The Majesty Of Our Humble King

Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

If you can labor through the Old English vernacular, The Prince and the Pauper, written in 1881 by Mark Twain, is a worthwhile and historically informative read. The plot concerns the ascension of nine-year-old Edward IV of England in 1547 and his interactions with look-alike Tom Canty, a London pauper who lives with his abusive, alcoholic father. The two boys become enmeshed in a role reversal, whereby Tom, the pauper, is exalted to the unlikely position of the prince of England and Edward, next in line for his father’s royal throne, is abased to the lowly position of an unwanted street urchin. The story unfolds into a compelling saga that outlines the exhilarating and dramatic experiences of both young boys.

I wonder if, when Mark Twain wrote this classic children’s story, he imagined how the plot echoed the life of another great King? Edward IV was clothed in regal attire and furnished with the best that money could buy. He was of the singular privileged class that hailed to greatness and praise. All honor was laid at his feet. All glory was given to him. All power was in his hand and given at his command. And for all the pomp and pageantry that Edward experienced, our Savior, King Jesus has been deemed even more so.

Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

Edward traded places with Tom Canty, an insignificant, unimportant dirty London Street beggar. He that was great become nought. He forfeited his prestigious position and took upon himself the life of a servant, lowly and humble in stature. He was viewed as a nuisance, a despised outcast who was mocked, beaten, wrongly judged and cruelly hunted down.

The comparison cannot be underestimated. Our King Jesus, was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. But unlike King Edward, Jesus actively and deliberately embraced His grief, weakness and suffering. Moreover, He remained silent, knowing that His vindication would arise in time.

Isaiah 53:7 Because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

There is a compulsion in all of us to defend ourselves when we our mistreated. Pride rises up and shouts loudly, ‘That’s not fair!’ But Jesus, the gentle and lowly, awaits for the perfect defense and judgement of His Father to make all things right: to vindicate and elevate Him to His rightful position. Can we, with a trusting and humble heart do the same?

The exalted King became the lowly King for our sake. He was pierced for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. Upon Jesus was the chastisement that brought us peace. What a wonder! Do we with full comprehension, appreciate what our dear Savior has sacrificed for us? Do we live in and with His blood-bought peace?

Isaiah 53: 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Like senseless sheep blindly following one another, we have gone astray wandering far from our LORD. Yet, at just the right time, the guilt of our wayward sins was transferred to Jesus, and He offered Himself as a sacrifice in our place. God made the perfect one who knew no sin to be sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Do we know this King that has stepped down from His majestic position in Heaven to become the Savior of our sins? The sufferings of Christ remove the penalty that His people otherwise owe, and as a result, He will undo the effects of sin in us. By Jesus’ sufferings we are healed of our sinful condition and made whole in righteousness. How blessed are we in this joyous state!

Jesus comes with all His grace,
Comes to save a fallen race:

Object of our glorious hope,
Jesus comes to lift us up.

He hath our salvation wrought,
He our captive souls hath bought,

He hath reconciled to God,
He hath washed us in His blood.

We are now His lawful right,
Walk as children of the light;

We shall soon obtain the grace,
Pure in heart, to see His face.

Charles Wesley, 1701-88