Mourning Royalty

 


For 10 days in September, we mourned the loss and commemorated the life of the Queen of England.  From all accounts, she was a remarkable woman who truly believed in and practiced duty, honor, and country. She also was apparently a woman of great faith. The mere fact that she reigned for over 70 years endeared her to the citizens of the United Kingdom.  Their love for her was evident by the throngs of people who lined the streets just to get a glimpse of her coffin as it passed by, the hundreds of people who passed by her casket as she lay in state, and the flowers and other memorabilia that were left in various places throughout the country. Obviously, she was someone who was greatly loved and revered.

What a contrast between the death of this mortal queen and the death of our eternal King, Jesus! Scripture tells us that only two men and a handful of women were there to mourn.  No crowds were lining the path as Joseph and Nicodemus carried his body from the cross to that unused tomb. There were no marching bands, no 21-gun salutes, and no pomp and circumstance.  Even his closest friends had deserted Him.  They were in hiding, in fear for their very lives. What a contrast!

We like to think that if we had been there, things would have been different.  Don’t kid yourself!  We would have been just as frightened and confused as the disciples, looking for our own hiding place.

Fortunately, for us, none of that matters.  You see, the real difference between how Queen Elizabeth and Jesus were mourned has to do with the rest of the story.  If the Queen was the woman of faith that she was portrayed to be (and by all accounts, she was), she has now been ushered into the presence of the one true King, the King of all Kings.  Her crown has been relinquished forever.  She is now just another saved sinner worshipping the true King.

In contrast, Jesus will return someday as the victorious King.  John describes Him this way:

 “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.  So shall it be! Amen” (Revelation 1: 7 (NIV 84).

            One day, “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language” will stand before the throne, not to mourn but to worship the one who paid it all.  The love and reverence showed that day will be far greater than anything paid to the mortal queen.  I hope you will be a part of that celebration!  Waiting expectantly on the porch!

Revelation 7: 9 - 12

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