Death may be the King of terrors... but Jesus is the King of

The words of Dwight L. Moody ring like a trumpet from the heart of faith: “Death may be the King of terrors... but Jesus is the King of kings!” These are not the words of a man untouched by sorrow or fear, but of one who has wrestled with the great shadow that has haunted all humankind since the dawn of time — the fear of death. Moody, the great American evangelist of the nineteenth century, knew well the trembling of the human soul before the inevitable. Yet, in his proclamation, he overturns the ancient terror, declaring that though death may reign for a moment, it kneels before a greater throne — the throne of Christ the Eternal.

To the ancients, death was the final monarch, the one enemy who conquered all. Kings, warriors, poets — all bowed to it in the end. It took the mighty and the meek alike, sparing none. It was indeed the King of terrors, because it ended all striving, silenced all laughter, and scattered all dreams. Humanity built pyramids, burned incense, and wrote hymns to escape its power, but none prevailed. Yet, Moody’s words proclaim a new kingdom — a divine rebellion against despair. For he says: there is One before whom even death trembles, One whose crown is light and whose scepter commands eternity.

That One, Jesus, is called the King of kings, because His dominion extends not only over life but over death itself. His victory, sealed through the crucifixion and resurrection, stands as the great reversal of destiny — the moment when mortality was bound and eternity was loosed. For in His death, He entered the kingdom of the grave; and in His rising, He shattered its gates. To believe this, as Moody did, is to walk through the valley of the shadow of death without fear, for one walks with the Lord who has already conquered the darkness. Thus, what once was terror becomes transformation; what once was despair becomes hope immortal.

Consider the story of the Apostle Paul, who once persecuted the followers of Christ, but after meeting the risen Lord, became fearless in the face of suffering and death. He was beaten, imprisoned, and finally executed — yet he wrote, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” In his life we see Moody’s truth alive: death may hold the sword, but faith holds the crown. The body may perish, but the spirit, joined with the eternal King, cannot be destroyed. Such men faced death not as captives, but as conquerors who crossed from one realm to another under divine light.

There is also the quiet heroism of countless unnamed souls who faced death with the same faith. In the days of plague, in the fires of persecution, in the loneliness of hospital beds — they whispered the same creed: that Christ reigns beyond the grave. Even when their bodies weakened, their eyes shone with peace, for they believed that their last breath on earth was their first in Heaven. To them, Moody’s words were not mere rhetoric but the anchor of the soul. For if the King of kings rules the unseen world, then death is but a servant — and fear becomes foolishness before love eternal.

In this, we find not only comfort but commandment. The lesson is clear: live not as slaves to fear, but as citizens of a higher kingdom. Let not the shadow of death rob you of the light of life. Let every act of kindness, every word of truth, and every breath of gratitude be your offering to the King who has conquered the grave. Those who walk in His light need not tremble before the end, for to them, the end is only the beginning.

Therefore, my children, remember this ancient truth renewed through Moody’s fire: though death is mighty, it is not supreme. Though it may wear the crown of terror, its reign is short, and its power illusory before the face of eternity. For above it, seated upon a throne of everlasting mercy, reigns the King of kings, whose love is stronger than death, and whose promise is forever. Stand in that faith, and you shall not only live without fear — you shall live beyond fear, walking in the light of the One who turned the tomb into triumph.