March 8, 3:30 p.m. 
Speaker: Steve Lawson
Topic: The Triumph of the King
Passage: Revelation 19:11–16

Message Summary: 

In these verses, we see the return of Jesus Christ and the cataclysmic judgment He will unleash upon this world. This day of devastation is looming on the horizon. We have never been so close to this final day, and it is approaching faster than any of us realize. 

Jesus is returning to take back the planet. He is coming back to reclaim that which is rightfully His. And it will not be a meek and lowly Jesus who is coming. Instead, it will be an avenging Jesus, coming to wage war with those who have lived in open rebellion against Him. 

In these verses, John captures for us the triumph of the King—the one who will have the last word in human history; the one who will bring it all together to its consummation.

When Christ appears, He will wage war. The coming of the Day of the Lord will be consummated in the return of the Lord Jesus Christ as He comes to enter into battle with His enemies. 

Jesus is called faithful and true. He is a man of His word. He is faithful in His promise to fight all unrighteousness and to defeat all ungodliness. These promises that have been made throughout the pages of Scripture were no idle threats. Jesus will be the executor of divine judgment on this entire planet (Ps 96:13; 98:9).

Christ is coming to judge in righteousness. No sin will go unpunished by this divine warrior. Every sin in the history of the world will be brought before Him, and every sin will be punished in hell or will be punished in Christ. No sin will escape the curse of the law. 

Either Jesus redeems, reconciles, forgives, and saves us, or He judges us. There is no other option. 

Christ has unlimited, unimaginable sovereignty over all things. He is dependent on nothing outside of Himself, and everything is dependent on Him. Christ has all authority in and of Himself; He has the freedom to speak and to act as He pleases. 

There can be no successful resistance against this King. There is no authority but the authority of Christ as it is handed to Him by the Father, and He now becomes the mediator of the Father’s sovereignty over all the created order (Matt 28:18).

As He bursts onto the scene, Jesus is filled with righteous indignation at sin. We do not need to apologize for this Jesus. Christ is angry beyond human comprehension because He is holy, holy, holy. 

Jesus is the full expression and perfect revelation of all that God is to mankind. (Hebrews, Rev 19). Jesus is the outspokenness of the Father, not only in mercy but in wrath. The full fury of God’s righteous anger will be mediated through the Son in this day. He is the perfect revelation and the full manifestation of the wrath of God on this planet.

Jesus does not return alone. He returns with all the redeemed of all of the ages gathering behind Him, and all of the armies of heaven under His command. These armies will not even lift a finger to fight because the King will do the fighting and the King will win the battle by Himself.

Christ comes with an instrument of warfare to destroy His enemies. He judges with the fierce wrath of God, fully measured and righty disseminated.

Jesus comes with a name written on His robe and on His thigh: King of kings and Lord of lords. Christ alone will be King in that day. He alone will be enthroned. This is the triumph of truth. 

In that day, the truth of God will be the only thing that is heard. This is the triumph of truth at the end of the age because this is the triumph of the King. Christ is coming to judge in righteousness. There is grace and there is mercy today, but in that day there will be no grace and no mercy.

Come to Christ. He’s the friend of sinners today. He will receive sinners today. Do not wait until the last day and face Him when He comes in judgment. Today is a day of opportunity. Christ is faithful to forgive those who confess their sin (1 John 1:9). There is no condemnation for those who are in Him (Rom 8:1). We can have peace with God through Him (Rom 5:1). Believe in Christ today. Repent of your sin. Entrust your soul to Him, and you will find mercy and forgiveness for all of your sins.

Today is a day of mercy being extended from the King. Humble yourself before Him. Build your life upon the rock of Jesus Christ. There is no other place to stand to escape His wrath.