingdom of Christ. We know it, but find it hard to actually see it in practice.
God anointed David as king of Israel. He ruled under the authority of God. David knew that God was the sovereign Creator of all things. David was also confronted in his sins of adultery and murder. David acknowledged his sin, he and appealed to God’s mercy for forgiveness. He was forgiven, but his household experienced his sins’ consequences during his lifetime.
Our culture compared with King David’s reveals that little growth has taken place. Paul predicted our current situation accurately in 2 Timothy 3:1ff. We’ve become lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant and abusive, disobedient, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, etc. The hard fact is that Paul was not detailing the culture. He was providing an assessment of the visible church! It is not surprising that many of our civil leaders think that they are above God’s law. But sometimes we are tempted to say, “That’s not us.” Yet, it is. We sometimes read of church leaders exercising authority outside of the bounds of God’s word, leading churches to look more like the culture than the holy people of God.
On Palm Sunday, we remember that the people cried, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest” (Matthew 21:9)! The leaders read Psalm 24 in the temple, and they were blind to the King’s presence.
At the same time the people begged God to save them and do it now the leaders read “Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors that the King of glory may come in” (Psalm 24:9). Men were blind to the meaning of God’s words of Psalm 24.
Evidence of their blindness was revealed less than one week later. The cry of “Let him be crucified” was heard in the city (Matthew 27:23). In less than one week Jesus’ position before the people changed from the object of praise to the object of hatred. Had I been there, I likely would have joined the crowd. But God broke into my man-centered life, causing me to see the truth.
A celebration of the King is what we need. Our reminder is that we would have been with the crowd crying “Crucify him”. But, by the sovereign grace of the King, we see the truth.
Time-tested hymns of the church convey sound doctrine. One such hymn, “All Glory, Laud, and Honor”, is a hymn sometimes sung on Palm Sunday. The first verse declares the truth of God’s plan of redemption. ”All glory, laud, and honor to thee, Redeemer, King, to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring! Thou art the King of Israel, thou David’s royal Son, who in the Lord’s name comest, the King and blessed One!”
Picture worshipers processing around the sanctuary while waving palm branches. All who affirm the truth of the King of Glory who is Jesus have been given eyes to see Him as their Lord and Savior. At one point in your life, you may have been counted with those who cried crucify Him. But now, I pray that you have embraced the truth of the gospel revealed in God’s word. May you have a joyous celebration of the coming of the King of Glory. May you, with the rest of God’s people, wait with eager expectation for the King to return. Place your hope in Him!
“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20)!
