God Save the King

The United Kingdom will take center stage on May 6^th this year with the coronation of the new monarch, Charles lll. Tens of thousands of people are expected to flock to London to witness this historic event. While the world’s media will no doubt work to ensure that eyes from around the globe are focused on the new king, Christians will have a wonderful opportunity to lift the eyes of the lost to the King of kings, by whom “kings reign and rulers decree what is just…” (Proverbs 8:15).

May 6^th promises to be a spectacle. King Charles and Queen Camilla will travel in a diamond jubilee state coach from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey for the 11 o’clock ceremony in what is known as “The King’s Procession.” The coronation ceremony itself, which has basically retained the same structure over the 1000 years since William the Conqueror was crowned, will take place at Westminster Abbey and be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. During the ceremony, the king will take an oath swearing to uphold the law and the Church of England; he will be anointed with oil and then be dressed in a robe of cloth of gold called the “supertunica.” Following the return procession to Buckingham Palace, the royal family will gather on the balcony so that the public can catch a glimpse of them. On the Monday following the coronation, the public is being urged to join the “Big Help Out” and to volunteer or join local projects.

We Have a Higher King

Our king never traveled by diamond jubilee state coach but rather was carried in his mother’s womb by donkey to his place of birth in a lowly manger (Luke 2:7), where he was attended by shepherds and farm animals. He took no oath, submitting willingly instead to the Father’s will despite pleading with sweat-like drops of blood falling from his forehead, “let this cup pass from me.” (Matthew 26:39). His royal procession was a criminal’s parade with a cross upon his back to a place of mocking, scorn and torturous death and his crown was a crown of thorns (Matthew 27:27–44). His anointing was for burial by a sinful woman with expensive perfume in the days before his execution, and soldiers cast lots over his “royal robe” (John 12:3, 19:24).

But death was not the end. Three days after his cruel crucifixion, our King, the last Adam, rose to life and then sat down at the right hand of the Father in heaven to make intercession for his people (Mark 10:33; Romans 8:34). He continues to build his church 2,000 years after his glorious ascension, and many have paid the price of following the King of kings with their own blood. King Charles lll calls his people to good works as they help out in their local neighborhoods, while our King calls his subjects to a far higher purpose, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” (Mark 16:15).

In obedience to this command, Answers in Genesis–UK (with many from the US as well) and Living Waters are uniting in an evangelistic mission called “Operation London” to reach the lost who will descend on the capital to behold the coronation of the King. We are inviting volunteers from all over the world to order tracts and then travel to London to distribute them on the big day, and we are delighted that 2,000 mission-minded individuals have already signed up. The “Coronation Millions” gospel tracts are designed in the shape of a “£1,000,000 note” with the words “bank of eternity” inscribed on the front. The back contains a 183-word gospel message.

We urgently need a clear presentation of the gospel in the UK at a time when muddied and confused thinking extends to every area of society.

We urgently need a clear presentation of the gospel in the UK at a time when muddied and confused thinking extends to every area of society. Nearly half of our schools are allowing their students to self-declare their gender without even informing the parents. Branches of the Church of England are apostatizing as they agree to bless same-sex unions, and now we have a monarch who appears to be embracing the heresy of universalism (Acts 4:12, 17:31).

Since the reign of Henry VIII, all British monarchs have held the title “Defender of the Faith” as head of the Church of England, and yet thirty years ago, King Charles declared his desire to become “Defender of Faith.” In his inaugural Christmas speech (2022), the king recalls his visit to the place of the birth of Jesus Christ, but then goes on to say,

While Christmas is, of course, a Christian celebration, the power of light overcoming darkness is celebrated across the boundaries of faith and belief… So whatever faith you have, or whether you have none, it is this life-giving light… that lies in our service to others.

Now we have a situation where several weeks prior to the coronation, the order of service has not been released, and the problem appears to be a disagreement between King Charles and church leaders over the role that other faiths should play in the coronation. Anglican canon law disallows representatives from other faiths from taking part in these services, and yet the monarch wants non-Christians to be able to participate.

We await a resolution, but in the meantime, the lost of this land desperately need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you have a desire to get involved, please do get in touch. We sincerely pray that the seeds planted on Coronation Day will bear much fruit, not in this land alone but far beyond its borders.

On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. (Revelation 19:16)