Tuesday, December 20, 2017
John 12:15 "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!"
JOY TO THE WORLD, THE LORD IS COME. LET EARTH RECEIVE HER KING.
Kings of old were absolute rulers. What they said was law and enforced immediately. They were thought of, and rightly so, as divinely ordained to rule. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God (Romans 13:1). An earthly king could be a great blessing or the worst nightmare imaginable, even as world leaders today. You know the saying: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." We've seen how corrupt and immoral our own country's leaders can be. We praise God for His grace in sending the Holy Child to be our King who rules with perfect love and forgiveness.
Jesus our King rules in a very special way. He rules over all and everything is His, but He is unlike any earthly king or ruler. Our King did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). Our King was born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons (Galatians 4:4-5). Our King gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people (Titus 2:14). Our King, unlike worldly rulers, has kept His Word, redeeming us from sin and death! He rules in our hearts and in the hearts of all who trust in Him. He is a loving and merciful King. Jesus rules by grace through His eternal and infallible Word! Through the Word the Spirit strengthens and preserves us in the true Christian faith; the faith that trusts in Jesus alone for forgiveness, life, and salvation! Jesus is our life, our joy, our strength, our all! Christmas, for us, is a wondrous time of year. It focuses our hearts on our King's miraculous grace. It shows us His love and mercy. In Christ our Savior, every Christmas is merry!
