DEVOTION: King Over All

Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Revelation 1:4-5

You can hear the Trinity in these words.

The Father is the One who is, who was, and who is to come. He is unchanging. His judgments will never founder. His promises will never fail.

Then there are the seven spirits before his throne. In his revelation, the apostle John is remembering Isaiah’s sevenfold description of the Holy Spirit back in the Old Testament. John sees him before the throne because the Spirit is God’s connection to us and our connection to God.

Then John speaks of the Son of God: Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

And what does the true Triune God mean for us, his children? Grace and peace. Grace: there are no strings attached to God’s love. Peace: there are no question marks accompanying God’s promises.

Wow! That’s quite a greeting from the Apostle John, isn’t it? Usually our greetings are more casual.  Good morning! we say. Have a nice day! But with gospel joy John greets his readers by saying, in effect: Wonderful Father! Beautiful Savior! Excellent Spirit!

He calls Jesus the ruler of the kings of the earth. He might not seem to be so. Jesus didn’t look like the mighty ruler over all when a lowly governor from the backwaters of the Roman empire claimed jurisdiction over him. Jesus might not look to us like the ruler of the kings of the earth today either. We see plenty of wicked earthly rulers getting away with murder. Reports of their crimes and the stories of their innocent victims are in the news every day of the week.

If you want proof of his authority, go to his empty tomb. Name anything else any other king conquered, and Jesus still wins. Jesus conquered death. And not just for himself. John calls him the firstborn from the dead. His resurrection from the dead isn’t the end of the resurrection story. He’s the firstborn from the dead. All who believe in him will also rise. Your grave will not be your final resting place. In Jesus your Savior, heaven is your home.

John also calls him the faithful witness. No one else can testify about God with the same authority of Jesus, because he is the Son of God. No one else can show us who God is, what he thinks and does. Jesus, the Son of God in human flesh, can and does. Anyone who has seen him has seen the Father. Every time we hear God’s Word, we see him.

No doubt about it, Christ is King over all.

If there’s any question to ask about this king, it’s probably this: if Jesus is king, then why in all the world would he pick you and me to be in his kingdom? If it’s based on our loyalty we wouldn’t be in, our hearts waver so easily between loyalty to God and loyalty to ourselves. If it’s based on our performance, we know all too well that we have all fallen short of the glory of God. Why did he choose us? It’s all because of him.

And who is he? It’s all here in John’s greeting. So let’s continue to reflect on the grace and peace that is ours from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

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Author: Pastor Jon Zabell

Copyright (c) 2025, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Green Bay, WI 54301

Bible text, NIV (c) Biblia, 2011

Photo: By Ulysses Rj - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40132118