Dear Christian friends:

We who believe in Jesus have accepted Him for our King. We just sang:

King of Creation,
Son of God and Son of Man,
Truly I'd love Thee,
Truly I'd serve Thee,
Light of My soul,
My Joy, my Crown,"
(TLH 657, Beautiful Savior, Verse 1)

We know that Jesus wants to be our King and live and rule in our hearts. But sometimes Jesus refuses to be our King. Why?

In our text we read that Jesus refused to be the people's king. (verses 14-15) Why did Jesus refuse to be their king?


In our text we read, "When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take Him by force to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone." (verse 15) These people tried to force Jesus to be their king. So He refused and left from them.

From this we see that Jesus refuses to be your King when you think you can join His kingdom just as you are without a changed heart.

Some people have received baptism and are confirmed. They join the church organization but they are not sorry about their sins. They don't want to stop their sinful ways and they don't really believe in Jesus or love Him. They are not eager to serve Jesus. Jesus refuses to be King over people like that. If your heart is not changed, Jesus refuses to be your King.

Yes, Jesus wants to be your King, but you must hear His Word and believe it. You must believe that Jesus is the eternal Son of God who came from heaven to live and die for your sins and for the sins of the whole world. You must believe that He arose from death and then ascended into heaven where He now sits at God's right hand ruling as the King over His Church and the world. You must love Him because He first loved you. You must gladly love Him and serve Him.

Is Jesus your King? You can know if your heart is changed and you really love Jesus and gladly serve Him. (Don't misunderstand me. We Christians often fail and don't love and serve Jesus as we should, but_then when we realize it, we are ashamed and sorry and confess our failures, trusting in Him to forgive us and renew us so we can fight against our sinful heart and improve in our love and service to Him.) But if you refuse to accept the preaching and are not sorry and don't want to improve, you are not a member of His Kingdom, Jesus refuses to be your King. Better change your mind, and ways before it is too late!

Jesus refuses to be your King when you wish to join His Kingdom without a changed heart. Well, why do many join a church if they don't want to change and serve Jesus? They want an easy life and blessings. The people here in the text wanted Jesus for their King so He could heal their sick and give them free bread. (Today we call such people "free-loaders.") Jesus had multiplied the five loaves of bread and two small fishes and made that feed over 5,000 people.

Also they had seen Him heal many sick people. So they wanted Jesus to be their doctor King and bread King. They did not want Jesus for their Savior King. Many today are like these people. They join a church because they think Jesus will bless them more and give them good health and better jobs and protection from danger. They are not interested in the spiritual blessings that Jesus chiefly wants to give: forgiveness of sins, faith and hope for eternal life. They despise the precious spiritual blessings and seek only bread and health for the body. Jesus refuses to be a bread king or doctor king. He is chiefly the Savior King.

You can get bread and healing without joining Jesus' kingdom. God blesses the unbelievers with food, medicines and doctors, the same as the believers. The Bible says, "He makes the sun shine on the good and on the evil; He sends rain on the just and the unjust." (Matthew 5:45) You should not join the church to get earthly blessing but to get the precious spiritual blessings.

Jesus told Satan, 'Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that God speaks." (Matthew 4:4) And to these people in our text Jesus said, "Do not work for the bread that spoils; instead work for the bread that lasts for eternal life. I am the bread of life, he who comes to Me will never be hungry; he who believes in Me will never be thirsty." (verses 27-28) Jesus is the Savior King. He is not a bread king. Jesus refuses to be your king if you only want Him for earthly blessings, and want an easy, safe, comfortable life.

Jesus refused to be an earthly king that gives food, protection and social security. He came to be the Savior King to suffer and die upon the cross. That is why Jesus left these people. He is the One King who must suffer, die and arise again to establish His everlasting kingdom, which if you join, you will live forever. And if you want to be a member of His Kingdom you should also expect to suffer and die like Him. I mean fight against Satan and temptation and then with Jesus' help rise in new and holy life. Jesus says that we must not expect an easy, comfortable life as members of His Church. He says, "Take up your cross, and follow Me!"

Jesus wants to be your Savior King, but He refuses to be a bread king. Accept Him for your Savior, the Savior of your soul. Then you will have a King most wonderful.

Amen.