A nod to King Jesus

So last wednesday night, our life group went over John 19, and I've got a few things rolling around in my head.  Like the kind of stuff that Jesus shows you and keeps showing you over and over again.

You see, Pilate wrote this title over Jesus' head, as He was being crucified.  King.  What does it mean to be king?  The dictionary tells me "the ruler of an independent state, esp. one who inherits the position by right of birth.  synonyms: ruler, sovereign, crowned head, lord."  Well, now that's pretty clear.  It is the sovereign ruler, the one who has been crowned king and has the position of ruling and making decisions and leading and providing for.

Is Jesus our King?  In the full sense of the word?  I know we as christians enjoy the provision He gives and even sometimes allow ourselves to be lead by Him, but do we personally crown Him as LORD, the Sovereign One, the One with the right to make decisions and place us where He will?

Was Pilate here declaring the Kingship of Jesus?  That was one of the questions asked wednesday night.  Like, did he get it or what?  Why put this sign up AND crucify the dude?

And the answer seemed to be so clear:
Pilate could not deny that Jesus was King, that He was sovereign.  So he gave him the title and then had Him crucified.  He basically gave a nod to His kingship.  Like, hey, I see you're something.

 Pilate nodded to His kingship, but he was not ready to bow.

And that just stuck like an arrow in my heart.  Where am I at?  Yes, I am saved.  I love Jesus and I have trusted in His finished work on the cross, but have I crowned Him as King of my life.

As I prayed this week for people that are hurting and can't seem to find victory, the Spirit brought this back up to me.  I feel like the key to a victorious christian walk is to crown Him as King, personally, individually.

The key to joy is to NOT nod to His kingship, to NOT say hey I can't deny You but I don't want to submit to You.
The key is to lay it all down and say You are King and I am not.  You are the Sovereign Lord, and I submit myself under your authority.  You're already Sovereign, I just bow at your feet to proclaim it as true.

I know things like bowing and submission sound kind of restrictive and yucky to some people, and I get that.  But it's just not like that with Jesus.  I have never once submitted to Him and not been met with His kindness and grace and love.  He's not on some crazy power trip.  It's about a loving Daddy who wants to bless His kids.  That's His heart.  Test Him on this.  See if you don't find the most true joy and peace you have ever had in your life when you crown Him your personal King and step back to let Him rule.

Pilate kind of lost it after Jesus was crucified.  I see a lot of people come face to face with Jesus and then make the decision to make no decision at all.  And they kind of lose it.
It isn't enough to nod to His deity.  We must embrace it.  
And it isn't enough to nod to His Kingship.  We must bow.