THAT’S MY KING! DO YOU KNOW HIM?
© Carlos Padilla- Christmas 2023
Other Christmas studies: CHRISTMAS – THE MANGER – BETHLEHEM – JESUS OF NAZARETH – GOLD, FRANKINCENSE AND MYRRH – THE WORD OF GOD – FROM NAZARETH TO BETHLEHEM – CHRISTMAS UNOBSERVED – AND GOD BECAME MAN – THE GENETICS OF YAHSHUA – THE CHRISTMAS OF THE PROPHETS – IS CHRISTMAS BIBLICAL? – CHRISTMAS IN YOUR HEART – WAS JESUS BORN IN HIS FAMILY HOME? – THE CHRISTMAS OF THE ANGELS – WHY GOD BECAME MAN? – SILENT NIGHT
On Christmas, every year we talk about the birth of Jesus – Yahshua, but this year I will focus con His figure as King. Yes, the King of kings, the King of the Jews, the King of Israel, the King of the universe, and the King of every one of us who believe in His work on the Cross to save us from death, from sin, save us from a life without purpose in this world, and save us, through resurrection of rapture in the last day, when He returns, save us from Hell for eternity, to take us to the Kingdom of God for eternity.
But what we do not usually do is to contemplate Him as King before His birth. The wise men from the east knew He was King, and when they arrived to Jerusalem following the star, they asked him who then was the king of the Jews, Herod: “Where is He who is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star, and we came to worship him. When Herod the king heard these things, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him…” Matthew 2. Let us imagine the situation, king Herod, being in the throne, receives a message from wise men who have travelled from far away to honour the King who has just been born, which placed Herod out of the throne. But the fact is that this King was eternal, and of this, and of His attributes is what the following story is about.
Some years ago, I heard for the first time a famous sermon of a renowned North American preacher and pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church, in San Diego, California, Rev. Dr. Shadrach Meshach Lockridge, who described how Jesus Christ is, and titled it “That’s My King! Do You Know Him?” which, according to several sources was preached for the first time in Detroit, US, in 1976. Then I understood why it had impacted me in such a way, not only because it was passionate, but also theologically Biblical, because it was in fact considered the most famous sermon of the XX century, for many the most famous sermon outside of the Bible. A pastor who served, after his retirement as professor in the Evangelistic Seminary of Dr. Billy Graham, and who was active in the defence of civil rights, and at his church came to preach Martin Luther King Jr. and Jesse Jackson. I have maintained the original sermon from Rev. Dr. S.M. Lockridge.
THAT’S MY KING! DO YOU KNOW HIM?
Who has ever heard of a kingdom without a king? Everybody has a king! Who’s your king? If when I ask you, Who’s your king? – you ask me, Who’s mine? Do you have a minute? My King is the only one qualified to be King. My King has always been King. You know, all the other kings were born being princes, and had to wait for the death of his father or mother, if she was the ruling monarch, wait for her to die to become king. But my King was born King. In fact, the Bible says He’s a Seven Way King. He’s the King of the Jews—that’s an Ethnic King. He’s the King of Israel—that’s a National King. My King will tell you who’s who, and what’s what. My King has always been King and forever will be King. He’s the King of righteousness. He’s the King of the ages. He’s the King of Heaven. He’s the King of glory. He’s the King of kings and He is the Lord of lords. Now that’s my King!
Well, I wonder if you know Him. Do you know Him? Don’t try to mislead me. Do you know my King? David said the Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork. That’s my King!
My King is the only one of whom there are no means of measure that can define His limitless love. No far-seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of the shore of His supplies. No one can stop Him from saving me. I don’t care what you say about me – He knows me! No barriers can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing.
He’s enduringly strong.
He’s entirely sincere.
He’s eternally steadfast.
He’s immortally graceful.
He’s imperially powerful.
He’s impartially merciful.
He’s the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizon of this world.
That’s my King!
He’s God’s Son.
He’s the sinner’s Saviour.
He’s the centrepiece of civilization.
What I like about Him – He does not need me, and He does not need you.
He stands alone in Himself.
He’s honest.
He’s unique.
He’s unparalleled.
He’s unprecedented.
He’s supreme.
He’s pre-eminent.
He’s the grandest Idea in literature.
He’s the highest Personality in philosophy.
He’s the supreme Problem in higher criticism.
He’s the fundamental Doctrine of historic theology.
He’s the cardinal Necessity of spiritual religion.
He’s the only One qualified to be a sufficient Saviour.
That’s my King!
He’s the miracle of the ages.
He’s the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him.
He’s the only One able to supply all our needs simultaneously.
He can hear all our prayers at the same time.
He supplies strength for the weak.
He’s available for the tempted and the tried.
He sympathizes and He saves.
He’s the Almighty God who guides and keeps all His people.
He heals the sick.
He cleanses the lepers.
He forgives sinners.
He discharges debtors.
He delivers the captives.
He defends the feeble.
He blesses the young.
He serves the unfortunate.
He regards the aged.
He rewards the diligent and He beautifies the meek.
That’s my King! Now, Do you know Him? Do you know Him? Do you know Him?
Well, my King is a King of knowledge.
He’s the Wellspring of wisdom.
He’s the Doorway of deliverance.
He’s the Pathway of peace.
He’s the Roadway of righteousness.
He’s the Highway of holiness.
He’s the Gateway of glory.
He’s the Master of the mighty.
He’s the Captain of the conquerors.
He’s the Head of the heroes.
He’s the Leader of the legislatures.
He’s the Overseer of the overcomers.
He’s the Governor of governors.
He’s the Prince of princes.
He’s the King of kings and He’s the Lord of lords.
That’s my King! Is He yours’s?
What I like about Him…
His office is manifold.
His promise is sure.
His light is matchless.
His goodness is limitless.
His mercy is everlasting.
His love never changes.
His Word is enough.
His grace is sufficient.
His reign is righteous.
His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.
I wish I could describe Him to you . . . but He’s indescribable.
That’s my King!
He’s incomprehensible.
He’s invincible.
He is irresistible.
I’m coming to tell you this, that the heavens of heavens cannot contain Him, let alone some man explain Him.
You can’t get Him out of your mind.
You can’t get Him off of your hands.
You can’t outlive Him and you can’t live without Him.
The Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but they found out they couldn’t stop Him.
Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him.
The witnesses couldn’t get their testimonies to agree about Him.
Herod couldn’t kill Him.
Death couldn’t handle Him.
And the grave couldn’t hold Him.
That’s my King!
He always has been, and He always will be.
I’m talking about the fact that He had no predecessor and He’ll have no successor.
There’s nobody before Him and there’ll be nobody after Him.
You can’t impeach Him and He’s not going to resign.
That’s my King! That’s my King!
Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory. Well, all the power belongs to my King. We’re around here talking about black power and white power and green power, but in the end all that matters is God’s power. Thine is the power. Yeah! And the glory. We try to get prestige and honour and glory for ourselves, but the glory is all His. Yes! Thine is the Kingdom and the power and glory, forever and ever and ever and ever. How long is that? Forever and ever and ever and ever. . . And when you get through with all of the ever’s, then . . . Amen!
En of the sermon.
CONCLUSION
Can we really describe our King with all His marvels of His Person, essence, and virtues? The preacher of this sermon already warned in some of his parenthesis that, I wish I could describe Him to you! and even though his genius exposition leaves us astonished with the number of ways to describe Yahshua – Jesus Christ that he found and that made so famous this sermon “That’s My King”. Each and one of the characteristics of Jesus are supported in God’s Word.
But our Christian life demands that we transmit to others how Jesus is, what He has done in our lives, His salvation in this life and for eternity by His promise of a new eternal Kingdom of which He is the King, a Kingdom of peace and of justice for ever. However, for me, the sermon preached by our King, the most famous and profound of all times, the famous “Sermon of the Mount” where the Lord enumerates nine Beatitudes in Matthew 5, and which is at another and more profound spiritual level, but also with another focus, for Jesus there focuses in His labour as our Saviour, while the preacher of the sermon of this commentary focuses in exalting the Saviour.
A King that being in His throne by the Father, decided in the bosom of the Deity, to come to this world, He became flesh and inhabited among us (John 1) being knower of our condition and having chosen a humble human life, away from the powerful, in which He experienced in His own human body our weaknesses and being tempted in all, did not sin. The He fulfilled the central purpose of His first coming, to die for us, to pay for our sins, to suffer the punishment that we deserve and raise from death to ascend again at the side of the Father, from where He came, proving that He is the King of creation. That’s my King, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the only one who is just, and the only one whose mercy and forgiveness originate from eternity and the origin of humanity that He created. That’s my King. Is He also yours? If He still isn’t your King, receive Him in your heart right now, because His eternal Kingdom is to come at the end of time, and the prophecies of His Word in the Bible are coming to an end. Let’s celebrate, as every Christmas, that the King is born! Has He in your heart? As the preacher of the sermon and our website says. Do you know Him? If you want to know Yahshua read: Do you know Yahshua? Happy Christmas!
