One thing Rome would not tolerate and that was a threat to the throne of Caesar. Rome put up with a lot from the Jews; their constant complaining, their constant squabbles within their own religion, their demanding exemption from serving in the military, their dodging the tax system at every opportunity, and the enormous expense of Roman military personnel it took to keep peace in Jerusalem on the Jews supposed holidays.

Rome could have cared less about the Jews and their absurd religion. Jews worshipped a God no one had ever seen. A God who kept making promises that no one with an ounce of brains would believe would actually happen.

This new political leader Jesus could not have declared himself at a worse time. Passover was the holiday when the city was crowded with not only 2 ½ million Jews who wanted to make a sacrifice, but also with hundreds of thousands of extra Roman soldiers who were to try to keep the peace.

The Romans knew one thing for sure, when there was a Jew in trouble, they did not have to hunt down the trouble-making Jew. There was always enough jealousy among them. Sooner or later one of them would betray his fellow Jew.

The Jewish officials used Rome to get rid of Jesus and his new way of thinking. If they believed him, their religion would soon vanish from the face of the earth. He would not listen to nor practice the traditions that had held them together for all those centuries.

Jesus had done nothing that deserved a Jewish stoning, although they tried a couple of times.
Instead he would be tried in the Roman courts for being a traitor to Rome. He actually rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. Everyone knew that was a public acknowledgement. Jesus was claiming to be the new "King of the Jews. It was predicted by the prophet Zachariah. What made matters worse was he had done it at the beginning of Passover week. What a dummy!

A whole string of events happened beginning with Jesus and the disciples gathering around a table to remember the time when the Death Angel passed over the Jews living in Egypt and it struck the first born of all the Egyptians.

The Jews were commanded to observe Passover as a new beginning. It was to be observed as New Years Day thereafter. Passover was to remind them God called them to leave Egypt and come to the Promised Land God had given to their ancestor Abraham.

Jesus would only mess up Passover with all his wild claims and his radical teachings. It was the right time to get rid of him.

In this scripture Jesus is hanging on the cross in the city garbage dump. He had been awake all night being dragged from one official to another, nearly beaten to death, and then forced to carry the cross beam of a wooden cross, then he was nailed to that cross and the fun began.

While the criminals hung there the crowd often got the opportunity to get really close to taunt them. They were much like children using a stick poke a wild animal in a cage knowing they were safe from its sharp teeth and claws.

Some of the criminals had been feared and hated by the people and they rejoiced to see them suffer and die. They loved being there to see it.

They taunted Jesus. "Hey Chosen One, where are you now? Come on down
Messiah! This will teach you and everyone else what happens when you get too big for your britches. You thought you were so great, going around healing the sick; well, you look pretty sick now, heal yourself. Come on down from the cross then we will believe."

One criminal joined in. "Hey Messiah, save yourself, and us too!
The criminal's name was written on a sign and nailed above his head along with the reason Rome pronounced him guilty so everyone could read it and be warned.

In the 19th chapter of John's Gospel we read the sign above Jesus' head Pilate had written in Greek, Hebrew and Latin "Jesus of Nazareth-King of the Jews"

Pilate, looking for some sign from Jesus as to his guilt or innocence asked Jesus during his trial, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus replied that for this reason he was born into the world, but that his Kingdom was not of this world"

What no one understood was that Jesus had come to be the KING of the hearts of his believers.

Since the Garden of Eden, Satan has been trying to deceive the human race into thinking we are the KING of our own lives. We can make decisions that would better ourselves and break our bondage to God.

We are told we are made to be our own KING, the boss, the Lord of our own lives. We can't wait until we are 18 so we can move out and not be subject to parents' rules anymore.
Some people actually get married just so they can finally get out of the house and have some other place to live. They want to be independent and live life the way they want to live it.

We find no peace in doing what we want to do.
We were not made to be the KING of anything. Even those who come into an earthly kingdom by being born into a royal family can tell us that the responsibility far outweighs the privilege. Every person in the kingdom becomes your judge and deems you worthy or unworthy to wear the crown.

There have been many earthly rulers who long to just have a few days to go someplace where no one would recognize them and want them to do something.

You are I are not designed to be the KING of anything.

Throughout the scriptures we see again and again what happens when a human takes over being KING.

Adam and Eve found out they were not the ultimate decision makers, there is one who is KING above them.
Noah understood he was not the One in power. He understood himself to be the servant of God.
Abraham remembered; who is the KING, above all others, and God kept the promise and gave Abraham and Sarah a son in their old age.

Israel's first King, Saul, thought he did not need to wait for the prophet Samuel to make a sacrifice before going into battle. He knew he needed help and consulted a witch for advice. He forgot that the Lord is KING.

David, although he loved God and was Israel's most beloved King, there was a day when he thought that he could have anything he wanted and while his men were out to battle, he stole another man's wife.

From that day on his Kingdom went downhill. He forgot that the Lord God is the KING above all other Kings.

Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian King was used by God to teach Israel a lesson, but he forgot that he was not the KING above all other KINGS and he was reduced to eating grass with the cattle.

Daniel knew who was the KING and did not bow to the statue of the earthly King. He did not care who knew that the sign hanging above his life for all to read said "The Lord is KING."

Again and again in the scriptures it seems that the people involved are either on one side of the fence or the other. Either the have declared the Lord is KING" or they are struggling to prove themselves in power and their circumstances only point to the fact they are not.

We are not meant to rule even our own lives. We are meant to serve the Lord God. Say, "I am not the KING" with me! "I AM NOT THE KING"
We would not think of demanding a refrigerator dig a post hole. I don't care what brand it is or how much it costs; it was not designed to dig a post hole. Hanging a sign over the refrigerator that says, "Post-Hole Digger" will not make it a post-hole digger.
In the same way we must realize that you and I aren't meant to rule over anything or anyone, even ourselves; and when we try, we will always find trouble.
Having trouble in your finances? Who is the KING?
Having trouble at work? Who is the KING?
Having trouble at school? Who is the KING?
Having trouble in your marriage? Who is the KING?

Having trouble with your parents? Who is the KING?
Having trouble with your business? Who is the KING?

Today we are invited to stop and spend some time to think about who is the KING? Can you begin to see where the trouble began and why it continues? Declaring ourselves to be the KING doesn't make it so.

One thing about Jesus being the KING; He won't compete with anything or anyone else for the throne. You want to be KING?

Go ahead sit on the throne, be number one, try to figure out life on your own.

Your KING is going to lead you into all kinds of trouble. Your KING is going to find himself in over his head with few resources.

You may be thinking the future looks bright with you in command, but the truth is, even as smart as you are, you can't know what is coming tomorrow.

If you have declared yourself KING, knowing what you know about the scripture and those who declared themselves KING, you have got to be worried.

Even if you are strong enough to make others think you have got it together, and your plan may be presently working, you know deep down you are worried. This is the end of the old year on the Church Calendar. This is Christ the King Sunday, News Years Eve, and a new beginning.

Today you get to write the sign that hangs above the head of the One hanging on the cross. What does your sign say?

Luke 21:33-43
When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."

The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."

There was a written notice above him, which read:|sc THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"

But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."

Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.["

Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
(From the New International Version of the Bible.)

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