What really makes Jesus our King and our Lord?

Nearly every Christian throughout history has heard Jesus referred to as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Like all Spiritual things in life, it might be a good idea to know where it came from and if it’s true. By doing this we can also really open up things about Jesus that makes each one of us love and respect Him even more. So, what really makes Jesus Christ King and Lord of Heaven and Earth?

Jesus holds the title of King of Kings and Lord of Lords

It is easy to see where Jesus got the title of King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We see from these four verses where Jesus is referred to as a King, as a Lord, as the Lamb, as the Word of God, and as God:

1 Timothy 6:13-16. “I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; ¹⁴ That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: ¹⁵ Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; ¹⁶ Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen”

Revelation 15:3. “And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.”

Revelation 17:14. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

Revelation 19:12-16. “His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. ¹³ And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. ¹⁵ And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶ And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (See also John 1:1,14)

Each one of these verses describe different situations and events that refer to Jesus. We could explore each one, but for the purpose of this study, it is important to know that Jesus is the One that holds the title of King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

When will Jesus set up His kingdom on earth?

We all know of people in the world that hold the title of King. Whether it is a King of England, or some other kingdom in the world, each are recognized having ultimate authority over their kingdoms on earth. However, while Jesus walked this earth, He told everyone that He is a king, but His kingdom is not of this world as follows:

John 8:20-23. “These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come. ²¹ Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. ²² Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come. ²³ And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.”

John 18:33-37. “Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? ³⁴ Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me? ³⁵ Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done? ³⁶ Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. ³⁷ Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.”

We find later that while Jesus walked this earth, He was not yet in the position of King of this world, however, He acknowledged that Satan was the prince of the world and one day Jesus would be the King of Heaven and Earth to fulfil prophecy as follows:

1 Chronicles 29:10-12. “Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. ¹¹ Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. ¹² Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.”

Isaiah 9:6-7. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. ⁷ Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

Luke 22:24-30. “And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. ²⁵ And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. ²⁶ But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. ²⁷ For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. ²⁸ Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. ²⁹ And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; ³⁰ That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Ephesians 2:1-6. ​”And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; ² Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: ³ Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. ⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, ⁵ Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) ⁶ And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”

Hebrews 1:1-2, 6-8. ​”God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, ² Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;  ⁶ And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. ⁷ And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. ⁸ But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”

There are many other verses that can be quoted, but the message to us is that, FOR NOW, Satan is ruling over the earth. However, there is a time coming when Jesus takes His believing children out of the world and Satan’s Kingdom will be destroyed and Jesus will set up a new kingdom on earth. (Matthew 12:32, Revelation 19:11-21, Revelation 20:1-15)

What are the duties of the King?

To understand, Jesus’ position as our King and Lord, we need to know what is it that the Bible says are the duties of the King. There are four duties of a King as follows:

A King is a deliverer

While a king sits on a throne and rules, He does more than just sit there and tell people what to do. A king also has the responsibility of delivering his subjects from the evils of an enemy intent on doing them harm as follows:

Psalms 44:4-7. “Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob. ⁵ Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. ⁶ For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. ⁷ But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.”

We see four things that a king does to deliver His subjects from evil:

1. A king commands that his subjects be delivered from evil (Psalms 44:4).
2. A king gives authority in his name to destroy their enemies (Psalms 44:5)
3. A king understands the limit of the power and skills of his subjects (Psalms 44:6)
4. A king oversees the defeat and shame of their enemies (Psalms 44:7)

A King is a creator

We also see that while a king sits on his throne and rules, he does not just deliver his subjects from harm. He also creates things that beneficially provide and protect his people.

Psalms 74:12-17.“For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.¹³ Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters. ¹⁴ Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness. ¹⁵ Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers. ¹⁶ The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun. ¹⁷ Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.”

We see four things that a king does to create things to protect and provide for His subjects:

1. A king creates a kingdom in which his people can safely live and worship (Isaiah 4:5-6)
2. A king creates a kingdom in which his people can grow crops, have safe drinking water, and hunt animals for food (Psalms 104:10-18; Mark 4:26-29)
3. A king creates a kingdom in which his people can live and flourish each day and night (Genesis 8:20-22; Amos 5:8)
4. A king creates a kingdom which has defined borders and government for his people to live safely and to be protected (Isaiah 9:6-7; James 2:5)

A king is a judge

A king must also assure that his people are provided with justice so that they may live in peace and assurance of equal treatment no matter what their station in life. Justice assures that they are treated fairly and are also protected from those that seek to harm or take advantage of them.

Psalms 72:1-7. “Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son. ² He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment. ³ The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. ⁴ He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. ⁵ They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. ⁶ He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. ⁷ In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.

We see four things that a king does to provide justice and proper judgment for His subjects:

1. A king provides justice based on what is right or wrong no matter how rich or poor anyone may be (Leviticus 19:15; Matthew 7:1-5)
2. A king judges the causes of his people in poverty and its effect upon their children to determine if their poverty is valid, self-made, or a result of being victims of oppression (Proverbs 22:22-23; James 2:1-10)
3. A king’s judgment is feared and respected and is taught to each generation to assure justice continues throughout all generations (Psalms 72:5; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5)
4. A king’s judgment shall cause righteousness to flourish and an abundance of peace to the people throughout time (Psalms 72:6-7; Isaiah 11:1-9)

A king is a savior

While a king serves his people as a deliverer, creator, and judge, he also is willing to die for his people to save them from harm. This means that a king will not hesitate to risk his life to protect them so that they can live without fear to themselves or their families.

Zechariah 9:9-11. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. ¹⁰ And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. ¹¹ As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.”

We see four things that a king does to save his people:

1. A king maintains a humble and just attitude in respect of his people (Zechariah 9:9; Jeremiah 13:15-18)
2. A king will fight enemies of his people that seek to destroy them (Zechariah (9:10; Isaiah 33:22; Acts 5:29-32)
3. A king will provide salvation and dominion to all his people in all areas of his kingdom (Zechariah 9:10; Matthew 9:35-36)
4. A king keeps his word to his people (Zechariah 9:11; Psalms 33:4; Ephesians 1:9-14)

What is the genealogy of the King?

A king has an heritage that he receives from those that served before him. He is raised to one day sit on the throne to serve as king to those of his generation and they will recognize his heritage and respect him and his royal position:

John 1:43-51. “The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. ⁴⁴ Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵ Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. ⁴⁶ And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. ⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! ⁴⁸ Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. ⁴⁹ Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. ⁵⁰ Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. ⁵¹ And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.”

Jesus had a genealogy that was special in two ways, both earthly and heavenly as follows:

1. Jesus had an earthly genealogy (Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38)
2. Jesus had a heavenly Genealogy (Psalms 2:7; Matthew 27)
3. Jesus’ genealogy was affirmed by God, His Father when he said, “…This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)

Who are the children of our King, Jesus?

When it comes to what makes Jesus Christ our King and Lord of Heaven and Earth, the Bible is very clear it is Him as follows:

Philippians 3:20-21. “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: ²¹ Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”

Revelation 17:12-14. “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. ¹³ These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. ¹⁴ These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”

Revelation 19:9-16. “And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. ¹⁰ And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. ¹¹ And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. ¹² His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. ¹³ And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. ¹⁵ And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶ And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

As for who are the children of God, those of us that have trusted Christ as our Saviour are born again as children of God. We can learn about this in depth from the following articles:

Got Jesus?

Are we all God’s children?

Have you been adopted by God?

Galatians 3:1-21 Are you a child of God?

Final thoughts

So, what makes Jesus Christ King and Lord of Heaven and Earth? While there is much more that can be said, we can be confident that God loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to live a perfect life and die upon the cross to pay the penalty for our imperfections. It is for this reason that Jesus was made our King and Lord of Heaven and Earth. May He bless and keep each one of us as we seek His Wisdom and Guidance for our lives and share His love with others.

Dr. Michael L. Williams, Head of Ministry Operations and Technology at Christianity Every Day, is a Christ-centered Author, Educator, Biblical Counselor and Advisor. He is ordained in Pastoral Ministry and formerly the founding Pastor of Selah Mountain Ministries, a church started along with his wife, Pamela Rose, after several years of pastoral experience and training in Biblical Counseling. Selah Mountain provided Biblical counseling and education to the public on how to overcome life issues Biblically on topics such as anger management, marriage, addictions, and other subjects – often referred to as mental illnesses. To learn more about Dr. Mike visit the About page.

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