Rome had the power to crucify Jesus of Nazareth. Roman soldiers mocked Him as a king, nailed Him to a cross, and watched Him die beneath a sign declaring, “The King of the Jews.” To the empire, Jesus was canceled.
Yet Paul writes to the Romans, Christians living in Rome, the empire’s capital where Caesar ruled, and announces that the crucified Jesus has been raised from the dead and now reigns as Lord. That confession elevates Jesus above Caesar and every earthly ruler and authority. Rome could crucify Him, but could not keep Him in His grave.
Jesus is the promised Son of David. Through the resurrection, He is declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness. The King who was crucified now lives and reigns (Romans 1:3–4).
The gospel of God concerns His Son. The gospel of grace proclaims what God has done for us in Christ. The gospel of the kingdom declares that Jesus Christ is King of kings.
So what changes because Christ reigns? His reign changes who and what has dominion over us. Paul tells the Romans that those who receive the abundance of grace “reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17) and that grace now reigns through righteousness leading to eternal life (Romans 5:21). He later declares, “sin will have no dominion over you” (Romans 6:14).
Grace does more than forgive us. It delivers us from an old oppressive master. Just as Yahweh brought Israel out from under Pharaoh’s rule, God has “delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13). In union with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, the dominion of sin is broken. We no longer live beneath the mastery of sin or the rule of the prince of the power of the air.
The gospel of the kingdom announces more than Jesus’ future reign. The crucified and risen Jesus reigns now. His reign breaks rival dominion, awakens obedient faith, and liberates us for newness of life under Christ.
What can the reign of grace and life look like among us? Anger need not dominate our hearts; gentleness can take root. A person addicted to destructive desires can begin to experience freedom. A marriage hardened by resentment can soften. Pride can yield to humility. Bitterness can loosen its grip as forgiveness becomes possible. Strongholds of the mind begin to break, and our thoughts are brought captive to Christ. Suffering remains real, but does not possess the final word. Even death stands beneath the authority of the risen Christ.
Christ’s reign also creates a new social reality among those transferred into His kingdom. Forgiven people learn to forgive. Those who have received grace learn to extend grace. When Christ rules among us, we become free to serve one another, reconcile broken relationships, bear with one another, put the interests of others above our own, and seek the good of the body. Paul describes the kingdom as “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).
These changes may not always appear dramatic, but they are not small. They are evidence that another King is reigning.
-Jacob Brunjes