"Crown Him the Lord of heav'n, enthroned in worlds above, Crown Him the King to whom is giv'n the wondrous name of Love. Crown Him with many crowns as thrones before Him fall; Crown Him, ye kings, with many crowns, for He is King of all."
Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. He has received from His Father authority over all things, yet many people, earthly rulers among them, refuse to acknowledge the Savior's lordship. Tyrants seek to dominate not only their own people, but other countries as well. Nations go to war as these leaders wrongly attempt to impose their sovereignty over others. Even though we trust in Christ for salvation and confess Him as Lord, when we consider our own lives and circumstances, we too may have doubts about His Lordship. Life can be troubling and sorrowful, and we wonder if Jesus is truly in control.
Jesus is Lord and there is no doubt about it. The crucified and risen Savior said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me" (Matthew 28:18b). Jesus did not receive His kingdom or achieve dominion by earthly means, by conquering kings and armies. He humbled Himself to be born of a virgin and made "for a little while lower than the angels" (Hebrews 2:7b). Jesus, crowned with thorns, was nailed to a cross and suffered the penalty of death for the sins of the world. On the first Easter morning, He rose to life in conquering might, overcoming every foe.
The Savior ascended to reign in glory at the right hand of God the Father, who left nothing outside of Jesus' control, although "at present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him" (Hebrews 2:8b). Even though we still struggle with doubt and fear, by faith we acknowledge Jesus as Lord and King. When we stumble and fall in sin and seek to take control from Him, our loving King calls us to repentance and forgives our sins. When we are frightened by the warring nations in our world, we turn in prayer to our gracious King, asking for His peace. We live with confidence, knowing that our Savior is "enthroned in worlds above."
Earthly kings may choose names and titles that indicate their fearsome power. To our King is given the "wondrous name of Love" and the wondrous Name of Jesus, "the Name that is above every name, so that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9b-11). Jesus is Lord and all crowns and thrones belong to Him.
WE PRAY: Lord Jesus, watch over me and reign as King in my life. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, "Crown Him with Many Crowns," which is number 525 in the Lutheran Service Book.
Reflection Questions:
1. What's the most difficult thing to believe about Jesus?
2. What does it mean that Jesus was "for a little while lower than the angels"?
3. Why has the Heavenly Father given Jesus such a place of honor at His right hand?
Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 4-6 John 7:1-27
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