Funeral fit for a King…

 Funeral fit for a king…

As I watched bits and pieces of the passing and subsequent pomp of the Queen of England’s events leading up to and  including the funeral and final burial…I couldn’t help but compare this regal, world-wide televised, filled with tradition, finery, leader attending event with the last days of Christ…and his return…

Accused falsely, cruelly beaten, spit upon, crown made of thorns, carrying his cross up the hill to his death, nailed there for all to see…

No pomp, no show of jewelry, no jeweled scepter, no long prayers,no armies in all of their finest, no bugles, no bagpipes, no singing, no parades, no jeweled crowns, no cathedrals, no clergy in all their vestments,no palaces…

Just scorn, rejected, rebuked, gambling for clothes, a bit of moisture on a stick, a small sign, a crowd of people watching the spectacle, a mother watching her son die, a friend wondering why he had to die after all his teachings, giving a promise to a fellow prisoner…until he breathed his last…

A borrowed stone tomb instead of prepared fancy tomb…

Wrapped on cloths instead of  leaded personal sized coffin…

 No, the King of Kings, Lord of LORDS, The Creator, Son of God, Savior, a promise of return…died a prisoners death…

rejected, rebuked…

The Queen has heirs to carry on the royal traditions…

The King of Kings has left the Holy Spirit, living, teaching, filling all those who believe…disciples, followers of the Way, the Truth and the Life…

The King, Son of God arose on the third day, to be seen by many,…to ascend into heaven with the promise to return, sits at the right hand of God…waiting to come again as the true King of all…with a promise of a new dwelling place for all believers, prepared, waiting…lighted by God Himself…

No earthly funeral or glorious event can compare with the promises that await…

 For he grew up before him like a young plant,and like a root out of dry ground;he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,and no beauty that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by men,a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;and as one from whom men hide their faceshe was despised, and we esteemed him not. 

Surely he has borne our griefsand carried our sorrows;yet we esteemed him stricken,smitten by God, and afflicted. 

But he was pierced for our transgressions;he was crushed for our iniquities;upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,and with his wounds we are healed. 

All we like sheep have gone astray;we have turned—every one—to his own way;and the Lord has laid on himthe iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,yet he opened not his mouth;like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,so he opened not his mouth. 

By oppression and judgment he was taken away;and as for his generation, who consideredthat he was cut off out of the land of the living,stricken for the transgression of my people? 

And they made his grave with the wickedand with a rich man in his death,although he had done no violence,and there was no deceit in his mouth. 

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;he has put him to grief;when his soul makes an offering for guilt,he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 

Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,make many to be accounted righteous,and he shall bear their iniquities.

Isa.53.2-11

1 Timothy 6:13-19 (ESV) 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 

14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

15 which he will display at the proper time--he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 

16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. 

17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 

18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 

19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 

He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 

And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 

And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Acts.1.3-11

Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah 

“Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah

Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah

For the lord God omnipotent reigneth

Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah

For the lord God omnipotent reigneth

Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah

For the lord God omnipotent reigneth (Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah)

For the lord God omnipotent reigneth (Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah)

Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah (Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah)

For the lord God omnipotent reigneth (Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah)

Hallelujah

The kingdom of this world

Is become

The kingdom of our Lord,

And of His Christ

And of His Christ

And He shall reign forever and ever

And He shall reign forever and ever (And He shall reign forever and ever)

And He shall reign forever and ever (And He shall reign forever and ever)

And he shall reign forever and ever (And He shall reign forever and ever)

King of kings (Forever and ever hallelujah hallelujah)

And lord of lords (Forever and ever hallelujah hallelujah)

King of kings (Forever and ever hallelujah hallelujah)

And lord of lords (Forever and ever hallelujah hallelujah)

King of kings (Forever and ever hallelujah hallelujah)

And lord of lords

King of kings and lord of lords

And he shall reign forever and ever (And he shall reign)

And he shall reign forever and ever (And he shall reign)

King of kings forever and ever

And lord of lords hallelujah hallelujah

And he shall reign forever, forever and ever

King of kings and lord of lords

King of kings and lord of lords

And he shall reign forever and ever (And he shall reign forever and ever)

Forever and ever, forever and ever (King of kings and lord of lords)

Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah

Hallelujah”

Thank YOU….L