What the phrase ‘Christ is King’ really means
What the phrase 'Christ is King' really means
By Abdu Murray, Op-ed contributor
Christian Post,
Easter is the central miracle upon which the entire Christian faith is based and even depends. Yes, Christmas has more pageantry, and especially for Westerners, it has a longer season than Easter. But without the resurrection of Jesus — His overcoming sin and death for our sake, Christmas is nothing more than the celebration of yet another famous person's birthday. It's Easter that makes Christmas meaningful.
Now, every Easter there are the inevitable distractions and misdirections from the centrality of Jesus's resurrection from the dead like the inevitable documentaries trying to debunk the historical accuracy of the resurrection with titles like "The Secrets of Easter" or "What the Church Doesn't Want You to Know About the First Easter."
This year, during Holy Week, some of the distractions are centering around what seems like an obviously Christian phrase: "Christ is King." Some would say that the phrase is simply an utterance of a core Christian belief that goes back 2,000 years, that Jesus, as the Messiah and redeemer of all of humanity, is King over all creation.
But there are reports of those using this phrase as an antisemitic dog whistle, using it to mask their rhetoric and shield it from criticism by Christians who would otherwise disagree with them...
Recent history gives us examples of groups turning straightforward phrases into propaganda to sow division and then shield themselves using those same phrases. But at its core, beyond all the rhetorical machinations and social hand wringing, is the original meaning behind the claim that Jesus Christ is King, and it's not about conquering one set of people for the benefit of others or vanquishing people with whom we disagree. No, Christ is King because He's no longer dead, and He hasn't been ever since that first Easter, 2,000 years ago.
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For centuries, earthly kings have ruled both benevolently and tyrannically over vast territories, but with all their power and might they all have or will succumb to death and decay. The empires they've ruled have either declined or totally fallen. Where earthly kings perish, Christ the King lives. Where earthly kings fight, Christ the King forgives.
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