Who wants to be King?

Luke 23:35–43 ³⁵The people stood watching. The rulers were ridiculing him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, the Chosen One!”

³⁶The soldiers also made fun of him. Coming up to him, they offered him sour wine, ³⁷saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”

³⁸There was also an inscription written above him: “This is the King of the Jews.”

³⁹One of the criminals hanging there was blaspheming him, saying, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

⁴⁰But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same condemnation? ⁴¹We are punished justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for what we have done, but this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴²Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.”

⁴³Jesus said to him, “Amen I tell you: Today you will be with me in paradise.”

God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:15-16)

In the 8^th century B.C., the nation of Judah enjoyed a time of prosperity and relative peace under the leadership of King Uzziah. Uzziah wasn’t a perfect king, but he was a good enough king to keep Judah’s enemies at bay for 52 years. Then Uzziah died.

The king was dead, and the prophet Isaiah had good reason to be concerned. What would happen to Judah? Were the good times at an end? Would Judah’s enemies invade? What would happen to the people of Judah now that Uzziah was gone?

Though their king died and left Judah’s throne empty, God spoke through his prophet. God assured his people that though Judah’s throne was empty, heaven’s throne was always occupied.

In 740 B.C., the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah wrote, “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each one had six wings. With two they covered their faces. With two they covered their feet. With two they flew. One called to another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies! The whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:1-3)

Uzziah’s throne was empty. But heaven’s throne was occupied. Uzziah wasn’t the nation of Judah’s king anymore but God remained the king of all nations. Uzziah’s voice had gone silent in the grave. God’s voice is all-powerful and cannot be silenced. Not even death can silence the voice of the risen Christ. Uzziah’s guards had left their post. God’s angelic guards – the fiery six-winged seraphim – continue to sing the Sanctus – the threefold “Holy, Holy, Holy” that we still sing in worship. Uzziah’s corpse was in the grave. King Jesus’ corpse had been in the grave, but his resurrected body sits on heaven’s throne.

God calmed the fears of Isaiah and all of Judah. He didn’t remove the challenges that confronted them. Instead, God revealed his strength and salvation.

What God did for Judah in the 8^th century B.C. he still does for us Christians in the 21^st century.

Isaiah was rightly concerned about what would happen to God’s people. He was worried if God’s enemies would wipe out God’s people.

We, too, are rightly concerned about God’s people being overrun by God’s enemies and wiped out.

Last month, Chinese authorities destroyed a three thousand seat church in Anhui province and detained its pastors. This is part of the escalation of religious persecution by the Chinese communist government.

Our WELS Board for World Missions recently pulled our East Asia Team missionaries and families out of their focus country because of safety concerns. The government of their focus country is now regularly detaining, interrogating and deporting any Westerner or group suspected of religious activity.

Some of our national pastors of the Lutheran Church of Cameroon and their members are finding themselves running into the bush (country) at night for fear as warring factions let their tempers flare and their guns go off.

Here in America, our politicians brag about removing tax exempt status from churches, schools, universities and charities that do not accept the LGBTQ agenda. New York state recently passed legislation to prosecute any church or religious organization for not employing people whose beliefs and behaviors violate the religious beliefs of that organization.

The devil is working very hard to deter the work of Christians and the spread of the gospel.

It is easy for us to become disheartened when we see Christians being persecuted in this way. It is easy for us to doubt that God is really in control when we witness such out-of-control violence. It is easy for us to give up and curl up in the fetal position when we experience hatred and bigotry thrown at us in the name of tolerance and acceptance.

Our comfort is not in worldly peace. Our contentment is not in having the right politician in power. Our convenience is not in the ease of expressing our Christian faith.

Our hope and happiness do not rely on who sits on an earthly throne or who is in the White House or in a certain judicial seat. Our strength and salvation are found in the Holy One who sits on heaven’s throne.

Kings come and go. Thrones are built and burned for kindling. Presidents are elected and replaced. Their ideas may bring more military protection and economic growth or result in less protection and a worse economy. Time is punctuated by peace and prosperity or war and strife.

In the incessant cycle of politicians running for office, we are constantly bombarded with very real questions:

How does this impact my family?

When will the good times end?

When will this bad stuff get better?

What about my job, my health care and my taxes?

Does God have anything to say when times are full of trouble?

In the darkness of your depression; in the darkness of the evil in our world; in the darkness of your fears and doubts; in the darkness of mounting bills and emptying bank accounts, you have this promise: “The Father rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).

If you are spending any time watching the Democratic debates or the impeachment hearings, you might wonder if our national leaders have gone mad. It feels like are government is divided and that division is growing every day. No one gets along. Everyone is angry. Everyone is fighting with each other. When it looks like our nation is tearing itself apart, you have this promise: [Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, things seen and unseen, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and all things hold together in him” (Colossians 1:15-17).

As we wonder if Christianity can survive despite the little spurts of inconvenience we experience here in America and the massive persecution we witness around the world, we have this promise: “[Christ] is also the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that in all things he might have the highest rank” (Colossians 1:18).

Christ is the head of his Church. He has a plan. Despite Christians having to go into hiding in China, the gospel continues to be shared in secret ways in that communist nation. Despite our WELS missionaries having to flee their focus countries, they are carrying on their mission work through online teaching, distance monitoring and coaching. Despite the fear and violence in Cameroon and other African nations, we have witnessed confessional Lutheranism continue to grow. At our synod convention this summer, the WELS declared full fellowship with the Lutheran Congregations in Missions for Christ – Kenya and the Christian Evangelical Lutheran Church in Taiwan.

It was fitting this week that in my daily Bible readings I read Psalm 93: “The Lord reigns. He is clothed in majesty. The Lord is clothed—he wears strength like a belt. Yes, the world stands firm. It will not be moved. Your throne was established long ago. You are from eternity” (Psalm 93:1-2). The Lord is our everlasting, never-changing God. He is our sure foundation. No matter how nations rage in our world, God continues to uphold and keep us in his care. He has not abandoned us. He is in control.

But there is even better news for us. God was not content to be an outside observer, watching the troubles in the world from a distance. God was not satisfied to sit on his golden throne and watch the dregs of society. God was not pleased to sit back as the Chosen One and do nothing.

No, Jesus Christ is God who was chosen from eternity to leave the praise of the cherubim and seraphim to be mocked and taunted spat on and beaten up, bruised and abused.

Jesus shook off his royal robes and replaced them with the scarlet robe that feigned the soldier’s respect. He spurned the glory of the angels for the mockery of the soldiers who called out, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!” He rejected the song of the saints for the chants of the religious leaders, “He saved others. Let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, the Chosen One!” Jesus left the paradise of heaven so he might give paradise to a repentant thief.

Jesus left his heavenly kingdom so he might establish a kingdom here on earth – not with war and states, but with Word and Sacraments.

Jesus is the divine King who took on human flesh so he could endure the thorns, scourge and nails. He did this so humanity would not have to endure an eternity of pain, suffering and flames.

Jesus left his throne to crush the Serpent’s head as he suffered the venom of the Serpent’s bite. He came to pay God by exchanging his innocent life for the humanity’s debt. He came to defeat death by dying … and then rising from the dead.

He is the King who stayed on his cross, though the world considered him an idiot and a failure for doing so. He stayed there. He paid there. He died there.

And he won there! The instrument of his torture and death has now become a symbol of his complete and total victory. We proudly wear this instrument of torture around our necks. We gladly display this instrument of death in our churches and homes. We proclaim the cross to our shut-ins, our prospects, and from our pulpits. Because the cross is where our King Jesus won his victory.

Now we crown him with many crowns (CW:341). We all hail the power of Jesus’ name (CW: 370). And we lift high the cross (CW: 579). 

He is the King of heaven who identified with sinners. He is the King of glory who rescued the scum of the earth. He is the King of kings who saved criminals and prostitutes and tax collectors and the demon-possessed and doubters and deniers and … and … us! He is exactly the King we need.

When a king dies, nations are in turmoil. When it is time to reelect a president, our nation is divided. God does not leave his world in chaos. Be assured that kings and presidents come and go. But heaven’s throne is always occupied by the Chosen One. Amen.

Be faithful, even to the point of death, and Jesus promises that he will give you the crown of life. Amen (Revelation 2:10).