The Coronation of Jesus Christ

 

 

 

“For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.”

Psalm 8:5

“Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour…”

Hebrews 2:7

 

Preparatory Reading: Psalm 2, 8, 45, 110; Matt 21:1-17; Luke 1:26-38; John 12:12-16; Acts 2:30-38; Phil 2; Hebrews 2; Revelation 5, 12.

Introduction:

  1. We love the ascension of Jesus Christ, though most do not appreciate it (I Timothy 3:16).
  2. But the coronation of Jesus Christ is an event that took place in heaven after His ascension.
  3. We have not seen a real king. Our president can hardly move without permission or criticism.
  4. Coronation is a grand and great event, though we are deprived by never having seen one.
  5. Coronations include Saul (I Sam 10:17-27), David (I Chr 12:1-40), Joash (II Kings 11:1-12).
  6. The king with by far the most appeal in the Bible is David, who is the father of Jesus Christ.
  7. Men have wanted from the beginning a glorious king to lead, protect, provide, and awe them.
  8. Men prefer Jesus in a manger, on a crucifix, or at a door … not on a throne with a scepter!
  9. Paul knew Jesus as a glorious King, and He charged Timothy by it (I Timothy 1:17; 6:13-16).
  10. As baptized believers, we are citizens of the city of the great King (Psalm 48:2; Heb 12:22).

Prophecy of the King

  1. Shiloh with a scepter would come from Judah, and He would gather the people (Gen 49:10).
  2. Balaam, an unwilling prophet, told of a Scepter from Israel to destroy enemies (Num 24:17).
  3. David’s dying words prophesied of Messiah the King as the perfect ruler (II Samuel 23:1-7).
  4. David prophesied of a glorious kingdom and anointed king over the heathen (Psalm 2).
  5. David prophesied of a man God would crown with glory, honor, and dominion (Psalm 8).
  6. David prophesied of a king fairer than men and glorious in power and majesty (Psalm 45).
  7. There is a further psalm that describes God promoting one higher than kings (Ps 89:19-29).
  8. David prophesied of a king who was David’s lord and a priest like Melchizedek (Psalm 110).
  9. Isaiah gave the glorious prophecy we know and love so well about a ruling son (Is 9:6-7).
  10. Jeremiah gave prophecies as well of David or a king over Judah (Jeremiah 23:5-8; 33:10-26).
  11. Ezekiel gave prophecies of Jesus Christ through the name David (Ezek 34:23-31; 37:21-28).
  12. Other prophets spoke of a king like David and a kingdom like David’s (Hos 3:5; Zech 9:9).
  13. There are other prophecies of David, a king, a throne, a ruler, a pavilion, etc. of Jesus Christ.

Birth of the King

  1. The angel Gabriel told Mary her Son Jesus would reign on David’s throne (Luke 1:30-33).
  2. The angelic host honored His birth as the Christ, the anointed king and lord (Luke 2:8-14).
  3. Wise men came from the east following a star to worship the King of the Jews (Matt 2:1-3).

Life of the King before coronation

  1. Nathanael identified Jesus Christ by inspired wisdom as the King of Israel (John 1:45-51).
  2. We understand the Hebrew Messiah to be the Greek Christ to be Anointed King and Lord.
  3. Prior to His death, Jesus entered Jerusalem as King (Matt 21:1-11; Zech 9:9; John 12:12-16).
  4. Pilate knew Jesus was King of the Jews and said so (John 18:33-37; 19:19-20; Luke 23:3).

Coronation of the King

  1. Paul interprets the coronation in Psalm 8 as being fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth (Heb 2:5-9).
    1. Paul quotes from Psalm 8:4-6 to establish the humiliation and exaltation of Jesus Christ.
    2. The inductive reasoning used by Paul here is very powerful and beautiful if considered.
      1. Man is a lowly being not warranting the thoughts or visitations of Almighty God.
      2. God made man relative to his rank in creation a little lower than the angels.
      3. God has taken lowly man and exalted him with authority, glory, and honour.
      4. He has put man over the works of creation and put all things under his feet.
      5. Since God has put all things under man, there cannot be anything not put under him.
      6. But at the present we do not see all things put under the feet of any man or all men.
      7. What is God speaking of in the Eighth Psalm? What man was put over all creatures!
    3. But we see Jesus … Jesus Christ is the solution! He fulfills all the requirements!
      1. Jesus was made lower than the angels in his humiliation (Gal 4:4; Phil 2:5-8).
      2. Jesus was crowned with glory in his exaltation (Acts 2:33; Philippians 2:9-11).
      3. Jesus was given power over all (Matt 28:18; Eph 1:20-23; I Pet 3:22; Rev 5:11-13).
      4. Jesus has all things in subjection under Him except for God (I Corinthians 15:27).
    4. The grace of God is the basis for Jesus Christ tasting death for every man (2:9).
      1. It was all of grace that God chose sinners in Jesus Christ (Rom 11:5-6; II Tim 1:9).
      2. It was all of grace that made Christ’s death acceptable to God (Rom 3:24; Eph 1:6-7).
      3. The every man for whom Jesus died is clearly limited by scripture and context.
      4. He tasted death for these men, so none of them can or shall taste death (John 8:52).
      5. He tasted death for those given Him by covenant (John 6:38-39; 17:2; I Peter 1:2).
      6. He tasted death for sons, the sanctified, brethren, the church, and the children given.
      7. Paul warned every man (Col 1:28). Consider also Luke 16:16; I Cor 4:5; Gal 5:3; etc.
    5. The incarnation was a problem to Jews (I Cor 1:23; Isaiah 53:2; Luke 2:34; I Pet 2:7-8).
    6. Since angels cannot die, how can the dying Jesus of Nazareth be greater than angels?
    7. Men are inferior to angels by nature; can the man Jesus Christ be greater than the angels?
  2. We can see this coronation in all its glory accompanied by choirs and worship (Revelation 5).
  3. We can see further aspects of His royal promotion with the devil’s defeat (Revelation 12).
  4. He received the keys of David and the ruling rod and throne of God (Rev 2:27; 3:7,21; 12:5).
  5. He was given many crowns to depict His glorious reign over all the universe (Rev 19:12).
  6. He girded on His sword and was highly decorated to go forth and conquer, and He was presented with a glorious bride, even the church made up of Jews and Gentiles (Ps 45:1-17).
  7. Peter, only 50 days after His death, declared Him the exalted Lord and King (Acts 2:22-39).
  8. This glorious promotion was in reward for His humiliating death for us (Philippians 2:5-11).
  9. He was given a throne at the right hand of God and anointed above all others (Heb 1:3,8-9).
  10. Everything was put under His feet, and He reigns to destroy all enemies (I Cor 15:24-28).
  11. He has been promoted at His coronation far above all other created beings (Eph 1:20-23).
  12. All other angels, devils, cherubim, and beasts have been made subject to Him (I Pet 3:22).
  13. Why is He crowned king? For the glory of God through us and to us, and for our salvation, which things the angels desire to look into (Eph 1:22; 3:10; I Pet 1:11-12; Rev 5:11-12).

Rule of the King after coronation

  1. He is the King of saints and churches, by judging sinners in them and removing candlesticks, which Revelation chapters 1-3 show most vividly (Acts 5:1-11; I Cor 11:28-32).
  2. He is the King of nations by ruling them with a rod of iron and dashing them into pieces for the benefit of His people (Ps 2:10-12; Is 49:22-23; Acts 23:11; I Tim 2:1-2).
  3. He is the King of all angels, both good and bad, both in heaven, on earth, and in hell.
  4. He overcame ten nations of Europe for the benefit of His saints and churches (Rev 17:14).
  5. He is the most perfect and glorious King-Priest ever placed in one Man (Heb 7:2; Zec 6:13).

Life under the King

  1. Press into His kingdom by violence and being broken (Luke 16:16; Matthew 11:12; 21:44).
  2. Saints were and have been persecuted for having allegiance to another King (Acts 17:7).
  3. He hides those who love and trust Him in the secret of His pavilion (Ps 27:5; 31:20; 91:1).
  4. Jerusalem above, to which we are come, is city of the great King (Matt 5:35; Heb 12:22-24).
  5. A chief sin of the perilous times of the last days is to miss His kingly authority (II Tim 3:5).
  6. Your body is the property of King Jesus Christ, and your life should match (I Cor 6:12-20).
  7. The King is also a shepherd, who loves His sheep, and will not lose a single one of them.

Future of the King

  1. He has already defeated sin, death, hell, and the devil; but He shall soon make a full end of them in a public display for God’s glory (II Tim 1:10; I Cor 15:24-28,51-57; I Thes 4:13-18).
  2. He shall show in His timing that He is indeed the Blessed and Only Potentate (I Tim 6:13-16)
  3. All men, including His saints, shall give an account of their lives before His judgment seat (Rom 14:10-12; Acts 17:30-31; II Cor 5:9-11; II Tim 4:1; I Pet 4:5).
  4. He will separate the nations, save the righteous for their eternal inheritance, and destroy all His enemies (Matthew 25:31,34,40; John 14:1-3; II Thess 1:7-10).
  5. He will change the universe to make it fit for His children to inherit forever (Rom 8:17-25).

Conclusion:

  1. If Jesus of Nazareth is King, what are you doing to adore, obey, serve, and reverence Him this day?
  2. If Jesus of Nazareth is King, then you owe Him complete allegiance and service as He has specified.
  3. This King was tempted in all points like us and died for us: we can go to Him at anytime for help.
  4. If you want to meditate about this King and adore Him, then use Psalm 45 for that this very day.

For further study:

  1. Sermon Outline: He Ascended on High
  2. Sermon Outline: Jesus is the King of kings
  3. Sermon Outline: Psalm 45
  4. Sermon Outline: The Mystery of Godliness
  5. Sermon Outline: The Gospel Millennium
  6. Sermon Outline: The Witness of 70 A.D.
  7. Sermon Outline: The Creation Groaneth