Really Royal

Submitted by Alan Marsden on Sat, 10/07/2021 - 00:00

Interestingly, the late Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, had more royal blood in his veins than his regnal wife, Queen Elizabeth. Hailing from Greek and Danish royalty on his father’s side, he had German and British royalty on his mother’s. His wife’s ancestry was royal on the side of her father (George VI) but not on the side of her mother (the Scottish Bowes Lyon family). Yet it made little difference to Britain in 1952: HRH Princess Elizabeth acceded to the throne, not her handsome blond husband. She was the heir by virtue of being eldest daughter of a king.

Herod must have puzzled why the magi came to offer gifts to a child born in a manger, without the trappings of power, wealth and fame. Even if He was descended from David through both Mary and Joseph, the pedigree reached so far back in time, that Herod felt justified in dismissing this royal pretender. Herod’s lineage was questionable, but his possession of palaces and royal trappings were beyond dispute. Yet the Child whose life He attempted to take, was fabulously more royal than he, for He was the eternally generated Son of God, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Occasionally, simpletons among the genealogical world declare their pleasure at having linked their trees to royalty or ancient warlords. Sadly, it renders them no less common or tedious, even if such claims can be successfully proved. Yet go back further, if the records allowed, and you would arrive back at Adam 1st. Yet Christ was greater than he, for it was Christ who made him, as it was through Him, that all things were made. Christ is King because of who He is. Those who despise His dignity and denigrate His honour cannot lessen His glory.

“I was watching in the night visions,

And behold, One like the Son of Man,

Coming with the clouds of heaven!

He came to the Ancient of Days,

And they brought Him near before Him.

Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,

That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion,

Which shall not pass away,

And His kingdom the one

Which shall not be destroyed.”

Daniel 7:13-14 (NKJV)