CATHY Jerrard led Café Church at Crediton Methodist Church on Sunday, May 7.

Following Saturday’s Coronation, Cathy’s theme was “Crown Jesus King”.

Cathy spoke of a book “Divorced, Beheaded, Died - …the History of Britain’s Kings and Queens” and had learned some very obscure things from it.

The book tells how one king or queen succeeded another, whether they were good or bad, and often, what dastardly deeds were done in a bid to take the throne – or keep it.

As a nation, we have been blessed with good earthly monarchs such as King George Vl and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and, of course we all remember the amazing way in which Queen Elizabeth ll served us for 70 years.

She had a wonderful Christian faith.

We are told that King Charles lll has a deep faith too. We trust he will be a good king and keep putting his trust in the Lord – the King of Kings.

Let us put aside our British history and consider the kings we read about in the Bible – the Book Of The King.

The Israelite people had just a few good(ish) kings, but even those got things spectacularly wrong at times.

David, reckoned to be the best of the kings of Israel, committed adultery, murder and deception.

Solomon asked God for wisdom and was renowned for it. However he lost his way.

He had 700 wives and loads of mistresses and gradually his heart turned towards idolatry and wealth and became far from God.

The Old Testament kings were a mixed bunch and over the years the kings of Israel and Judah led the people astray with them ending up in exile.

God was still at work and He kept his promise. It was from the royal line of King David that eventually Jesus was born. The very Son of God himself, fully human and fully divine – the perfect King.

Jesus had, and has, a habit of turning things upside down.

Human kings, rulers, powers are very transient. They are here for a time and then gone – only to be replaced by another temporary incumbent.

However, in God’s economy it is very different.

Jesus the true King and Lord of all demonstrated a different way of Kingship. Instead, he chose to take the way of a suffering servant – to take the way of the cross.

At the coronation, the St Edward’s crown was placed on the head of King Charles.

It is studded with 444 precious jewels and weighs a little over 2kg.

But notice what is at the top of all the gold and fine jewels – the Christian image of the cross of calvary – the cross on which Jesus died.

The St Edward’s cross is incredibly difficult to wear and, following the crowning, it is replaced by the Imperial State Crown.

Jesus was given a crown to wear that was not just uncomfortable but excruciating – a crown of thorns.

Cathy said that here’s the irony. Jesus, descended from the royal line of King David, was rejected by the people because He didn’t fit in with their expectations of a king.

More ironic, He was elevated to a high place – lifted up on a cross, wearing that terrible crown of thorns. In the reading from Philippians the Apostle Paul reminds us that ‘Though He was God, Jesus did not think of equality with God as something to be grasped, but gave up His divine privileges and took the humble position of a servant and was born a human being. He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Jesus graciously allowed Himself to be taken, to wear that crown of thorns and die on a cross for us, for you, for me. Although it looked like defeat, it was in fact a great victory because He rose from death and had dealt with sin and death once for all.

Jesus is the King who longs to give us life in abundance. He invites us to put our lives in His hands so that He can guide us and direct our paths and take us on the most adventurous journey of life imaginable. Where does He stand in our lives? Will we crown Jesus King of our lives?

Cathy asked have we truly crowned Him King or do we keep some parts locked away from Him?

Is He King of our hearts?

King of our minds and thoughts?

King of our bodies, our time and our relationships?

In a letter to the Galations Paul wrote “It is through faith that all of you are God’s children, in union with Christ Jesus”.

If we have faith in Jesus and choose to make Him King of our lives, we can confidently say, like Paul, that we are children of the Heavenly King.

What an honour that is!

Bronwyn Nott