Of course, not everyone celebrated President Bush’s leadership. Newsweek ran a cartoon that showed a lady with a very traditional haircut smiling broadly at the TV and saying: “Isn’t George Bush doing a marvelous job as president?” Her husband, who had a heavy beard and melancholy look, responded “Shut-up Tipper.” Al Gore was not too excited to have Bush as president.

The apostle Paul ends this tremendous Christ Hymn by declaring the reality that the only righteous, eternal king is on the throne.

Philippians 2: 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

He declares a present reality, not a hope, not a pipe dream, but a reality, right now the only perfect man dwells on the throne of the world. To the degree that He is your effectual king, you will rejoice. You will experience joy unspeakable, overflowing hope, peace amidst grief, and glory. However, to the degree that you live for another name, you will be driven, anxious, prideful or filled with self-pity. If that latter list describes you, I want to invite you to serve a better king.

The King and the Kingdom

The search that takes up the Old Testament has been completed. The right king, the holy king, is finally and forever upon the throne.

The King Installed

The arc of the Bible is one story. God created this world to share his love and reveal the glory of his Son. He designed the world to have a ruler, someone in his image sitting on the throne ensuring justice and peace. We see the need for a king in everything, from the grass around us, to our own sleep patterns. Without discipline we perish.

The original kings refused to rule with submission to him. They were the first tyrants, ruling for their own glory instead of seeking what is best for everyone. So the Lord banished them from the garden, and all the world fell into disrepair. Competition, violence, the strong exploiting the weak has been the order of the day ever since.

God established a nation, and promised through their king all the world would be blessed. But every king failed. The temptation to use their power to satisfy their own lusts proved too great.

Then God sent His son. Born of a woman, from the line of Judah, born to rule. He humbled himself perfectly, he never used his power for his own lusts, and proved that he alone was the rightful king. Therefore, he has received the name that is above every name.