Jesus reigns as the King of all kings. In this article, I discuss the most compelling reasons for recognizing Jesus as King. Thereafter, we’ll explore what it truly means to allow Him to rule our lives.
I was prompted to write this article after reading about Alexander the Great, a Macedonian king who had an exceptional battle record and vast conquests. I was keen to discover what makes Jesus the King of kings.
To lay the groundwork, we will explore the lives of Saul and David, the first two Kings of Israel, as a guide to uncovering essential qualities of a true king. Thereafter, a framework will be established to prove it in the applicability of the life of Jesus.
In this article you will discover some interesting key patterns in the lives of these three kings. Moreover, discover what it means for you and me today as the Scriptures also declare that we too, as believers, have been made kings and priests to God (Revelation 1:6).
1. Saul – The First King Of Israel
Saul was anointed king of Israel by Samuel the priest, in accordance with God’s instruction, as recorded in 1 Samuel 10:1. Thereafter, the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon Saul. He was infused with the Holy Spirit and began to perform remarkable acts, including prophesying (1 Samuel 10:6, 10).
Samuel described Saul as unique, declaring, “There is no one like him among all the people” (1 Samuel 10:24). Following this, Saul was publicly acclaimed as king by the people of Israel.
Soon after his anointing, Saul was called into battle. He secured victory by launching a surprise attack against the Ammonites, who were taunting God’s people (1 Samuel 11:1–11)
After this triumph, Saul was formally confirmed as king in a public ceremony before the LORD and all the people (1 Samuel 11:15)
Saul became king at the age of thirty. Throughout his reign, he waged war against Israel’s enemies, maintaining and expanding the nation’s territory (1 Samuel 14:47–48).
2. Characteristics Of A King
The series of events related to Saul’s kingship offers a framework to identify the essential qualities of a true king.
Here are six key characteristics that define what a true king is:
- Chosen by God
- Anointed by a priest
- Filled with the Holy Spirit
- Special
- A warrior leads and fights battles to protect and expand his kingdom
- Obedient to God
3. David – The Second King Of Israel
When Saul defied God’s commands, the Lord rejected him as king, emphasizing that true leadership is rooted in obedience to God. As a result, the kingship was passed to David.
Now, let us explore the life of David—the second king of Israel—and examine the qualities that exemplified his reign.
3.1 Chosen By God
David was chosen by God to become king (1 Samuel 16:1).
3.2 Anointed By A Priest
And Samuel, being the priest, went and anointed him before his family in 1 Samuel 16:13.
3.3 Filled With The Holy Spirit
After the anointing ceremony, the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David (1 Samuel 16:13), the same way it did upon Saul in 1 Samuel 10:6.
3.4 Special
The special characteristic that defines David is that God referred to him as a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:14).
3.5 Successful In Battle
David’s battles began while he was still serving under Saul. Because of Saul’s disobedience, the Spirit of the LORD departed from him, and he became tormented by an evil spirit.
David was summoned to play the harp so that the evil spirit would leave, and Saul would feel better as the torment lifted.
While in Saul’s court, David was engaging in spiritual warfare through music and praise. Scripture tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). Therefore, when David played the harp, he invited the presence of God, and the tormenting spirit afflicting Saul would depart. Read more on how to win battles with praise.
Soon thereafter, the children of Israel were confronted by a Philistine giant who continually terrified them. Fear swept through Israel’s camp, as the people were paralyzed at the sight of Goliath and the sheer magnitude of his presence and heavy armor.
David vouches to fight the giant the same way Saul vouched to rescue the tribes that were taunted by the Ammonites (1 Samuel 17). He said, “I’ll go fight Goliath”, further citing that the same LORD who rescued him from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue him from the Philistine.
Ultimately, David triumphed over Goliath and went on to achieve further victories against Israel’s adversaries. His success can be attributed to the presence of the LORD by his side.
But all of Israel and Judah loved David because he was so successful at leading his troops into battle (1 Samuel 18:16).
Eventually, David became king at 30 years, just like Saul. He was made king of Israel after a series of battles, setbacks, betrayals and more.
After being made king, he continued to lead his men to fight against Israel’s enemies and achieved many victories.
3.6 Obedience
Like all earthly kings, David was also found wanting. His disobedience caused instability in the kingdom when he committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, and subsequently arranged for Uriah to be placed on the frontlines of battle, leading to his death.
Both Saul and David had remarkable accomplishments, yet they struggled to fully obey God because of their human nature, which, like ours, is marked by sin. Now, let us turn our attention to the life of Jesus—the perfect and flawless King.
4. Jesus – The KING Of Kings
4.1 Chosen
Jesus is referred to as the Chosen One of God (John 1:34).
4.2 Anointed By A Priest
John baptized Jesus with water. John was a son of the priest Zachariah and was ordained to baptize Jesus. Just as Samuel anointed the first two kings of Israel.
4.3 Filled With The Holy Spirit
As Jesus came up out of the water after His baptism, the Holy Spirit descended and settled upon Him (Matthew 3:16).
4.4 Special
Jesus was special in God’s eyes, as God declared of Him in Matthew 3:17, it reads:
“This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”
4.5 Successful In Battle
We have observed from the previous two kings that when the Spirit of the LORD descended upon them, they were promptly led into battle.
Jesus was not exempt from this sequence of events. After the Spirit of God descended upon Him, He was led into the wilderness to face temptation from the devil. Although he was tempted to succumb to his desires, Jesus triumphed over the devil by relying on the word of God.
In all His temptations, Jesus responded by quoting Scripture, and eventually, the devil left Him. This demonstrated that Jesus’ battle was not physical but spiritual in nature. Paul describes this in 2 Corinthians 10:4.
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.”
Jesus used the word, which is the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17), as an offensive weapon to destroy the devil’s advances.
Thereafter, Jesus went about preaching the Good News and performing many miraculous works, thus advancing His spiritual kingdom. He never engaged in physical battles because the kingdom He came to establish on earth is spiritual in nature.
While David and Saul fought physical battles, Jesus fought spiritual battles in many ways, such as casting out evil spirits, healing the sick, and more. His mission was not to conquer territory but to win the souls of all people.
Though people were spiritually destitute, Jesus came to bring them the Good News, died on the cross for our sins, and ultimately gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The cross was the ultimate battle that resulted in victory over the sins of men, Paul wrote of this in Colossians 2:14-15.
He canceled the record of charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In doing so, He disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities, publicly shaming them through His victory on the cross.
What a great and mighty King Jesus is! He saved humanity over sin and condemnation, we are free and victorious in Christ. He is the King of glory.
Who is the King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle! (Psalm 24:8)
4.6 Obedience To God
Saul and David brought their kingdom into disrepute by the lack of total obedience to God. However, Jesus was completely obedient to God (Hebrews 5:8-9).
For all these reasons, Jesus was exalted to the highest place of honor at God’s right hand. His Kingdom and reign are everlasting. The scepter will never depart from His hand—for He is the King of kings.
5. The Compelling Reason Why Jesus Is King
A defining attribute of a king is that he is a warrior—one who fights battles on behalf of his people. He is empowered by the Holy Spirit, and his obedience to God directly affects the stability and success of the kingdom.
Jesus fully obeyed God, and His Kingdom has never—and will never—be overthrown. He defeated humanity’s greatest enemy: death, which entered the world through sin by the devil’s temptation.
No king in history has ever conquered death. All kings, except Jesus, ultimately succumbed to it. But Jesus rose again after His crucifixion, declaring His victory over death once and for all.
While earthy kings fight to gain spoils and territory, Jesus victory brought us eternal life, he gave us the life of God – the one thing we truly desire.
6. How We Have Been Made Kings
While all this analysis is great information to know, what does it mean for you and me today? The answer lies in Revelation 1:6, where John gives a salutation to Jesus as he begins his letter to the seven churches.
“To him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever.”
Therefore, Jesus has made us kings. Let us now explore how believers inherently share the same six key characteristics that were outlined in the preceding sections.
6.1 Chosen By God
When we believe in Jesus Christ and repent of our sins, something happens spiritually. We become united with him, and this unity deems us as chosen by God.
Because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
6.2 Anointed By A Priest
Jesus is called the eternal High Priest whose priesthood lasts forever (Hebrews 7:25).
John described him as the one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit (John 1:33), and Jesus continues to bestow the Holy Spirit upon all who accept and believe in Him.
6.3 Filled with The Holy Spirit
Baptism of the Holy Spirit leads to a spiritual birth, where one is filled by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 3:6, “Humans can reproduce human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.”
Galatians 3:2
“You received the Holy Spirit because you believed the message your heard about Christ.”
6.4 Special
Peter wrote this about believers and followers of Jesus Christ in 1 Peter 2:9:
For you are a chosen people. You are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s very own possession.
When the Holy Spirit came upon you the day you received Christ as Lord and Savior, you were transformed into a new person—just as Saul was changed into a different man when the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, as recorded in 1 Samuel 10:6.
“At that time the Spirit of the LORD will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed to a different person.“
The presence of the Holy Spirit in an individual’s life marks them as a child of God (Romans 8:14).
6.5 Successful In Battle
Its been proven that kings are led into battles, likewise since we have been made kings, we too are called into battle.
We’ve been mandated by the King of kings to use His name, to have dominion and authority here on earth over sickness, evil spirits, and more.
These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in My name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed. (Mark 16:17–18)
Paul instructs us to put on the full armor of God so that we may be able to stand against the enemy so that we can stand firm after the battle (Ephesians 6:13).
Believers in Christ are spiritual warriors, we fight for God’s Kingdom to be established on earth.
6.6 Obedience
Our success in being victorious in battles against the enemy is incumbent upon obedience to God—living a life surrendered to Christ and following His ways.
The life of a believer is distinguished by obedience to the Word of God. James 1:22 says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
Even demons believe in God, but they choose not to obey. Therefore, believers in Christ follow and obey His commands.
Luke 11:28 reads “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it”
7. Final Remarks
Dear kings, we have have received the Spirit of God, and thus are special in God’s eyes as we possess His DNA. Through our union with Christ, we have been elevated above all things, and have authority and power over all principalities.
Understand that our enemy is very stubborn and will keep on taunting us despite his defeat. As long as we are on this earth, we need to exert our power and stand firm against the evil one.
As kings, we have been chosen to bear fruit, bringing others to Christ, and this will bring glory to our eternal King, Jesus Christ – the Son of God.
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