We Have No King But Jesus

Acts 17:7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” ESV

In our times experience is king. Food, technology, entertainment, and sex reign supreme. More to the point, the self and what makes you feel good are king. If you are not bowing before them you are not in fashion. Woe to them who point us to "another" king. Accusations of intolerance, distortion of our claims, or claims that we are denying our true selves eventually emerge. At the altar of self lies homosexuality, aborted babies, obesity, and in general a mass of people that know nothing about self-control, discipline and denying self.  

In Acts 17:7 Paul and Silas had made it to Thessalonica--the capital of Macedonia. It is present day Salonika. The Jews had no problems with rejecting Jesus as the Messiah and Lord but they had a real problem with the Gentiles who were also embracing the Gospel (See Acts 10:44-46). In verse 5 they form a mob, "set the city in an uproar" (ESV) and attack the home of Jason--possibly a Messianic Jewish believer. 

They drag Jason and other "brothers" before the authorities shouting that these men "who have turned the world upside down" have come to their city to continue turning things upside down. They were upset that Jason had received Paul and Silas into his home and said that they were acting against the decrees of Caesar, "saying that there is another king, Jesus." In order to turn the authorities against them the Jews were essentially suggesting that these "brothers" were disturbing the Pax Romana--the peace of Rome. 

This was treason and would not be tolerated by Rome. The Jews knew the penalty for this was death and had pit the kingship of Jesus against Caesar. This is probably the same charge that the Jews brought against Christ Himself in Luke 23:2-4 and John 19:12, 15. They had essentially distorted the Christian claims of a spiritual kingdom and Christ as the king of that domain with an earthly political opposition to Rome. 

Believers must not blend in and assimilate with those who bow at the altar of self. We must stand up and be counted. Not simply to be contentious but because we truly serve "another king"--King Jesus. The cries of the crowd in John 19:15 was "We have no king but Caesar." (ESV) The cry of the Christian is "We have no king but Jesus!" 

Even though our claims are distorted we will continue to proclaim the truth. Although we are labeled as intolerant we still proclaim that "there is salvation in no on else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (ESV) Our lives are living letters that must declare His Lordship in our lives. We have no king but Jesus.

Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” (ESV)