Wrapped Up in Royalty

I don’t watch the Academy Award shows any more. I don’t know the movies or even who most of the stars are. And I have to watch myself to keep that from being a point of pride, “It’s so worldly!” Bad as going the other direction and immersing myself so completely in it all that I’m obsessed with knowing each and every detail. I’ve been there too.

But, as I enjoy doing on occasion, I’m taking this one somewhere else.

Because you’d better believe that on Monday morning I’m on the internet looking at the dresses. And the hairdos. The sheer pageantry of it all. Why does that stuff appeal to us so much?

In 1981 I woke my sweet four-year-old daughter out of a sound sleep at about 5:00 in the morning to come and watch the wedding of a princess. I told her it would probably be her only chance to see in real life what she loved in fairy tales. Cinderella, Snow White, every little girl has the dream and moms (and grandmothers especially) support it with dresses, crowns and books.

Where does it come from, this fascination with royalty? Little boys love to play knight, or at least some game with swords and lots of noisy ceremony. Big boys go to the Xbox and do the same thing.

We all love the pomp and circumstance, the music, the complete spectacle. I believe that it comes from deep inside. The Bible supports it, in fact. In his book, “Heaven”, Randy Alcorn tells us “Psalm 2 speaks of Christ ruling ‘with an iron scepter’ and dashing the nations to pieces ‘like pottery’ (v. 9), a reference to the Messiah’s return, judgment, and perhaps his millennial reign. But once we enter the new heavens and New Earth, there’s no iron rule or dashing to pieces, for there’s no more rebellion, sin, or death. The vanquishing of sin doesn’t mean the end of Christ’s rule. It means the end of his contested rule and the beginning of his eternally uncontested rule, when he will delegate earthly rule to his co-heirs.”

My current pastors often refer to Christ as King Jesus and I love that. I’m not sure why more don’t! He will return and there will most definitely be pomp and circumstance and kingly rule. If we believe that, really believe it, we have much to be excited about! How can we not look to the sky and with John say, “Amen. Come Lord Jesus (Rev. 22:20).”

Philippians 2:9-11
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.