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No King but Jesus

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 29, 1916

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 93, No. 32.

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No King but Jesus

By J. S. Washburn

J. S. WASHBURN
The angel Gabriel, in his annunciation of the birth of Jesus, said to Mary, “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”
By divine right Jesus is the only king. If man had never fallen, he would have known no king, no ruler, but the Lord. For “the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting King.” There could have been no time or place for any other king. “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Isa. 9:6, 7.
As a result of sin, and because of man's rebellion, God permits earthly governments and human rulers, as better than anarchy. When Pilate told Jesus that he had power to release or to crucify him, Jesus answered, “Thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above.” John 19:11. But behind Pilate was Satan, the “god of this world,” “the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” So even Satan's rule is permitted for a time, simply because man sold himself and all he had to Satan, and thus came under his cruel power. This is permitted only temporarily, that before the universe it may be demonstrated that no fallen creature has the power or right to reign in the kingdom of the Creator, whose scepter is righteousness and whose dominion is love.
Satan is represented as a roaring lion going about seeking whom he may devour. In the prophetic visions of Daniel and John, Babylon is represented by this very same cruel destroyer, and succeeding earthly kingdoms by other fierce wild beasts less noble than the lion, down to the very serpent, or dragon, another symbol of Satan. Since man sold himself as a slave to Satan's cruel tyranny, which ends only and always in ruin and death, he has been unable to control himself, much less to reign over other men. Thus only failure and ruin can be the end of any earthly government that has been or can be on earth. The principle of war, by which every government is sustained, is simply suicide in the end. “They that take the sword shall perish with the sword.”
“By a prophet [not a king] the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.” Hosea 12:13. A prophet simply speaks for God, the true King. But after a time, Israel, the church of God, demanded a king, “that we also may be like all the nations [heathen]; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.” Though solemnly warned of God, his people started down the high road to ruin, which, after many danger signals by the way, ended in the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the captivity in Babylon. The king, who was to fight their battles, could in the end only lead them to utter ruin. This supposed defense was seen to be only weakness, failure, and loss.
Shall we fail to learn the lesson,—“Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord”? The Christian fights by submission, by suffering. God forbid that we should trust or glory in aught but the cross of Christ. We can conquer only by love; by giving life, not taking it. Hear the Lord's pathetic words of yearning sorrow: “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help. I will be thy King: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes? I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.” Hosea 3:9-11.
When the King came whose right it is, and was born in the manger in Bethlehem, the angel choir sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Thus was announced the advent of the humble Prince of Peace. Thus with singing and joy the heralds of the little Christ-child proclaimedthe earthly birth of the King of love, whose kingdom is the universe and whose reign is everlasting. But “his own,” to whom he came so gently, so lovingly, refused him, and at the last cried out, “Away with him, crucify him!” The blind, stubborn demand of Israel—Not God, but a man shall be our king—was the seed; the hoarse cry of madmen thirsting for the blood of the Prince of life—“We have no king but Caesar”—was the bitter fruit.
Who is our king? Shall not our answer be, We have no king but Jesus? Oh, may he reign in our life now, saving us to the uttermost!
Philadelphia, Pa.