83. In what sense is Christ "royal"?

When Christ said "Follow me," and when he told his disciples that the test of their affection for him was that they keep his command­ments, he took a position that is not even now fully realized by men who call themselves by his name.

We are so accustomed to speak of Je­sus as being meek and lowly that we are apt to forget how high were the claims he put forth and how implicit is the obedience he requires.

Christ insisted that he was a King, and, at the very last, when clothed with the royal robe in mockery, he would abate not one jot of his claim, even when he knew that he was furnishing Pilate with an excuse for putting him to death.

He firmly believed in his own royalty, and, in simple majesty, he performed its functions.
Christ was a king in the sense of establishing a kingdom.

He pro­claimed the kingdom of God. People scoffed at him, but he was right, and his claims have been substantiated. They would have understood him had he set up his throne in Jerusalem and defied the Roman power.

But how much higher was his ideal! He conceived of a kingdom which should embrace all nations and be above all governments. He has estab­lished such a kingdom.

Throughout the world are to be found men loyal to their respective rulers, good citizens and law-abiding men, who in a day would be turned into rebels if the claims of those rulers ever became antagonistic to the claims of Christ.

He is to them King of kings, and their allegiance to him transcends all others. He is also king in the sense of legislation. He does not argue or ex­plain. His is no limited monarchy.

His word is "I say unto you." He ex­pects unfaltering, unquestioning obedience. Personal attachment, personal loyalty are the principles of his kingdom.

Men may hold dif­ferent creeds, may worship him by different ceremonies, but there must be no division, no diversity in allegiance to him.

He issues his com­mandments, and it is only as we obey that we can have any valid claim to call ourselves by his name. Only so can we enter the kingdom of heaven.