Wednesday, July 30, 2025
Tonight’s Study, Session 27: King of Kings
Introduction: The world has never seen a king like Jesus Christ, a ruler mightier than any earthly sovereign and more powerful than the unseen powers of the universe. Though He entered the world humbly, as an infant born in Bethlehem, Magi from the east still recognized Him as the newborn king. Though His reign unfolds in hidden ways, He has promised to come again, at which time He will reveal Himself unambiguously as “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”
The key Scripture where the title King of Kings is found is Revelation 19:16.
Scriptural Context Where the Name King of Kings is Found
Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:11-16)
Understanding The Name
Today, Christ’s kingdom unfolds in hidden ways as believers acknowledge Him as King and Lord. But one day, when Christ returns, His kingdom will be revealed as the greatest of all kingdoms. The passage from Revelation 19 presents Jesus riding not on a lowly donkey, but on a magnificent white horse, as befits the greatest of all kings. Throughout the New Testament Jesus is variously referred to as “king,” “King of the ages,” “King of the Jews,” “King of Israel,” and “King of Kings” – this last one translated from the Greek phrase Basileus Basileon (Bas-si-LEUS ba-si-LE-own). Even today some Christian churches are called “basilicas,” a phrase meaning “the hall of the king.”
Though Jesus is rightly the King of Kings, He humbled Himself and became as a servant to do the will of His Father in heaven. The Father’s will was for His Son to be the sacrifice for the sins of the world. A king dying for his people makes absolutely no sense to a fallen, sin cursed world. But Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world. “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”- Jesus, John 8:36
The King of Kings Dies For His People
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross. And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink. Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: “They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.” Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS (Matthew 27:27-37).
Jesus was willing to be misunderstood for our salvation and rejected throughout history. Look how a king became a pauper so we could become princes and princesses. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).
The riches of salvation that we have in Christ should lead each of us as believers to seek His kingdom. We will come to realize that everything we could ever want or need we find in our King of Kings. Jesus says this much in Matthew 6:25-33 – “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
For Deeper Study
Consider the name King of Kings and how its meaning relates to the context of these passages:
Matthew 6:9-10 – In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 – Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Timothy 6:11-16 – But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of Lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.
2 Peter 1:5-11 – But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Revelation 15:1-4 – Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete. And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested.”
Revelation 17:12-14 – “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of Lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”
Conclusion: The title “King of Kings” elevates Jesus beyond any earthly king, emphasizing His divine nature and position as the sovereign ruler of all creation, both visible and invisible. Jesus, being our King of Kings gives us reassurance that He has ultimate control over the world and His ability to fulfill all His divine purposes. As believers, knowing Jesus as our King of Kings also means that we are joint heirs with Him and heirs with God the Father. We have an everlasting kingdom awaiting us in heaven one day (2 Peter 1:11), all because a King humbly chose to become poor, that we could become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). We have no king but King Jesus!
Next Week, Session 28: Bright Morning Star