January 4: King of Kings
♫ Music:
Day 36 - Sunday, January 04
Title: King of Kings
Scripture #1: Revelation 19:16 (NKJV)
And he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Scripture #2: Revelation 17:14 (NKJV)
“For He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”
Scripture #3: 1 Timothy 1:17 (NKJV)
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Poetry & Poet:
“Everything Holds Together”
by Malcolm Guite
Everything holds together, everything,
From stars that pierce the dark like living sparks,
To secret seeds that open every spring,
From spanning galaxies to spinning quarks,
Everything holds together and coheres,
Unfolding from the center whence it came.
And now that hidden heart of things appears,
The first-born of creation takes a name.
And shall I see the one through whom I am?
Shall I behold the one for whom I’m made,
The light in light, the flame within the flame,
Eikon tou theou, image of my God?
He comes, a little child, to bless my sight,
That I might come to him for life and light.
King of Kings
Today’s Scriptures point to Jesus as “King of Kings.” What does this title mean to us? We might think of kings from the Bible (sometimes good, but often very wicked), kings from fairy tales (sometimes noble, but often foolish), and kings from more modern history (who imposed tariffs on the colonies, for example, or who offer ceremonial functions and plenty of drama for tabloids). What if we switch “king” for “president” or “prime minister”? Now what might come to mind is dismay that a leader can’t accomplish much for our good, disgust at their corruption, or anxiety about their short-sighted decisions which might negatively impact our future. We long for a leader who will bring us righteousness, justice, peace, and abundance (see, for example, Psalm 72).
Our music for today reminds us that Jesus is this one we long for. The lyrics of the first piece include “Jesus Christ my king…beautiful, wonderful, powerful…forever you reign.” In the second piece we hear that Jesus is a “matchless king,” “king of grace and love,” deserving of “many crowns” offered by “all the earth” and “all the world” “for all eternity.”
The painting we see today was commissioned by Philip II, King of Spain and later Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and more. El Greco featured him prominently in the painting, one of the figures in the bottom left, along with some of his pals: a pope, a duke, and a lord. This painting illustrates Philippians 2:10—“at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, those in heaven, and those on earth, and those under the earth.” El Greco has divided the painting into several sections. At the top, in golden light representing heaven, we don’t see the figure of Jesus, but instead his name, the letters IHS. (This symbol is the first three letters of “Jesus” in Greek, ΙΗΣΟΥΣ (Iēsous).) Angels are in postures of worship. Separated from heaven by gray clouds is hell at the bottom right. Its gate looks like the jaws of a sharp-toothed monster. People there are kneeling before the Name, but in positions of agony. At the bottom left are people on earth, including the richly attired rulers. They are nominally bowing a knee, but they obviously felt they deserved special attention in the painting. While they are supposed to be adoring the name of Jesus, it is unlikely that these powerful men really understood Jesus as King of Kings.
Jesus is not just a regular king multiplied a hundred times. The new verses added by Chris Tomlin & Matt Redman to the traditional hymn “Crown him with many crowns” remind us that Jesus is the Creator of the universe and to come to earth he left a throne beyond our imagining. (Malcolm Guite’s poem for today also expresses this: “the first-born of creation takes a name,” and sends us back to Colossians 1 and the reflection from December 6.) Rather than choosing a prominent position like King Philip II, Jesus chose to humble himself. Rather than being a domineering ruler seeking to bend all to his will, Jesus is a “lamb upon his throne.” Rather than maintaining a distance between heaven and earth, like the gap El Greco painted with heavy gray clouds and vague purgatorial figures in brown, Jesus comes to bridge heaven and earth.
During this season we sing many carols referring to Jesus as king: “let earth receive her king,” “glory to the newborn king,” “born a child and yet a king,” “this, this is Christ the king.” Each time that word crosses our lips, let us remember that our allegiance is to no one but King Jesus. He is not like a human king. Instead of enslaving his subjects, Jesus the sacrificed Lamb is our redeemer. Instead of enriching himself, Jesus gives himself to us. Instead of insisting on deference, Jesus receives our glad worship. Instead of an earthly rule that will inevitably come to an end, Jesus will reign for eternity. Instead of a world of cruel divisions, Jesus’ kingdom is one of grace, peace, justice, and love.
Do you have time to linger a bit longer here today? I suggest that you read the reflection one more time and then, while looking at El Greco’s painting, listen again to “What a Beautiful Name.”
Prayer:
Jesus, our King, help us to daily ensure that our loyalty is to you. And help us to live in such a way that draws others to your Kingdom.
Amen
Dr. Kitty Barnhouse Purgason
Professor Emerita
Department of Applied Linguistics and TESOL
Biola University
Artwork and Artist:
Adoration of the Name of Jesus (overall and detail)
El Greco
1577 and 1580
Oil on wood
55.1 × 33.8 cm
National Gallery
London, England
Public Domain
Adoration of the Holy Name of Jesus by artist El Greco was produced early in his Toledo period. The piece depicts the adoration of the holy name of Jesus. The letters “IHS”—which stand for IHSOUS, the Greek spelling of “Jesus”—are its main focus. The figures in the left-hand bottom corner are the members of the so-called Holy League, which was established, in the words of Phillip II, “to defend the holy name” of Christ. They include the doge (elected head) of Venice, Pope Pius V, and Philip II himself. The painting celebrates their victory against the Islamic Ottoman Empire in a naval battle at Lepanto, in southwestern Greece, in 1571. The figures are kneeling and worshipping the holy name of Jesus in the upper part of the painting, where the name of Jesus is surrounded by angels. In the bottom right is a hellmouth in the form of Leviathan, inspired by Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch (c. 1450–1516) that swallows its victims, while other souls are led over a bridge to purgatory, where they will await entry into heaven. El Greco has turned the scene into an epic vision of humanity’s judgement and the promise of eternal salvation.
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/el-greco-the-adoration-of-the-name-of-jesus
About the Artist:
El Greco (1541–1614) was a painter, sculptor, and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. He trained and became a master within the post-Byzantine art tradition before travelling at age twenty-six to Venice and later Rome, where he opened a workshop and executed a series of works. During his stay in Italy, El Greco enriched his style with elements of the style known as mannerism and of the Venetian Renaissance. In 1577, he moved to Toledo, Spain, where he lived and worked until his death. In Toledo, El Greco received several major commissions and produced his best-known paintings. El Greco's dramatic and expressionistic style was met with puzzlement by his contemporaries but found appreciation in the twentieth century. El Greco is regarded as a precursor of the art movements of both expressionism and cubism. He is best known for tortuously elongated figures and often fantastic or phantasmagorical pigmentation, marrying Byzantine traditions with those of Western painting.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Greco
https://www.elgreco.net/
https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/el-greco-1541-1614
About the Music #1: “What a Beautiful Name”
Lyrics #1:
You were the Word at the beginning.
One with God, the Lord Most High.
Your hidden glory in creation,
Now, revealed in our Christ.
What a beautiful Name it is.
What a beautiful Name it is.
The Name of Jesus Christ, my King
What a beautiful Name it is.
Nothing compares to this.
What a beautiful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
You didn't want heaven without us.
So, Jesus You brought heaven down.
My sin was great.
Your love was greater.
What could separate us now?
What a wonderful Name it is.
What a wonderful Name it is.
The Name of Jesus Christ, my King.
What a wonderful Name it is.
Nothing compares to this.
What a wonderful Name it is.
The Name of Jesus.
Death could not hold You.
The veil tore before You.
You silenced the boast of sin and grave.
The Heavens are roaring,
The praise of Your glory
For You are raised to life again.
You have no rival.
You have no equal.
Now and forever God You reign.
Yours is the Kingdom.
Yours is the Glory.
Yours is the Name above all names.
What a powerful Name it is.
What a powerful Name it is.
The Name of Jesus Christ, my King.
What a powerful Name it is.
Nothing can stand against.
What a powerful Name it is
The Name of Jesus.
What a powerful Name it is.
The Name of Jesus.
About the Composer #1:
Brooke Gabrielle (Fraser) Ligertwood (b. 1983) is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. After signing with Sony BMG in 2002, she gained recognition for her debut album, What to Do with Daylight (2003), and followed it with Albertine (2006) and Flags (2010). All three debuted at number one on the RMNZ chart and gained her the number one single "Something in the Water.” She later released Brutal Romantic (2014), various compilation albums, the live album Seven (2022), and Eight (2023). The latter two were released by Capitol CMG under her married name, Brooke Ligertwood. She became a member of the Australian Christian music group Hillsong Worship, where she wrote and performed several songs for the collective. She rejoined the group from 2016 until 2023, during which time she performed on various songs including "Who You Say I Am," "King of Kings," and "What a Beautiful Name." Fraser co-wrote and performed the latter live track, and won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance in 2018.
https://www.brookefraser.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooke_Fraser
About the Performer #1:
Stephen McWhirter is unswervingly committed to worshipping Jesus and leading others to Him. Stephen's testimony of Jesus taking him from addiction to redemption is a central part of his ministry. His song “Come Jesus Come” has been a huge hit on Christian radio. The song has amassed over ninety million views across TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, and has been recorded by multi-award winning artists, CeCe Winans and Christine D’Clario.
https://www.multitracks.com/artists/Stephen-McWhirter/biography/#:~:text=Biography,a%20hit%20on%20Christian%20radio.
About the Music #2: “Crown Him” (Christmas)
Lyrics #2:
Crown Him with many crowns
The King who left His throne
Creator of the universe
Born to the world He holds.
And with that first drawn breath
The Word has become flesh
Emmanuel has come to us
O crown Him, all the earth.
Crowned by the angel choir
They tell His royal birth
Sing glory in the highest height
And peace upon the earth.
They break the silent night
Announcing endless worth
The King of grace and love is here
O crown Him all the world.
Crowned by their royal gifts
Gold frankincense and myrrh
Wise men approach this manger throne
With honors from afar.
Behold the Son of God
And bow down in this place
The Prince of Peace has come to us
O crown Him with your praise.
Crown Him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon His throne.
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns
All music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
God sent His Son for me
Now hail Him as thy matchless King
Through all eternity.
Awake, my soul, and sing
God sent His Son for me
Now hail Him as thy matchless King
Through all eternity.
Crown Him, Crown Him,
Crown Him with many crowns
Crown Him, Crown Him,
Crown Him with many crowns
Crown Him, Crown Him,
Crown Him with many crowns.
About the Composers #2: Lyrics by Chris Tomlin and Matthew Bridges, Music by Sir George Job Elvey
Chris Tomlin (b. 1972) is an American contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, and worship leader. Some of his most well-known songs are "How Great Is Our God," "Our God," "Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)," and his cover of "Good Good Father." Tomlin has been awarded twenty-three GMA Dove Awards, and he won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album in 2012. Planning for a medical career, Tomlin enrolled in Texas A&M University to study medicine. However, Tomlin participated in a Bible study led by Choice Ministries founder Louie Giglio and together they founded the Passion Conferences—conferences that seek to glorify God by uniting students in worship, prayer, and seeking justice for spiritual awakening. In 2000, Tomlin signed onto newly founded sixstepsrecords, a subsidiary of Passion Conferences, and has since then released nine full-length studio albums. Tomlin has toured with many contemporary Christian artists, such as Delirious?, Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith, and MercyMe. Tomlin has headlined several tours, and has also joined Passion Conferences for national and global tours. In 2008, Tomlin started a new church with Giglio in Atlanta, Georgia: the Passion City Church. In 2019, Tomlin and his wife, Lauren, started Angel Armies, a nonprofit organization that works to bring people and ministry organizations together to attempt to solve issues related to vulnerable at-risk youth in the United States.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Tomlin
https://www.christomlin.com/
Matthew Bridges (1800–1894), who wrote the original six stanzas of the hymn "Crown Him with Many Crowns," was born in Maldon, Essex, England. Although he was raised in the Anglican Church, he converted to Catholicism in 1848 in connection with the Oxford Movement led by Catholic theologian John Henry Newman. Bridges published a number of prose and poetry books, and a couple of hymn collections, Hymns of the Heart (1851) and The Passion of Jesus (1852). Matthew Bridges lived in Quebec, Canada, for several years, later returning to England to live in a small villa at the Convent of the Assumption at Sidmouth, Devon.
https://hymnary.org/person/Bridges_Matthew
Sir George Job Elvey (1816–1893) was an English organist and music composer born in Canterbury. For several generations, his family had been connected with the musical life of the cathedral city. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Before he was seventeen, he had become an expert organist and took temporary duty at Christ Church, Magdalen, and New College. Of his best-known works produced chiefly between 1856 and 1860, many were composed for special services at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Elvey
About the Performers #2: Chris Tomlin with Matt Redman
Matthew James Redman (b. 1974) is a British worship leader, singer-songwriter, and author. Redman has released sixteen albums, written eight books, and helped start three church plants. He is best-known for his Grammy Award–winning single "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord).” In 1993, Redman, alongside his pastor Mike Pilavachi, helped found Soul Survivor, a global Christian movement and yearly music festival aimed at youth. In 2008, Redman and his family moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to help plant Passion City Church with Louie Giglio and Chris Tomlin. In 2005, Redman co-wrote, with his wife, Beth, the 2005 Dove Award–winning "Blessed Be Your Name." Since then, Matt and Beth have co-created some of Redman's most successful songs, including "You Never Let Go," "Face Down," and "Let My Words Be Few.” Matt has won thirteen of the Gospel Music Association's Dove Awards. His songs have been covered by a number of contemporary Christian music artists, including Matt Maher, Michael W. Smith, Jeremy Camp, Rebecca St. James, Chris Tomlin, David Crowder Band, and Hillsong United. He has authored and edited multiple books on Christian worship, including The Unquenchable Worshiper and Facedown, which accompanied the album of the same name.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Redman
https://mattredman.com/
About the Poetry & Poet:
Malcolm Guite (b. 1957) is a poet, author, Anglican priest, teacher, and singer-songwriter based in Cambridge, England. He has published six collections of poetry: Saying the Names, The Magic Apple Tree, Sounding the Seasons: Poetry for the Christian Year, The Singing Bowl, Waiting on the Word, and the recently released Parable and Paradox: Sonnets on the Sayings of Jesus and Other Poems. Rowan Williams and Luci Shaw have both acclaimed his writing, and his Antiphons appeared in Penguin’s Best Spiritual Writing, 2013. Guite’s theological works include What Do Christians Believe? and Faith, Hope, and Poetry: Theology and the Poetic Imagination. Guite is a scholar of J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and the British poets, and serves as the Bye-Fellow and chaplain at Girton College at the University of Cambridge, while supervising students in English and theology. He lectures widely in England and the USA, and in 2015 he was the CCCA Visionary-in-Residence at Biola University. Guite plays in the Cambridge rock band Mystery Train and his albums include The Green Man and Dancing Through the Fire.
https://malcolmguite.wordpress.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Guite
About the Devotion Author:
Dr. Kitty Barnhouse Purgason
Professor Emerita
Department of Applied Linguistics and TESOL
Biola University
Kitty Barnhouse Purgason is professor emerita of TESOL at Biola University. She has a Ph.D. in applied linguistics from UCLA. She has lived, studied, served, or taught in India, Russia, Korea, China, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Mauritania, Indonesia, Kuwait, Oman, Vietnam, Spain, and Tajikistan. She is a three-time Fulbright fellow and a US State Department English language specialist. She is the author of Professional Guidelines for Christian English Teachers (William Carey Library).