JESUS IS KING (?) – Part 2

INTRODUCTION

The belief that Jesus is King is widely considered to be a basic teaching of the New Testament (NT). The traditional understanding is that after Jesus’ resurrection “all authority in heaven and on earth” was given to him (Matthew 28:18), and upon his ascension to heaven he took his seat on the throne and now rules as king over heaven and earth.  

But if he really is ruling the earth then it is a strange sort of rule, since conflicts, strife, wars, and endless manner of injustice and oppression have characterized life on earth almost continuously since his “rule” began. As a matter of fact, did Jesus not prophesy that those conditions would in fact be the case?

 3 “As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.6 You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs…”           Matthew 24:3-8.

It is remarkable that neither the Apostle’s Creed nor the Nicene Creed nor the Athanasian Creed mentions that Jesus is King. The Apostle’s Creed states only that he now “…sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty”, and implies that he will function as a king in the future when “…he will come to judge the living and the dead”. Mark Saucy has noted that “…Christ is seldom or never portrayed as king in the art of the pre-Constantinian Christian Church.” (Mark R. Saucy, Exaltation Christology in Hebrews: What Kind of Reign?, Trinity Journal, 14:1 (Spring 1993), p. 41-62). That  implies that it was the shift from persecuted church to triumphant church and the rise of Christendom with a “Christian” Emperor that necessitated a new emphasis on Christ as reigning now.

So where, when and how does he exercise his kingship? Does he rule in heaven or on earth? Does he rule both heaven and earth, but from a heavenly throne? How is his reign manifested? How is it observable? Does his reign have a starting point in history? When did Jesus receive his kingship and his kingdom? Are there several stages of his kingship, reflecting the “already/not yet” eschatology so strongly implied by the NT scriptures?

This series of four posts looks at these and related questions using the two principal Reformed Doctrinal Standards – the Belgic Confession (BC) and the Heidelberg Catechism (HC) – as starting points. The approach is to first list the key statements in the BC and HC that appear relevant to the issue of Jesus as King, including the cited scripture texts, then provide quotations of the cited texts followed by a discussion of what the texts do and do not state and how they support (or not) the confessional statements. The final post includes a summary of the main points.

The critiques on this blog of statements and claims in the Belgic Confession and the Heidelberg Catechism are NOT directed primarily at the original authors of those documents. I believe that the original authors did their best to summarize the main Christian doctrines, based on their concerns and priorities, the extent of their knowledge, and the theological assumptions and paradigms of their time and place. What I am critiquing is the apparent failure of today’s Reformed community to review, update, revise and reform these documents to reflect the current state of knowledge in the various fields of Biblical studies (see also the ABOUT ASKING QUESTIONS page).

PART 2 – THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM (HC)

Q&A 31. WHY IS HE CALLED “CHRIST”, THAT IS, ANOINTED?

“Because He has been ordained by God the Father and anointed with the Holy Spirit 1 to be: 
 – our chief Prophet and Teacher 2……
 – our only High Priest 4……
 – and our eternal King,7 who governs us by His Word and Spirit, and who defends and preserves us in the redemption obtained for us.8 “

Note 1. Ps. 45:7 (Heb1:9); Is 61:1 (Lk 4:18) Lk 3:21, 22.
Note 2. Deut 18:15 (Acts 3:22).
Note 4. Ps 110:4 (Heb 7:17).
Note 7. Zech 9:9 (Mt21:5); Lk 1:33.
Note 8. Mt 28:18-20; Jn 10:28; Rev 12:10-11.

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To keep the discussion manageable only the statements and text citations considered relevant to the matter of Jesus as King are quoted. Scripture quotations are from the NASB unless otherwise noted.  The texts cited in the HC Q&A are quoted in bold font; adjacent verses are included (in plain font) where relevant to help establish the context.

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Note 1 Scriptures:

Psalm 45:7            7 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of joy above Your fellows.

Hebrews 1:9            9“You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your companions.”

Isaiah 61:1              1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
Because the Lord has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners;

Luke 4:18             18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,

Luke 3:21-22        21 Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”

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Discussion of Note 1 Scriptures

The first OT/NT pair of cited texts refer only to an anointing of the Davidic king with “the oil of joy/gladness”, and thus appear not directly relevant to the HC’s argument. The second OT/NT pair of cited texts do clearly state that the Holy Spirit is upon the speaker, but the anointing is “to bring good news”, “to proclaim”, and “to preach” – all functions of a prophetic ministry, not a priestly or kingly one. The Luke 3 passage defines the moment when Jesus receives the Holy Spirit. In Luke 4 Jesus appropriates the Isaiah 61 passage and thus testifies that his earthly calling and ministry is indeed that of a prophet. The anointing of Jesus by the Holy Spirit thus equips him for his earthly ministry as a prophet, not for his subsequent ministry as High Priest or as King.   

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Note 2 Scriptures:

Deuteronomy 18:15        15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him. ……. 18 I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him. 

Acts 3:22          17 “And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. 18 But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19 Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you. 23 And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’

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Discussion of Note 2 Scriptures

This OT/NT pair of cited texts clearly defines Jesus’ ministry on earth as that of a prophet, confirming the conclusion made above in the discussion on the Note 1 scriptures.

In the Acts 3 passage, Peter himself functions as a prophet as he calls his Jewish brothers to repentance (repentance being a real possibility since they acted in ignorance in rejecting and crucifying Jesus) and further declares that Jesus, the Messiah appointed for them, will remain in heaven until the time arrives for the restoration of Israel spoken of by the OT prophets. Peter’s prophetic word here provides the answer to the disciples’ pre-Pentecost question in Acts 1:6b “… “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

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Note 4 Scriptures:

Psalm 110:4           4 The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind,
 “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

Hebrews 7:17           15….if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is attested of Him, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”……..………..24… Jesus, ……because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Hebrews 8:4            1……we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer.4 Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law……….

Hebrews. 10:12-13…. 12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet.

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Discussion of Note 4 Scriptures

Psalm 110 is a prophecy about the future Messiah. The timing of when the Messiah sits at the right hand, when he is declared a priest, and when he rules over his enemies, is clarified in Hebrews.

Hebrews 7 clarifies that Jesus became a priest after he was raised from the dead and attained an indestructible life (which he obviously did not have before his death). Hebrews 8 further clarifies that while he was on earth he could not be a priest because he was not a Levite; it therefore follows that he was appointed a High Priest after his ascension into heaven. There is thus a clear separation in both time and space between Jesus’ prophetic and priestly ministries.

The above implies that he was not anointed a priest via his receiving the Holy Spirit in Luke 3 (see above). In fact the Scriptures make no mention that Jesus was ever anointed as High Priest, rather he was made such by the declaration of God upon his entry into heaven. 

Hebrews 8 further clarifies that as High Priest Jesus has sat down on God’s throne at God’s right hand, where – according to Hebrews 10:12-13 (quoting Psalm 110:1) – he waits during this current age until the time comes that his enemies are to be subdued. That has not yet happened, thus Jesus’s primary function is still that of High Priest. His active rule as King when all his enemies are to be subdued is thus yet to come.

Hebrews 7:25 is one of only two NT texts (the other is Romans 8:34) that provides an actual description of Jesus’ activity from his current position in heaven, and it is that of intercession for his people. Although various NT texts assign an exalted position or kingly authority to Jesus, no NT text describes Jesus as actively ruling in any real sense in this present age.

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Note 7  Scriptures:

It seems self-contradictory for the HC to claim that the anointing of Jesus at a specific point in time retroactively makes him “our eternal King”.

Zechariah 9:9           9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
He is just and endowed with salvation,
Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
And the horse from Jerusalem;
And the bow of war will be cut off.
And He will speak peace to the nations;
And His dominion will be from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.

Matthew 21:5               …..Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 “Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold your King is coming to you,
Gentle, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

Luke 1:33             30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

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Discussion of Note 7 Scriptures

    • Zechariah 9:9 and its quotation in Matt 21 are specifically addressed to Israel and state that “…your King is coming to you…”. There is no indication in this text as to when this King of Israel will begin his reign, except that from the perspective of Zechariah it will be in the unspecified future. There appears to be no support for an “eternal” king in this text.
    • What does HC A.31 mean with “our” King? How does Israel’s King (see above bullet) become “our” King? And just who is included in, and who are excluded from, the “our”? The latter question gains further weight in light of the referenced text Luke 1:33 which affirms – in agreement with Zechariah – that Jesus will reign over the house of Jacob. The NT nowhere identifies the church as the house of Jacob. Note that Zech. 9:10 (see above)suggests that this King of Israel has an interest in “the nations” but there is no reference to this in the HC (why not?).
    • Luke 1:32 states that “….God will give Him the throne of His father David…” and thus affirms that Jesus will become king in the future, and that Jesus’ kingship will be manifested by occupying the throne of David. Since David’s throne is an earthly throne, Jesus’ kingdom and rule from that throne must necessarily be on earth.   

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Note 8 Scriptures:

Matthew 28:18-20    16 But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him;but some were doubtful.18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

John 10:28           27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

Revelation 12:10-11    9 And the great dragon was thrown down,the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan,who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth,and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven,saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. 12 For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.” 13 And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. ….17 So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

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Discussion of Note 8 Scriptures

    • The primary functions of Jesus kingship according to HC A. 31 are (1) to govern us by His Word and Spirit, and (2) to defend and preserve us in the redemption obtained for us. It seems clear that by “us” the HC means Christian disciples. Thus according to the HC Jesus’ kingly functions are limited to the church, since the HC ascribes no ruling function to Jesus with respect to anything else in heaven or on earth. However the NT does not actually describe the relationship between Jesus and the church in terms of King and subjects, rather the relationship is described in terms of Head and Body, or Bridegroom and Bride, or Lord/Master and servants/slaves, or as Shepherd and sheep. Further the NT nowhere states that Jesus”governs” us – rather the relationship is one of covenant love – if we love him we will keep his commandments. Although Jesus is clear as to the ultimate consequences of faithlessness/disobedience, in the context of his covenant relationship with us Jesus/God does not punish us as a king or judge but disciplines us for our good as a loving father his children or a benevolent master his servants. 
    • The first two texts cited in Note 8 of HC A.31 have no clear connection to kingly function:
    • Matthew 28 is about Jesus’ commission to the disciples, and does not seem to relate directly  to governing, defending or preserving of the disciples. The implication of this passage seems to include the concept of authority granted in principle, but not to be fully exercised until the time of the second coming of Jesus to the earth. The same concept seems to be taught in Hebrews 2:8: “For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him…”.
    • John 10 is about Jesus’ promise of the security of the covenant relationship. Although this passage can be construed as relating to the function of Jesus/God defending and preserving believers, it uses the pastoral image of the shepherd and his sheep, not the royal image of a king and his subjects.
    • The HC cites the last text (Revelation 12:10-11) in support of the claim that”…our eternal King….. defends and preserves us in the redemption obtained for us.” Verse 10 refers to Satan the accuser being thrown down out of heaven to earth, where, according to verse 12, 13 and 17 he will persecute the saints – thus those verses do not appear to apply to the HC’s claim. The portion of the cited passage which does appear relevant to that claim is verse 11, which is about those who overcome the “accuser”. However that overcoming is ascribed mostly to the attitude and actions of the overcomers themselves rather than Jesus as king. Moreover it is not as king but as the suffering Lamb of God and his shed blood that Jesus is referenced in verse 11, which is consistent with the depiction of the overcomers as faithful to the Lamb to the point of being killed for their faith. Thus the HC’s claim in light of verse 11 should then be understood to mean that Jesus enables his disciples to persevere in faith under persecution even to the point of being killed by God’s enemies, rather than being rescued from persecution as might be expected if the picture is of a king rescuing his faithful subjects.  

HC A.31 is certainly correct to describe Jesus’ present activity from heaven as focused on his church. In addition, the HC is also correct to qualify the claim that Jesus acts to “…defend and preserve us..” as focused on “…the redemption obtained for us.” However the NT seems to identify that work as priestly intercession rather than that of kingly rule. The lack of textual support for the HC’s approach seems to arise from trying to apply the scheme of Christ’s three-fold office to Jesus’ current ministry from heaven – a consequence of giving priority to systematic theology rather than Biblical theology.

Pro Sola Scriptura