Jesus Christ, The King!
Be Strong, Be Well — Thursday, December 24, 2020
We may not celebrate December 25th as the birthday of Jesus, however it doesn't take away from the truth of the lyrics of some of the Christmas Carols we hear.
Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”
King Jesus was born on earth as prophesied many times in the Old Testament (Isaiah 9:6; 11:10). After studying the prophecies of Daniel, the wise men from the east came to inquire the whereabouts of the newborn King (Matthew 2:2).
We know the story in Matthew 21 of Jesus riding a colt into the city of Jerusalem. Christ’s humility was declared by Matthew in quoting Zechariah 9:9. “Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’
In His trial, Pilate asked Jesus if He was a King. “Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:37). Later Pilate insisted the inscription placed on the cross should read “THE KING OF THE JEWS” (Mark 15:26).
The coronation of the "Prince of Peace" took place when Jesus returned to Heaven and came before the throne of Almighty God. Daniel saw this in a vision. “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).
That kingdom came on Pentecost in Acts 2. The first gospel sermon was preached on that day. Peter said, “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne” (Acts 2:29–30).
Paul told Timothy, “which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15).
In John’s vision of Christ in Revelation several times he referred to Christ as King. “And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16).
In the words of William Kethe (1561);
“O worship the King, all glorious above
O gratefully sing His wonderful love
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days
Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise”
May we forever honor and glorify, Jesus Christ our King! —Chris