Daily Devotional

Lasting more than three decades, the Wars of the Roses in the fifteenth century were a series of bloody battles fought between two opposing families for the right to the British throne. Renowned for their savageness, the wars ultimately resulted in the two sides destroying one another. No one was safe, not even children. To ensure his reign, Richard III famously imprisoned his two nephews, one of whom was the next heir to the throne, in the Tower of London, where they were subsequently deemed illegitimate and met a mysterious end.

But there is another royal family who conduct themselves by an entirely different set of rules. In their government, there is no war, no revenge, and no hatred. The Patriarch is God the Father; His Son, Jesus Christ, will soon inherit the title “King of kings” (Revelation 17:14). The law of their country is built upon their characters of love (1 John 4:8). Instead of vying for a single throne of corruptible power, the Father and the Son each occupy His own throne in heaven. Theirs is a reign that will never pass or be fought over, for “the Lord shall reign forever and ever” (Exodus 15:18). Notice also their conduct with each other: God the Father willingly shares the symbol of His authority, His throne, with His Son. There is no coercion or competition; there is no coup. It is given freely.

And God the Son now gives us this same privilege. We can be “joint heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). We also may “sit with [Him] on [His] throne,” but on one condition: that we overcome. What must we overcome? Christ’s victory came at the cross. He overcame not by spilling another’s blood but by spilling His own. The Bible tells us that we are to overcome through Christ: “They overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 12:11). It is only through Jesus’ death and our surrender—so opposite of the world’s ways—that we can win the victory of salvation.

Heavenly King, thank you for Your sacrifice, whereby we may claim Your blood and are now adopted into the family of God.

For Further Study: Genesis 22:1–13; Matthew 4:8–10; John 14:23