Is Satan trying to paint Jesus (Yeshua) as an antisemitic king? The short answer is YES, and the main reason must be because Satan knows that he is running out of time. He is desperate in his attempt at discrediting Yeshua’s messianic claim and is trying everything under the sun to turn the Jewish people against the true Jewish messiah. He must know that the clock is ticking! The King is returning soon, and He is a King indeed, but not in the way some people are now using the term.
There is a group of people within conservatism in America that have been using the phrase “Christ is King” in a very derogatory and nefarious way. It appears in posts on X, Instagram, Facebook, or other social media platforms, not as a theological truth, but as some sort of provocation or weaponized statement to ostracize Israel and the Jewish people.
This is not a good look for Christians who are desperately trying to rebuild bridges burned by 2,000 years of antisemitism between their community and the Jewish people. There is biblical truth in the statement “Christ is King,“ and it needs to be explained in its proper context.
“Christ” has long been a word that Jewish people avoid pronouncing, except in the occasional cuss phrase. In all fairness, Jewish history has been punctuated by acts of antisemitism in the name of “Christ,” “Christianity,” or “the Church.” “Christ” being a word to avoid in Jewish circles is a reality, even though it is disconnected from the real meaning of the word. Truthfully and respectfully, the word needs to be defined, biblically and without an agenda.
Christ is the English translation of the Greek wordย Christos,ย which itself is a translation of the Hebrew wordย Mashiach,ย meaning Messiah or “anointed.” At the core, etymologically, that is all there is to it. The concept of aย Mashiachย is a very Jewish concept. It is carried all throughout the Tanach, starting in Genesis 3:15, all the way to the end of the Tanach in 1 Chronicles 17:10-14.
This passage deals with the promise of a Davidic King. It will be a monarch directly related to King David with a promise of an eternal house or dynasty, an eternal kingdom, and an eternal throne: “Moreover, I tell you that theย Lordย will build a house for you.ย When your days are fulfilled that you must goย to beย with your fathers, that I will set upย one ofย yourย descendants after you, who will be of your sons; andย I will establish his kingdom.ย He shall build for Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever.ย I will be his father and he shall be My son; and I will not take My lovingkindness away from him,ย as I took it from him who was before you.ย But I will settle him in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.โโ
These promises are repeated from another passage in 2 Samuel 7:11b-16.
This seems to indicate that the future redeemer or Messiah would also be a king. We read more about this promise in Isaiah 9:6-7,ย “For aย child will be born to us, aย son will be given to us; And theย government willย restย on His shoulders; And His name will be calledย Wonderful Counselor,ย Mighty God, Eternalย Father, Prince ofย Peace.ย There will beย no end to the increase ofย Hisย government or of peace,ย On theย throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it withย justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of theย Lordย of hosts will accomplish this.“
In fact, the title “King Messiah” is common from a Jewish perspective. In the Talmud, that person is called “Melech HaMoshiach” (literally King the Messiah). Rabbi Maimonides (Rambam) also calls him “Melech HaMoshiach” inย Mishne Torahย (Hilchos Melachim 11:4),ย “If a king will arise from the House of David, who, like David his ancestor, delves deeply into the study of the Torah and engages in the mitzvos as prescribed by the Written Law and the Oral Law; if he will compel all of Israel to walk in [the way of the Torah] and repair the breaches [in its observance]; and if he will fight the wars of Gโd; โ we may, with assurance, consider him Mashiach.ย If he succeeds in the above, defeats all the nations around him, builds the [Beis Ha]Mikdash on its site, and gathers in the dispersed remnant of Israel, he is definitely the Mashiach.”ย
So, from a biblical perspective, it would appear that Yeshua (Jesus) perfectly fits the description. He is the King Messiah and will soon return to earth to establish His messianic Kingdom and reign on the throne of David, from Jerusalem. He currently sits at the right side of the Father, awaiting His return.
Additionally, the sign nailed over Yeshua’s head at the time of His crucifixion said โJESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWSโ in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. So, there should be no doubt that Yeshua is indeed the King of the Jews. “Christ is King” is not a misnomer; it is an accurate title, but it has recently been distorted and hijacked for a different purpose. The phrase is being used wrongly, ignoring all historical and biblical contexts. Even though it is not said, when the phrase “Christ is King” is uttered by those people who have weaponized it, more is implied. It is akin to saying, “Christ is King, we [the Christians] are in, and you are out, you worthless Jew!”
Where do we go from here? Should we refrain from using that phrase altogether? Well, it depends on the situation. In a crowd of evangelical Christians discussing the ministry of Yeshua, the phrase is appropriate. In a mixed crowd or a group including Jewish people, to avoid confusion, frustration, or insult, we should refrain from those words. The same statement can easily be made by saying “Yeshua is the promised King Messiah and direct descendant of King David as foretold in the Tanach.”
Satan will use anything to hurt the Jews. Even a simple biblical truth, such as “Christ is King,” can be weaponized and used to ostracize and demonize the Jewish people. That is a clear indication of how desperate he is!
