Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. (John 6:14-15)
What is it with human nature? The people of Jesus’ time saw and tasted His miracle of multiplying the loaves and fishes. They confessed He was the Christ (“that prophet” cf. Deut. 18:18-19). They tried to force Him to be their King. It was all so unreasonable. Forgive me for stating the obvious; If we think Jesus is the Messiah, we don’t try to fit Him into our ideas. If we believe He is the Messiah, we wait on Him. All directives of godly service – all knowledge and activity has to come from Him, or else we are not following Him.
In our day we have the blindness of men and women calling on the name of Jesus in order to develop a red heifer approved by rabbinical standard so that a system of worship can be instituted; fulfilled in some dream temple to replace of the Dome of the Rock. This, among other things, is a distraction from reality; the judgment is coming. What happened to the call for all men everywhere to repent? After all, where can such futile dreams lead but to more violence and needless suffering? Repent!
- Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31)
What a horrible rendition of “Lead me to Calvary”! However you make an excellent point. I recall the denominational church I grew up in claiming Jesus was their King, but in reality there was no such ruler ship. It was in word only. We can see Jesus ruling in Revelation chapters 1 thru 3 as He is speaking His word to His seven churches of Asia. Jesus rules as King of His church through the writings of the apostles and prophets. Let us indeed submit and bow to Jesus as King in reality.
I too came from a background of proclamation that Jesus is Lord. However, the reality was Crusades in the past and political maneuvering in the present.
There are only two types of kingdoms. The Kingdom of God, and the kingdoms of men. No problem there. The problem arises when men try (in vain) to use the Kingdom of God to rule over men in a material way. That type is illegitimate. It denies the call and virtue of repentance, and endeavors to supplant what God has ordained.