King Jesus

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Trees and homes and churches are decorated with lights and wreaths and greenery. The nativity and the Elf on the shelf have made their way from the closets to prominent places within the home. There are cards to be addressed and presents to be purchased and parties to attend and, of course, holiday goodies to eat.

            But it’s actually not Christmastime, it’s Advent. The word “Advent” means arrival, and this month we focus on the Advent, or arrival, of the long awaited Messiah, Jesus. It is a time where we remember the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, as well as look forward to the day that he comes again. His second Advent.

            And during this season the most often thought of image of Jesus is as a cute little baby boy wrapped in snuggly blankets lying in a pristine manger filled with clean and comfortable hay. While this is not exactly how I picture this first night of Jesus’ birth (and I really don’t think it was a “silent” night either), the image of Emmanuel, God with us, in the form of a baby boy is a beautiful image of God’s love and His perfect plan of redemption for all of His creation.

            
            Of course there are other images that come to mind when we hear the name of Jesus.

Jesus the shepherd invokes the image of Christ carrying the lamb on His back as he walks back to the fold to reunite the lamb with the other 99 (Luke 15:3-7).

Nathan Greene

            And there is the image of Jesus as teacher, where I imagine Him on a rock while thousands of eager listeners are fed through the words of this perfect rabbi (Matthew 5-7).

            

                I see Jesus the miracle worker as He spits in the mud and wipes the mixture in the eyes of a blind man and tells him to go wash in a pool and then he received his sight (John 9:1-7).

            

               And one of my favorites is the image of Jesus as the loving father, hiking up His robe to run down the road to embrace His long lost prodigal son who had just returned home (Luke 15:11-32).

           

            The image of Jesus on the cross taking on the sins of the world, all of mine and all yours, the perfect lamb of God, is an image that I think of daily as I confess my sins and ask for his forgiveness new and fresh each morning.

            

           All of these images, and many others, reflect perfect pictures of who God is. They all show an aspect of God’s perfect and multi-faceted character.

            But this is Advent. And while the picture of Jesus in the manger may get the most air time this month, we cannot forget that is season of waiting and anticipation is as much about looking forward in hope as it is looking back in remembrance.

            And so today I want to leave you with this Advent image of Jesus that John gives us in the introduction to Revelation.

“Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all peoples on earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:7-8)

                                            
                                           King Jesus. That’s the image on my mind today. 

          
           As we come into this Advent season, is Jesus the King of your life? Every area of your life? We do, after all, have an incredible ability to compartmentalize life. Is King Jesus King over all, or is He just a governor over certain territories you have allowed Him?

            This Advent, I pray that God’s kingdom come in a powerful and beautiful way in your life. I pray that you have accepted Christ’s Kingship and that you are living with a Kingdom-focus in every area of your life. And I pray this abundant life in Jesus (John 10:10) will be your offering of praise to the King of Kings this month, and forever more.