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“I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill” (Ps. 2:6). What a promise. Yet, when we watch the evening news, it doesn’t seem like Christ reigns. He doesn’t appear to be the King of kings or the Lord of lords. An Islamic terrorist enters a nightclub and slaughters more than fifty people and Christians are blamed. A man walks into a South Carolina church and murders our faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. Christians are demonized for upholding civilization’s long-held belief that men are men and women are women. It doesn’t look like Christ reigns. But it didn’t look like it on that day at Calvary either.
Jesus said in John 18, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world” (v. 36). His is a spiritual kingdom, so it may not appear to be gaining ground. His kingdom does not have borders like the Roman Empire. It does not win battles for all to see. His kingdom is spiritual. Therefore, the evening news must not dictate our theology. Christ reigns and His kingdom will endure forever. In fact, the psalmist says that He will break His foes with a rod of iron and dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel (Ps. 2:9). Despite how things sometimes appear, His kingdom exists and alone will last.
Let not our eyes lead us to deny this truth. On Good Friday, all the powers of this world were aligned and mocked God. Truly, they appeared to be successful. Surely, this was the moment that the world’s voice was loudest and most unified. The religious establishment, represented by the Pharisees, scribes, and Sadducees, brought charges against Him; earthly government sanctioned His death; fallen man cried out for His crucifixion; Satan and his demons seemingly had their way. The plot seemed to work. The kingdom of God seemed to be folly.
Their victory was so sure that they even mocked Him with a purple robe and a crown of thorns. They fixed a placard above His head that read, “King of the Jews.” His kingdom seemed feeble, weak, even nonexistent.
Yet, in that moment when the world seemed to possess all power, the power of God echoed and reverberated throughout all the universe. He was establishing His Son’s kingdom for all of eternity. He set His King on Zion. And from that little hill is spreading a kingdom like leaven throughout the world.
Those who seem to be the most powerful adversaries of God are laughable (Ps. 2:4). Their voices may be loud, but they plot in vain. You need not worry. Every Nebuchadnezzar falls; every Ahab reaches his end; even the head of the serpent is crushed. God’s kingdom is established and will continue forever. It alone remains, because Jesus is alive and reigns forevermore. No matter what apparent setbacks we witness, He reigns.
Even when the world appears to have maneuvered its way to the upper hand, it is but angling to be His footstool. So, dear Christian, fear God today, not men. There is a throne above and it is not empty.