Is This Your King?

It was 2018. An estranged descendant of an African kingdom challenged the reigning king for the throne by engaging in a fight. The rules were simple: kill your opponent, and the victor would become king. While mercy could be shown, it was something the opposition never knew. The challenger had trained his whole life for this moment. Humiliating the king in front of his own people, he defeated him and mocked him, asking, “Is this your king?” This is the tale of Killmonger and T'Challa, the main characters in the Marvel film Black Panther. It recounts the familiar story of how the rightful king rose from the ashes, triumphed over evil, and established his royal throne.

At the end of John 18 Pontious Pilate questions Jesus about His kingship. Jesus states that His kingdom is not of this world (v.36) and that He has come to this world to bear witness of the truth (v.37). In another area of our reading plan, Philippians 2 outlines Jesus’ purpose: He descended from His royal throne (v.7) and died on a cross (v.8). On that very cross, Jesus was costumed with a purple robe and crown of thorns while soldiers mocked him in front of His people, shouting, “Hail, King of the Jews!” (John 19:2-3). 

Yet, even on that humiliating cross, Jesus still reigned as king. Pilate placed the inscription, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews,” and refused to change it despite pressure from the chief priests (John 19:19-21). Furthermore, Paul affirms Jesus’ eternal kingship, declaring that because of His humility on the cross, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord (Phil. 2:9-11).

Jesus’ kingdom is not from this world, so instead of bowing down to the King, the world mocks Him. We, like Kilmonger, believe we deserve the praise rather than the true King. Everytime we are quick to anger, hateful to our neighbor, or slow to forgive, we are making a mockery of King Jesus. Although Kilmonger tried to overthrow the king, at the end of Black Panther, T’Challa still showed him mercy and invited him into his kingdom. Similarly, God invites us into His kingdom—not through a black panther, but through a risen Lamb. 

Ask yourself: is Jesus my King? If He is, let us not make a mockery of Him like the soldiers did, but bow down in worship to Him as Moses did after God revealed to him His name:

“The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.' And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.” (Exodus 34:6–8 ESV)

These articles follow our church-wide reading plan. To read with us, click here.