Demonstrators gather near the Lincoln Memorial after marching across the Memorial Bridge from Arlington, Virginia, into Washington, DC, during the “No Kings” national day of protest on March 28, 2026.

(Photo © Aaron Schwartz / AFP)

“No Kings” or “Know the King”:

Which Is Best for America?

David Bryant

This past Saturday, out of curiosity, I attended a “No Kings” rally near my home in Morristown, New Jersey—the location of a major headquarters for General Washington during the Revolutionary War. Along with thousands of fellow Americans, many carrying quite creative homemade signs, I chanted various non-partisan cheers for democracy as we listened to earnest speakers and singers.

The primary message, all around, was a deep concern that our nation is rapidly entering into the realm of tyranny. The appeal was for America to return to being a nation where power rests in the hands “of the people, by the people, for the people.” In other words, most of the crowd gathered there want “NO KINGS.”

This past Sunday, then, out of a desire to worship, I joined fellow Americans for Palm Sunday—a day to recall another kind of rally that happened centuries ago, when a throng surrounded Jesus as he entered Jerusalem to offer himself to the nation as their KING. In fact, one of the cheers that went up from the multitude was this: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Luke 19:38).

The whole scene was reminiscent of Psalm 24, which proclaims in part:

Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty—he is the King of glory (vv. 9-10).

To paraphrase, the psalmist David is telling us: “Wake up! Open your eyes. Open your door. Pay close attention to who is entering into your midst. He’s the King with all power—the King crowned with the glory of God. Do you KNOW him? Do you KNOW him for who he is and all he is?” That’s how we responded on Sunday.

This coming Friday, however, I must face the fact that the crowds in Jerusalem, on what we call “Good Friday,” really did not “know” their King and ultimately cried for his execution, saying to Pilate: “We have no king but Caesar!” (John 19:15). However, when Jesus was crucified, above his head was a sign that declared in three major languages so everyone would KNOW who he was: “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”

This coming Sunday, thankfully, I will celebrate how my King conquered our greatest enemy as he rose victorious from death to receive “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). Then, he ascended forty days later to take his place on Heaven’s throne, as all creation declared to Jesus: You are “worthy to receive the power, and the riches, and the wisdom, and the strength, and the honor, and the glory, and the blessing” (Revelation 5:12, TLB).

For the rest of this year, I will stand on tiptoe with the majority of Americans—as we watch with growing concern which path our nation’s leaders will take as we face the most definitive crossroads of America’s history. Our future—our only hope for the reclamation of our nation as it crumbles before our eyes—comes down to this:

• Will we turn from “NO Kings” to “KNOW the King”?
• Will we turn from making the locus of power the “people” and instead focus our eyes on the “King of Glory”?
• Will we set aside our battles over human leadership long enough to confront and absorb the realization that Jesus, Lord of all, is the answer to our heart-cry for the healing of our land?
• Will we, together, seek to really KNOW THE KING in the fullness of his risen, righteous, redeeming, reconciling, restoring, renewing reign?

Even the pagan city leaders in Thessalonica, a few years after Jesus’ coronation, understood that this was the core message of the Gospel: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here … They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus” (Acts 17:6-7, emphasis added).

I understand the valid passions expressed by the rallying theme “No Kings.” Unfortunately, that simply leaves us with a negative.

What America needs right now—what the Church in America desperately needs at this hour—is to pursue a more promising positive opportunity.

We must KNOW—recognize, understand, connect with, experience—the King of the nations so that we can share in his life-transforming and nation-changing revolution that’s meant for all of us. Paul writes about this encounter in very intimate terms in Philippians 3 (emphasis added):

I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ … I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection … (vv. 8, 10, emphasis added).

“No king” or “know THE king”? Which will it be?

Which rallying call would you say is the best choice for America—in order to avoid dreaded tyranny and enter into the magnificent destiny God offers to people and nations who choose to march forward under the saving scepter of the Lord Jesus Christ?

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives
in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us
to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.”
(2 Corinthians 2:14)

Note: All Scriptures are taken from the NIV translation unless otherwise noted.

About the Author

Over the past 50 years, David Bryant has been defined by many as a “messenger of hope” and a “Christ proclaimer” to the Church throughout the world. Formerly a minister-at-large with the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, president of Concerts of Prayer International (COPI), and chairman of America’s National Prayer Committee, David now provides leadership to Proclaim Hope! and ChristNow.com, whose mission is to inspire, equip, and serve an American CHRIST Awakening. Download his widely read ebooks at ChristNow.com. Enjoy hundreds of his podcast episodes. Meet with David through Zoom or by in-person events through David Bryant LIVE! Learn much more about David and his mission here.