What Kind of King is Jesus?

As we enter the Advent season, we are reminded not just that Jesus came, but what kind of King He is. The prophet Isaiah paints a powerful picture of the promised Messiah in Isaiah 9, showing us a King unlike any other.

In a world marked by darkness, confusion, conflict, injustice, and fleeting power, Isaiah gives us a glimpse of the kind of King we truly need. And the one who has come in Jesus.

A Light-Bearing King
Isaiah 9:2 says, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone." The birth of Jesus was like a sunrise after a long, cold night. And just as His birth brought light, so will His return.

Today, our world is still filled with darkness. Whether that’s suffering, addiction, sadness, or shame, we all feel the weight of it. But Jesus came to bear light into that darkness. As John 1:4-5 says, "In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

Jesus is the King who makes darkness flee. He shines His light now through His Church. One day, He will bring light fully and finally.

If you're in darkness today—whether it’s emotional, spiritual, or circumstantial—Jesus can light it up and set you free. He is a light-bearing King.

A Wisdom-Providing King
Isaiah 9:6 calls Him "Wonderful Counselor." This is not two separate titles. It’s one: Wonderful Counselor. The word "counselor" means advisor, one who gives guidance. Jesus is the King who doesn't just reign with power. He reigns with perfect wisdom.

In Matthew 13:54, when Jesus returned to His hometown and taught in the synagogue, the people were astonished, asking, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?”

Everywhere Jesus went, people were amazed at His wisdom. One day, He will rule with that wisdom completely and forever.

We live in a world that is supposedly getting smarter. We carry "smart phones" in our pockets and have access to artificial intelligence. But as John Lennox, a brilliant mind of our time, once said, "There’s a reason they call it artificial intelligence. It’s not actual." AI may make you smarter, but it can't make you wise.

Only the Spirit of the living God can do that. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. And Jesus, as our Wonderful Counselor, is a wisdom-providing King.

A Peacemaking King
War is one of the great evils of our broken world. It destroys lives, homes, and generations. Children and widows lose every time. If you’ve ever listened to the story of a true refugee, someone who lost everything because of war, you know the pain and longing that exists for real peace.

Isaiah 9 speaks directly to this need. Verse 4 says the rod of the oppressor will be broken. Verse 5 describes every boot and blood-stained garment being burned. In verse 6, He is called "Prince of Peace." Verse 7 says, "Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end."

This is a powerful promise. In Micah 4:3, the prophecy says, "They shall beat their swords into plowshares... neither shall they learn war anymore." Psalm 46:9 says, "He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth." That has not happened yet, but Advent reminds us it is coming.

The word Advent means coming. We live in the "already but not yet." Peace has come in Christ, and peace is coming again fully. Until then, we are called to be people of peace. We love peace, promote peace, and pray for peace.

When will the world have peace? The answer is simple. When the Prince of Peace returns. Jesus is the peacemaking King.

A Justice-Securing King
Isaiah 9:7 says that Jesus will reign "with justice and righteousness from this time forth and forevermore." He is not only a good King. He is a just King. His government will be marked by what is right and what is virtuous.

In our current world, injustice is everywhere. We see it in broken systems, corrupt leadership, and stories that make us say, "That’s just not right." Human justice systems fail us over and over again. But Jesus is the promised King who will make all things right.

Deuteronomy 32:4 declares, "The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he."

Jesus is a justice-securing King who will reign in righteousness forever. That is the hope Advent gives us.

An Eternally Reigning King
Finally, Isaiah 9:6-7 tells us that Jesus is "Mighty God, Everlasting Father." His reign is not temporary. Every other king has come and gone. They live, they die, and their reign ends. But not Jesus. His reign will last forever.

Isaiah says, "Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end." This is not just poetic language. It is a declaration of eternal rule.

History shows us that kingdoms rise and fall. From the Roman Empire to every nation since, no earthly kingdom lasts. But the Kingdom of Christ will never fall. It is secure. It is enduring. It is eternal.

That means we have an enduring hope. Revelation 11:15 says, "The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever."

And that is exactly what we will sing next Sunday.

Conclusion
So what kind of King is Jesus?

He is the light-bearing King who shines in the darkest places.

He is the wisdom-providing King who speaks truth and leads with perfect counsel.

He is the peacemaking King who will one day end all war.

He is the justice-securing King who will make all things right.

And He is the eternally reigning King whose Kingdom will never end.

This Advent season, we celebrate not just that a King has come, but that this King has come. And He is coming again.



This blog is based on the message shared by Campus Pastor Ben Hays at our CityRise West U Baptist campus on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. Check out the full message below!