What does it mean, Redeemer and King? It’s always a good thing to figure out what a thing means before getting too far down its path.

Redeemer is one who redeems or purchases back. Something was owned, then it was lost or forfeited. The redeemer is the one who buys that something back. Close to where I live in Maine there is a castle built near the river. It’s not all that old compared to castles in Europe, but it’s old enough for being in the US. It was built in 1835-36. The property on which it stands was granted to a physician and land developer, Sylvester Gardiner in the early 1760s. He immediately set into motion his plans to develop the rocky countryside into a thriving community, promoting land cultivation, contributing a library to the town, and even building the first Episcopal church in Pittston. Shortly after the American Revolutionary War broke out in 1776, Gardiner, who was a British loyalist, fled to Nova Scotia and eventually to England. Two years later he was included in the Massachusetts Banishment Act, which allowed his entire estate to be confiscated. All seemed lost for Gardiner. During the confiscation of his estate though there was a bit of an error made in the paperwork. This error made allowance for his estate to be redeemed back by his heirs. Sylvester’s grandson, Robert Hallowel Gardiner, accomplished this and built the castle on the estate which he redeemed. It is there to this day and every Sunday as we drive to and from church we pass it, this beautiful little castle. Redeemed.

King is one who holds a preeminent position and rules for life. The power of a king is above the power of anything else around it. This rule and dominion is permanent, well, as permanent as the king is. Recently, a new king of England has been crowned. It’s funny to me the pomp and ceremony surrounding the event as there is little to no power instilled in this new so-called king. He wields no political power, though he may be influential. He wields no spiritual power, though his title is “Defender of the faith.” I suppose there is substantial financial power still in the institution of the Crown, as it is called. In addition to its substantial land holdings in the UK and physical assets, the Crown owns the copyright on the King James Version translation. This new king of England can certainly live like a king, with all this wealth, but it is not wealth that makes a man king. It is power and authority. There is really only one King. That is why the king of this or that country would seek an heir that would continue on the kingship. And upon the endowment of the kingship on the new king, all the people would say, “The king is dead, long live the king.” The old king is dead, but there is no break in the kingship…as long as there is an heir. This procession led to countless conspiracies, plots, murders, revolutions, treaties, and seductions. The desire for ultimate power and authority…and yes lots of money…overtook individuals and entire countries in the quest to be king. But there is only one King. It’s hard to come up with a good picture of what the real King is like because our King has not yet shown us what his Kingdom will look like on this earth. He started His earthly work, not as a reigning King, but as a Redeemer and Servant who wants to build His Kingdom in us before He builds it around us.