ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO (ANS) -- I just started reading N.T Wright’s newest book, How God Became King (Harper One, 2012). Like many of Wright’s books, it’s a combination of biblical/historical concepts mixed with inspirational ideas and lovely word pictures.

How God Became King by N.T. Wright

The premise—or tune if you will—of the book is as the title suggests: Jesus—as portrayed in the gospels—is King of the world. Wright tells us “God really has become king—in and through Jesus! A new state of affairs has been brought into existence.”

And then page after page Wright whistles the same melody, showing how Jesus’ life, actions, teachings, and ultimately his death, resurrection, and ascension (the full Gospel picture) demonstrate that Jesus is indeed King.

The tantalizing—and challenging question—posed by Mr. Wright is what shall we do in light of this fact? In other words, how is Jesus being King affecting our life, actions, and role in the world?

To pick up the tune Wright is whistling, you must pick up the book to read.

N.T. Wright in his study

But know this: How God Became King is a riveting book. And from a personal perspective, a unique study in Mr. Wright’s continued thought process after leaving his post as Bishop of Durham, UK. N.T. Wright is now on faculty at St. Mary’s College at the University of St. Andrew’s, Scotland, appointed Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity in April 2010.

Now turn-back the clock forty years and cross the Atlantic from the United Kingdom to America to greet another tunesmith: religion professor, Vernard Eller (1927-2007). As professor at La Verne College in Southern California, Eller wrote many books whistling the melody of the kingly rule of Christ. As a matter of fact, one of his books is just so named: King Jesus’ Manual of Arms for the Armless.

Like Wright, Eller believed that Jesus, as the Messiah, inaugurated a new existence, namely, God’s kingdom. And we Christians have the obligation to walk in obedience to the kingdom principles.

The Promise by Vernard Eller

In Eller’s book, The Promise, he writes concerning the kingdom of God, “The biblical phrase ‘the kingdom of God’ is not a reference to a place…. the reference is precisely to the fact and character of God’s ruling and, secondarily, to the order, the situation, that is created by that rule…it is impossible to consider the kingdom apart from the king, the kingdom is nothing more nor less than the kingly activity of that king…”

King. Kingdom. Kingly rule.

To steal from a popular movie title, why all this “King’s Speech?”

Well the answer is fairly simple: because Jesus is king, and we as Christian profess to be followers of Jesus, we must live under his kingly rule, according to His kingship and his authority.

The ramification of this truth—our role in God’s kingly rule—has far reaching implications, outlined in both books: How God Became King and The Promise.

How are we to do this? As Wright states in his book, follow the lead of Jesus: “Put God’s kingdom first—put first the revelation that, as the gospels have been eager to tell us, this is the story of how God became king!”

Vernard Eller in his study

And how we accomplish “putting God’s kingdom first” can be summarized by Eller with the use of the word Agape: “Agape love is activity, like God’s, which serves to bring men under his kingly rule and into his future… If the love you would practice is to be Christian agape, then it can be done not by your initiating love but only by your becoming a channel though which God’s love can operate. Most certainly, in the final analysis, God’s kingly rule can be established only though God’s kingly power.”

The bottom line is this: more than any other topic, Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God and His role within in that kingdom. With this, it is of great importance for Christians to understand our role within God’s kingdom, reveling in the fact that we have been invited to make wonderful music with the King, a performer in his orchestra, culminating with a symphony of eternity.

It’s a tune worth whistling.
 

Brian Nixon is a writer, musician, minister, and family man. You may contact him at www.briannixon.com