Blogotional

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

GEORGE LIVINGSTONE ROBISNON Professor of Old Testament literature and exegesis in McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, 1898 - 1938; born August 19, 1864, at West Hebron, Wash¬ington County, N. Y.; educated at Salem Washington Academy and Fort Edward Collegiate Institute; graduated BA., from Princeton University in 1887; instructor in the Syrian Protestant College, Beirut, Syria, 1887-90; won, upon graduation from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1893, the Old Testament fellowship in Hebrew which afforded him two years’ study in Germany; Ph.D., University of Leipsic, 1895; D.D., Grone City College, 1904; pastor of the Roxbury Presbyterian church, Boston, Mass.; professor of Old Testament literature and exegesis in Knox College, Toronto, Canada, 1896-98.


“Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” - John 19:19.

These words upon the cross were an accusation against Christ. “Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross and the writing was, Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” It seems striking, when we think of it, that our Lord should have been crucified as king, when by the very act of His sacrifice He was performing His priestly office and, at the same time, fulfilling His own prophecy. Yet in three languages over His cross were written the words, “Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews.”

The word “king“ signifies sovereignty, authority, power; and traced to its origin seems to denote one to whom superior knowledge has given superior power. In the evil world various other words are employed to designate the sovereigns of particular states. Thus there is the “shah “of Persia, the “sultan“ of Turkey, the “emperor “ of China, and formerly there were the “dey” of Algiers, and the “doge“ of Venice. Jesus was called “king.” We are accustomed to think of Him as Savior and too little to contemplate him as king, yet the Bible clearly sets forth His kingship. The Gospel of Mat¬thew especially emphasizes His regal power. The writer of this gospel evidently sought to prove to the unbelieving Jews that Jesus was their expected king. The Old Testament had long before declared the coming of a monarch. In Genesis He is denominated lawgiver “: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come: and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”

The prophet Isaiah invests him with judicial and executive functions: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulders. 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 forever.” Daniel ascribes to him eternal and unlimited domin¬ion over all: “And there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting domin¬ion which shall not pass away and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” David enthrones Him at the right hand of God:” The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”

Christ Himself claimed kingly authority. The Sermon on the Mount resounds with those commanding words: “But I say unto you.” “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.” As Jesus went up and down through Galilee, He said to one and another,

Follow me,” and His disciples followed Him. To the sick He said, “Arise“; to the dead Lazarus, “Come forth.” His. great commission, “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature,” was based upon His kingly authority. In all His teaching and in all His words there was an air of command. The gospel picture we have of Him is quite the contrast of king or prince, yet, as has been said, “All his words were kingly, all his acts a succession of the kingliest deeds, decisions, commands.” When He preached, He spoke with authority; when He taught He showed divine wisdom, and when He healed, He evinced divine power. Christ needed no excuse and made no apology. He was a ruler and He came to rule; He was a monarch and He performed the functions of a monarch; He was a king and He spoke like a king.

Christ was recognized as king. On the first day of what we call “Passion week,” He made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. That day saw His formal inauguration as king of the Jews. His humanity was then exalted. Starting from Bethany, He was borne on an ass’ colt - not upon a war-horse, but an animal the symbol of peace - over the Mount of Olives, down across the valley of the Kedron on the way to the Holy City. It was Passover week. Thousands of Jews had come up from all parts of the Roman Empire to attend the feast. The city was crowded to its utmost. Our Lord was escorted by His disciples. As He approached the city, throngs came out to meet Him. Multitudes gazed with eager eyes from lofty eminences. The city began to resound with the cries and shouts of the people. Branches of palm trees were broken down and strewed before the new monarch. Adoring followers spread their garments in the way that the new-hailed king might tread upon them. The shout of hosannas to the Son of David rent the air. Jesus was entering the capital. We read much of the pomp and splendor with which earthly kings are es¬corted through their realms. History relates that the way before the conquering Xerxes, as he led his troops across the bridge over the Hellespont, was strewed with green branches of myrtle while the incense of burning spices and aromatic perfumes filled the air. Travelers, even in these modern days, tell of Persian rulers passing in wonderful pageants along a road of roses miles in extent, and of glass vessels with symbols of mysterious fash¬ion - tokens of supreme prosperity - broken at every step beneath the horses’ feet. But look at Christ’s retinue! What a resplendent pageant! Look at the crowded capital! Hear the people cry hosannas to their triumphal monarch! Watch the jealous rabbis as they endeavor to hush the exultant throng. Jesus is making His triumphal entry and the world is for the first time beginning to grasp the meaning of His person and work.

And yet the admiring hosts only saw in Him His temporal power. Even His disciples understood not the spiritual import of His kingship. They had but a vague conception of the kingdom of heaven. By the” kingdom of God” a Jew understood human society perfected, where God was visible and ruled. They failed to comprehend His spiritual rule; they failed to acknowledge His divine lordship; they failed to recognize Him as the great king and head of the Church. Christ was more than temporal king. His loyalty commenced in heaven‘s eternal purpose. He was to be monarch of men ‘s hearts as well as minds. He was to be the governor and controller of human destiny. Not only this, but He was to reign in love. He was to be a king of love. He was to win His followers through love. He was to found His kingdom on love. Napoleon, conversing in exile one day at St. Helena, as his custom was, about the great men of antiquity and comparing himself with them, said: “Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself founded great empires, but upon what did the creations of our genius depend? Upon force. Jesus alone founded His kingdom upon love, and to this day millions would die for Him.” True indeed! Upon love Jesus established His monarchy. His empire is a monarchy of love, not a democracy, not a republic, but an absolute monarchy based upon supreme loyalty to Him, and governed throughout by love. Broad and extended, yet never exceeding the limits of love. This is Christ’s kingdom, and this is the manner of His government; a kingdom worthy of a human, and worthy, also, in every way of a divine Christ.

Let us consider briefly His kingly offices: Earthly kings exercise various functions. In a word, they make subjects, found kingdoms, govern their people, protect and defend their empires, and conquer their enemies. Our Lord has similar functions. Our catechism tells us that “Christ executeth the office of a king in subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies.”

As a king, therefore, Christ’s first office is the subjection of His people. Such is the natural condition of the human heart, that without the almighty power of a divine ruler men would not be brought into subjection. “The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Men are obstinate and refused to be governed, and it requires kingly power and kingly love to conquer such rebellions hearts. Yet Christ affects His purpose and men become His loyal subjects. Paul is a good example of such subjection. He was on his way to Damascus. His heart was set against Christianity. His mission was to visit the synagogues and bring any disciples of Christ that he might find bound unto Jerusalem. He was, therefore, in absolute rebellion against the Savior. But, “ suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about him, and he fell unto the ground and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? “ Not until he heard the voice from heaven was his heart chanted. Not until the divine effulgence was manifested to Paul in miraculous power did he inquire, “Who art thou, Lord? “ Not until Paul was smitten to the earth was he led to ask,” Lord, what wilt thou have me do? “ Then it was the King of men softened Paul’s heart; then it was that Christ conquered his rebellions will; then it was that Paul became the doulos, purchased servant, of Jesus Christ. Even so Christ subdues us. He speaks with authority to the conscience. He questions our lives; He interrogates our motives; He visits us in secret; He speaks to us when alone; He follows us into the darkness; He haunts our slumbers; He makes us dissatisfied with self; and He reveals Himself to us in such a way that He conquers our stubborn wills, wins our rebellions hearts, and. makes us His obedient and willing subjects. This is the first work of the Christ-king.

As a king, Christ rules his people. After the Macedonian had conquered the East, after the renowned Roman had subjected the world, after the hero of France had overrun Europe, their common difficulty was to know how to govern. To have left those foreign nations to govern themselves would have meant disloyalty and revolt. So in the kingdom of grace. The great King does not leave us to govern ourselves. Having become citizens of His realm, we are placed under new laws, bound by new obligations and subject to new restrictions. We are citizens of a new commonwealth. “Old things have passed away.” New thoughts, better feelings, higher aspirations are our possession. Duties that once we deemed a burden now become a joy. Things we once hated, now we love. Whenever He calls, we are ready to obey. We are no longer our own masters. We belong to His moral empire. He gives laws and He expects obedience. He holds the right and He demands the service of every human life. “His will becomes the common rule of all; His life our common motive; His glory our common end.” He governs in righteousness. He fills our hearts with love. He infuses into us a feeling of sympathy. He makes us philanthropic. He rids us of social selfishness. He inspires us with Christian fellowship. He delivers us from caste. He allays strife. He promotes peace. He opens up before us the great avenues of Christian love; strengthens us in weakness, comforts us in sorrow; corrects us when sinful; and helps us and encourages us in times of perplexity and discouragement— all for the praise of His glorious name. Christ governs, and His government is a government of love; Christ reigns, and His reign is a reign of love.

Again, Christ protects His people from their enemies. His citizens are surrounded by adversaries on every side. Foes from within and without beset the child of God. Sin, Satan, the world and the grave are all enemies of Christ‘s subjects. If His people are continu¬ally being tempted; but, ”The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations.” He has promised to do so. To the Church of Philadelphia he declared: “I will keep thee from the hour of temptation.” And again, Paul says: “God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way of escape that ye may be able to bear.” Christ unhesitatingly told those entering His kingdom that, “they should be hated of all men for his name‘s sake.” But He added,

There shall not a hair of your head perish.” He it is who “is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy; the only wise God our Savior,” and King. He it was who “delivered the apostle out of the mouth of the lion.” He it was who enabled martyrs to die with feelings of triumphant victory in their hearts, and made them ready and willing to be burnt at the stake or be tortured in body on the rack because of their confidence in His protection. Just so He will protect us. If we are loyal subjects of King Jesus, nothing can overcome us. “Even the gates of hell shall not prevail against us.” Sin shall not have dominion over us. Through Him will come salvation. Through Him we shall have the victory. What blessed assurance have His people! What secure protection! What perfect safety in the empire of such a sovereign! What unspeakable joy un¬der the governorship of Jesus!

But He does more than subdue, control and defend His subjects: Christ restrains His own and His peoples‘ enemies. The birth of this monarch made the great Herod tremble upon his throne. Christ’s reply to Satan: “Get thee hence“ thwarted further temptation. His rejoinders in the temple silenced the priests and elders of the people. His “woes“ recorded in Matthew caused the Pharisees and hypocrites to falter and retreat. And to-day His voice, speaking through the conscience, checks the enemies of the cross in their wicked plots to overthrow the Church. He strikes terror into wicked hearts. Rebels become cowards in carrying out their schemes against the children of God. Their hearts fail them in prosecuting their plots against the citizens of the kingdom of Christ. Wicked men falter when they come to the threshold of righteousness. The wretch trembles when he reaches the crisis of his contemplated crime. Sin totters as it undertakes to ruin the child of God. The Psalmist says: “When the wicked even my enemies and my foes came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.” Christ restrains and in¬timidates His enemies. He frustrates the assaults of sin. How? By the barracks and castles and fortresses, I mean the churches, chapels and cathedrals, reared in all parts of the world for the drill and discipline of His soldiers; by the immense fortifications of holi¬ness—the schools of the prophets - erected against the onsets of Satan; by the lighthouses planted along the coast, by which are meant the sailors’ rests and hospitals and other char¬itable institutions to be found in almost every quarter of the globe; by the war-ships sent out into the enemy’s territory, by which I mean the missionaries of the gospel who have gone forth to battle for truth; by the standing army of the Church of Christ, with its ministers and officers, its Sabbath-school teachers and Christian workers; who stand armed with the whole armor of God, their loins girt about with truth, having on the breastplate of righteousness, their feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, on their arms the shield of faith, on their heads the helmet of salvation, and in their hands the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God; con¬fronted by these, the adversaries of Christ’s kingdom hesitate and grow faint at heart; before these the world becomes weak, vice is restrained, the evil one is thwarted, Satan stand dumb, every adversary trembles, and Christ ‘s people are made to prosper. I verily believe that there is enough wickedness in the world to overthrow the Church were it not for the restraining power of King Jesus.

As a king Christ conquers His own and His peoples’ enemies. Restraining is not sufficient. The enemy must be completely overthrown. This is the final achievement of our King. Christ is a conqueror. His kingdom is an eternal kingdom. “ The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and, cast away their cords from us,” but Christ is a conqueror of kings. No weapon formed against His kingdom shall prosper. The contest which once seemed doubtful will then betoken His victory, and it will be a complete victory. At His name, “every knee shall bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth: and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” All the agents of Satan, all devils, Beelzebub the sovereign of devils, Lucifer the brilliant devil, Mammon the money devil, Pluto the fiery devil, Baal the military devil,” all will fall prostrate before His conquering power. Before Him the nations will bow, for He will come as judge. At His feet angels and archangels will kneel. “A crown will be given to him as he goes forth conquering and to conquer “; “and great voices “ will be heard “in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign forever and ever.” We read of the triumphs of the Caesars; of the triumphal arches erected in ancient Rome in honor of returning conquerors. But compare with these the triumph of Jesus. Behold the heavenly Caesar, as saints and angels celebrate His universal victory! For Him the arch of triumph is nothing less than the arc of heaven itself; His city, the heavenly Jerusalem; His triumph a universal celebration. “The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents, the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him, all nations shall serve him. He shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.” “All things shall be put in subjection under his feet.” “For he must reign till he liath put all enemies under his feet.” The last enemy shall be conquered. As victor, He shall reign, and to Him will be ascribed glory, and majesty, and power for ever and ever.

Let us pause and contemplate such a victory. Let us picture to ourselves that celestial coronation scene. Jesus our King seated on the throne of heaven, surrounded with glory, His kingdom universal, His enemies under His feet, Satan vanquished, earthly magistrates and potentates, sages and kings, armies and emperors, bowing submissively before Him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords; hymns of praise chanted by the heavenly choir; tributes of adoration by the saints clothed in white; His elect singing hallelujahs to Him that sitteth upon the throne of God most high, and worshiping multitudes raising their voices in songs of triumph, as God the Father places upon His brow the crown of victory. What a glorious coronation! What a supreme triumph! What an unparalleled victory! Oh, Jesus, thou art the monarch of the skies, thou art king of heaven and of earth!

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