Podcast Summary: "Jesus Our King"

Podcast: Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life
Episode Date: September 3, 2025
Speaker: Tim Keller

Episode Overview

In this sermon, Tim Keller unpacks Psalm 2 to answer the Advent question: "What did Jesus Christ come to do?" Drawing from the Psalm’s dual horizons—its immediate historical context and its Messianic prophecy—Keller explores how Jesus is the true King humanity longs for, why humans naturally resist His kingship, and the vital necessity of surrendering to Him. Keller integrates cultural myths, biblical exposition, and practical application, inviting listeners to a deeper understanding and relationship with Christ the King.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Messianic Promise of Psalm 2 (00:28–06:45)

• Two Levels of Psalm 2:

  • Immediate: A coronation psalm for an earthly Davidic king, set in Jerusalem (Zion), surrounded by hostile nations.
  • Ultimate: The Psalm’s language and promises overflow any human fulfillment, pointing to "a greater David, a greater king... a greater suffering servant."

• The King's Installation:
  “God is seen as installing the king in Israel on Zion... But all the foreign hostile kings are conspiring against this king.” (04:50)

2. Humanity's Deep Longing for Kingship (06:50–13:47)

• Universal Myths:

  • Across legends (Robin Hood, King Arthur, Lord of the Rings), there's a longing for the return of a just king.
  • “The reason we adore kings and create them is because there's a memory trace in the human race. There's a memory trace in you and me of a great king, an ancient king, one who did rule with such power and wisdom and compassion and justice and glory...” (10:39)

• Democracy as ‘Medicine, Not Food’:

  • True kingship is deeply coded into human nature. Without the true King, Keller warns, “You will find a king... If you don't find the real king, you're going to create a false king, and it's going to poison your life.” (13:34)

3. The Universal Rejection of the True King (13:50–21:00)

• Inherent Rebellion:

  • The core human impulse is represented by, “Let us break their chains... and throw off their fetters.” (Psalm 2:3)
  • “The kings of the earth are upset because they have an owner... There is someone who demands that they be yoked.” (15:25)

• Insight from George MacDonald:

  • “‘The central conviction of hell is I am my own...’” (17:45)
  • This desire to cast off God’s authority is rooted in every human heart and leads to brokenness.

• Virtue Incarnate:

  • Responding to the romanticized notion that people would worship perfect goodness:
    • “Virtue incarnate did appear on earth. And what did we do? We ran, we choked him, we hit him, we nailed him, we whipped him, we killed him.” (20:15)

4. Objections & Nuances Around Hating the King (22:18–27:30)

• It's Not Belief in God That's Rejected—It's the God Who Rules:

  • “Most people really believe in God... but the Bible says people hate the biblical God.” (22:44)
  • The biblical God is one who "puts a yoke on you and says, I own you. I am your creator. You belong to me. That's the kind of God the Bible says people hate." (24:10)

• Moralism and Avoidance:

  • Some use religion to “avoid Jesus.”
  • “The way to avoid Jesus was to avoid sin... Many people use religion to avoid Jesus, to avoid the King.” (26:13)

• Self-Examination:

  • “How do you know if you're a Christian... Do you know you hate God? Have you seen your hatred?... Only the Holy Spirit can allow you to surface that repressed traumatic material.” (27:03)

5. Why We Need the King & Finding Refuge in Him (27:30–36:29)

• No Refuge from the King—Only in Him:

  • “There's no in between. You can either serve and rejoice and kiss the king and you'll find a refuge in him and be blessed. Or you won't serve... you will perish. There is no refuge from the king. There's only refuge in the king.” (28:54)

• The Yoke as Freedom:

  • “The principle... is that the yoke eventually becomes a refuge. That confinement eventually becomes spaciousness, that service eventually becomes freedom.” (29:30)
  • Illustrated through the discipline of a musician, Keller explains that “the yoke becomes blessedness.” (30:33)

6. How to Treat Jesus as King—Four Key Practices (36:30–42:00)

1. Obey:

   • True obedience is deeper than pragmatic acceptance: unless you treat Jesus as more than a consultant, He isn’t your King.
   • “If you say, I'll obey if it feels good... you're not obeying at all. Jesus is not in your life as a king. Jesus is... a consultant.” (37:58)

2. Submit:

   • Accept God’s providence, even when you’re deeply troubled by your life circumstances.
   • “You have to be like Job... 'He knows my way, and when he has tested me, I will come forth as pure gold.'” (39:10)

3. Rely:

   • Rely on Jesus as your only foundation for happiness. Any addition (success, relationships, etc.) becomes your real king.
   • “If you add anything to Jesus as a requirement for being happy, that's your real king.” (40:16)

4. Expect:

   • Have king-sized expectations of Christ—that He can do beyond what seems possible.
   • “If you are too pessimistic with regards to what Jesus can do in your life, you're not treating him as a king... Thou art coming to a king. Large petitions with thee bring.” (41:30)

Memorable Quotes

• On Human Longing:

  “There is a king above the kings. There is a king behind the kings. There is a king beneath all of those legends, that even the greatest kings are just dim reflections of the memory trace in us.”
  — Tim Keller (12:14)

• On Kingship’s Place in Our Hearts:

  “If you deny your spiritual nature the king that it needs, it will gobble something. It'll gobble poison, but it will gobble.”
  — Tim Keller (14:26)

• On Human Rebellion:

  “The central conviction of hell is I am my own.”
  — Citing George MacDonald, Tim Keller (17:45)

• On the Necessity of Surrender:

  “There's no refuge from the king, only refuge in the king.”
  — Tim Keller (29:00)

Timestamps for Key Sections

• Introduction & Psalm 2 Reading: 00:00–06:45
• Cultural Fascination with Kings & Biblical Meaning: 06:50–13:47
• Human Rejection of Divine Kingship: 13:50–21:00
• Objections to Viewing God as King: 22:18–27:30
• Why We Need the King (No Refuge from Him): 27:30–36:29
• How to Treat Jesus as King (Obey, Submit, Rely, Expect): 36:30–42:00

Conclusion

Keller wraps up by urging listeners to honestly examine their hearts, confess their own resistance to Christ’s kingship, and find true joy and refuge not in escaping His rule, but by embracing it fully. The episode is a compelling challenge: “Blessed are those who find refuge in the King.” (42:38)

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